Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings reportedly has one of the smallest budgets of any film in the MCU. After facing production delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Shang-Chi was finally released on September 3. The film shattered expectations, bringing in an impressive $71 million in its first three days and breaking the Labor Day weekend box office record. The original estimates tracked the film to open on par with The Incredible Hulk, but now Shang-Chi's success is akin the unexpected box office victory of Iron Man in May 2008.
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become more successful, the studio's films have grown in both scale and budget. The early Phase 1 films like Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk were funded completely by Marvel Studios, with distribution handled by Paramount Pictures. When Disney purchased Marvel in 2009, film budgets began to increase, especially after The Avengers significantly exceeded expectations and become the highest-grossing film of 2012. As a result, sequel films for popular heroes like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America got bigger budgets, and so did origin stories for others like Spider-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Doctor Strange. And since Shang-Chi is a blockbuster action film with complex stunts, heavy VFX work, and international filming locations, it was expected to be another expensive effort for Marvel.
However, according to Toronto's National Post (via Comicbook.com), the budget for Shang-Chi was just $150 million, one of the lowest in the MCU. This is largely due to the fact that the film received a $50 million tax credit from the Australian government, representing a significant saving for Marvel. The only MCU films that cost less than Shang-Chi are Captain America: The First Avenger at $140 million, The Incredible Hulk at $137 million, and the Ant-Man films at around $130 million.
Many of the Phase 1 films in the MCU featured budgets similar to Shang-Chi, with both Thor and Thor: The Dark World costing $150 million. Later MCU origin films budget increased, with Doctor Strange costing $165 million and both Black Panther and Black Widow reportedly costing $200 million. The final budget for Captain Marvel is debatable, with some reports suggesting it cost the same as Shang-Chi with $150 million while others put it at around $175 million.
Given the fact that Shang-Chi had the budget of a Phase 1 MCU film but opened with box office numbers above The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger, it can be seen as a even bigger success for Marvel Studios than those early projects, despite the pandemic. The worldwide total for the film is already $127 million after its opening weekend, and with no major competition for the month of September and plenty of positive early reviews, the film is sure to make an even bigger gain on its production budget in the coming weeks. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is another hit for Marvel Studios and an impressive start for the latest hero, who is now well placed to appear in the MCU again very soon.
Source: National Post (via Comicbook.com).
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