Let’s talk Shang-Chi marketing and release date

Let’s talk Shang-Chi marketing and release date

With the release of ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ slated for July 9th in the US, it’s unusual that we haven’t seen promotional materials yet. No official trailer, teaser or promo images have been released, despite the planned release being four months away. 

This is highly unusual for the trend so far with the marketing campaigns of the MCU. An example is the ‘Loki’ TV show, which has revived a trailer for it’s June release, most recently at the Superbowl show. I’ll be exploring what we know from the current information, and if this release date for Shang-Chi will change or remain.

 Firstly the LEGO set box that was revealed gives us some interesting info on the character, an action scene and costumes. This appears to be an action scene fighting a dragon, thought by some to be Fin Fang Foom, but not confirmed. He doesn't have the green color or distinct design, so i lean to this being a normal dragon. It and the other supporting characters shown on the LEGO box haven't received any published images of them so far. 

We get a look at Shang-Chi's costume design on the right side of the box. Although, this being a detailed illustration, we can't get a good idea of what it will look like in the final film. We could see further design changes, as LEGO sets are sometimes produced based off concept art, or scenes that will eventually be cut from the finished film. At this point four months away, audiences haven't seen a full look at the costume, or any of the supporting cast. 

The filming of the movie is wrapped, but the safety concerns during the pandemic could have slowed progress of CGI. We've seen on the costumes, of Iron Man and Black Panther for example, that CGI is used to embellish textures and lighting on the original 'hero' suit that was worn on set. A possible reason for the delay in the marketing campaign is just that it's as yet unfinished.  

Seen in the above set photo, the background is blocked out with large green screens. This tells us the setting will likely be taken from shots elsewhere, away from the Sydney filming location. Another possibility, that could be responsible for delays, is a CGI rendered environment. The magical aspects of this Chinese setting may require computer generated elements, vital for some teaser or trailer shots. 

These photos and info may tell us the reasons for delays so far, but it leaves the question of if the July US release date will still be met. With cinema capacity limits and distancing still in place across the US, the film could release to lower numbers than in normal times. With such restrictions in one of the biggest global markets for the MCU, a July release may not bring in the billion dollar box office that Marvel is used to. It remains to be seen how this situation, and that of other countries such as the UK where theaters remain shut, will develop. The July release date could well change, as we've seen with 'Black Widow' after its extensive marketing campaign in 2020.  

What do you think? Are you excited for the film and the first teaser to drop? Do you think this release date is subject to change?