Shang-Chi Sparks New Major Controversy in China

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is notably absent in the Chinese theatrical market due to star Simu Liu's past comments that criticized the country. Due to the controversy, the film is not expected to be released in the country anytime soon (or ever). With the film now being available on Disney+, it sparked yet again another major controversy in the country.

According to CBR, the bus fight sequence in the film sparked a major issue in the Chinese social media app Weibo due to the bus driver's tag that says "8964" which is being perceived as a reference to Tiananmen Square Massacre that took place on June 4, 1989. There are major discussions about whether the reference was intentional or not.

In case you didn't know, the Tiananmen Square Massacre was a result of the trooped arms that were firing off to the university students that are having a peaceful protest against government corruption. Thousands believe to have died. Since then, the government has censored any reference about the event across the media and the internet.

Disney hasn't commented yet on the controversy, but it is likely that they won't address it at all. The filmmakers also haven't commented yet if the "8964" tag was a reference to the Tiananmen Square Massacre or just purely coincidental. This new controversy lessens the chance that the film will ever get a theatrical release in China.

The film wasn't the only MCU film this year that was barred from a theatrical release in China. Eternals and Black Widow also wasn't approved for release in the country with the former due to director Chloe Zhao's past comments. The absence of the films in China affected their box office results as they lost the largest market in the world outside North America. However, Spider-Man: No Way Home has reportedly been approved for release in the country.

Also Read: Shang-Chi Deleted Scene Killed Off Fan-Favorite Character

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is currently streaming on Disney+.