Marvel's Shang-Chi Scores $8.8 Million at Thursday Box Office

Unlike Black Widow and Jungle Cruise, Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings didn't get a simultaneous theatrical and Disney+ release. The film is only available to see in theaters as it premieres around the United States and in other parts of the world this weekend. Given that it's one of the biggest movies to debut only in theaters during the pandemic, and certainly the only major Disney movie to do so, fans have been curious about how it would fare at the box office.

Fortunately, Shang-Chi is off to a very strong start, all things considered. The new Marvel blockbuster hauled in $8.8 million in Thursday night previews, topping Universal's F9 from earlier this year.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is currently expected to break the record for Labor Day weekend box office, which may come as a surprise given that we're still dealing with the pandemic. However, Labor Day weekend has traditionally been a rough one for the box office, with Rob Zombie's 2007 Halloween remake holding the current record, taking in just $30 million over the course of four days. Shang-Chi will likely break that record without too much trouble.

The global haul for Shang-Chi this weekend is expected to be between $90-$100 million. While that's not a ton compared to MCU movies of the past, we're living in a much different time right now, and taking in $100 million in a single weekend is pretty exceptional when you consider the circumstances.

Despite being released on Disney+ Premier Access the next day, Black Widow actually had a great Thursday night at the box office earlier this year, outperforming Shang-Chi in previews. The Scarlett Johansson solo film earned $13.3 million on its preview night, en route to becoming the biggest hit in the pandemic era. It's worth remembering, though, that Black Widow is a character that's been established in the MCU for a decade now and fans have been waiting on her solo movie for quite some time.

How do you think Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will fare at the box office by the time the weekend is through? Let us know in the comments!