Charlize Theron reveals the poignant experience she had watching Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings with her daughter. In early September, the MCU produced its latest origin story, Shang-Chi, after multiple delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The film stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, a skilled fighter who was raised by his power-hungry father Wenwu (Tony Leung) to be an assassin. Though Shang-Chi has spent several years outside of his dad's influence, the past comes calling eventually, forcing him to return home and confront all he left behind.
Shang-Chi arrived exclusively in theaters at a time when studios are anxiously watching their box office returns. As the previous Marvel movie, Black Widow, arrived day and date on streaming in July, there was much debate over whether Shang-Chi would receive a similar debut. When Disney announced its decision to grant the Destin Daniel Cretton-directed film a solely theatrical release, experts feared its chances. However, Shang-Chi soon proved to be an enormous success, breaking records on its way to becoming the current highest-grossing movie of 2021.
The theatrical experience proved to be key to Shang-Chi's triumph, and it was a vital part of Charlize Theron's interaction with the movie as well. At the same time, there was something even more special about Theron's viewing of Shang-Chi than where she was doing it. While speaking to Kevin McCarthy of the Reel Blend podcast to promote her new movie The Addams Family 2, Theron revealed the emotional experience she had watching Shang-Chi with her daughter. For the actress, it was proof that movies hold real, lasting power, as it provided her daughter with much-needed representation:
“I took my youngest daughter to go and see Shang-Chi, and it was a pretty emotional experience because she really, really connected to that film. And her godmother is Japanese, we have a lot of conversation, you know, around just, like, what’s going on right now, culturally. And it was just this incredible moment where I watched her watch this movie that- I don’t think there’s like one- like, I think it’s a completely Asian cast. And she just walked out and she was like, ‘That was like Beth!’ … And this connection of, like, just realising that she’s seeing representation not just of herself but of her world, of her family, of the people that live with her, you realise in a moment like that, the power of movies.”
Even before its release, Shang-Chi was notable because it's the first MCU movie to be led by an Asian hero and boast a mostly-Asian cast. For Theron's daughter, it must've been a thrilling moment to see characters in a superhero movie who look just like her loved ones. Of course, Shang-Chi isn't the only major studio film to be released in recent years featuring Asian leads, but it is in a small minority. Shang-Chi's success is only proof that the world needs more diverse blockbusters.
As Theron said, this story is proof that movies can be powerful things, and it's certainly a relief that audiences are now able to watch them in theaters once again. Shang-Chi has wowed fans with its impressive fight scenes and unique origin story, and there's much interest in seeing Liu's Marvel hero onscreen again. It's all but certain that he will return; the real questions are just when and where that will be. Whenever Marvel announces it, though, they can bet there will be a sizable audience ready to welcome Shang-Chi back with open arms.
Source: Kevin McCarthy/Twitter
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