Why did it take so long for Shang-Chi to be available on Disney Plus? That changes on Friday, when any Disney Plus subscriber can watch it without paying anything additional. That movie became available on Disney Plus on the same day it was released in theaters, but to stream it, subscribers needed to pay an extra $30. At the same time as Shang-Chi, Jungle Cruise is being unlocked for all Disney Plus subscribers to watch at no added cost. The streaming release of Shang-Chi coincides with what Disney is calling Disney Plus Day, a marketing campaign that also includes the release of some standalone specials on the service plus other promotional trailers, clips and gimmicks. In between the end of that theatrical exclusive window and Friday, Shang-Chi didn't become available to even rent online through platforms like Amazon, Apple or others. But it's still longer than some fans had hoped.ĭisney committed to keeping Shang-Chi in theaters exclusively for at least 45 days, which elapsed in mid-October. That's much faster than Disney's theatrical releases hit the streaming service before the pandemic, when it typically took five to eight months. It's available to watch at no added cost for subscribers. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings landed on Disney Plus to stream Friday early in the morning.

When does Shang-Chi start streaming on Disney Plus? While that surely helped bolster Shang-Chi's box office take and will likely nudge more people to cinemas to see Eternals, the strategy crimps options for fans who got accustomed to streaming same-day movies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike other movies Disney released earlier in the pandemic, Shang-Chi and Eternals weren't available to stream on Disney Plus when they hit theaters. Its box office success was partially thanks to Shang-Chi's streaming strategy - which was not to stream at all.Įternals hit theaters last week and followed suit. Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is one of the biggest box office hits of the pandemic, sitting atop the rankings as the highest-grossing movie in the US so far this year. Shang-Chi hasn't been available to stream, or even rent online, since its theatrical release in early September.

Is deadpool on disney plus