DESTIN DANIEL CRETTON

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is the top film at the box office for the third straight weekend, but the muted reception for Clint Eastwood’s “Cry Macho” suggests older moviegoers still aren’t as eager to return to theaters.

Released on Sept. 3, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is the latest addition to the multi-ethnic superhero storyline within Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. Taking place in Macau, China, the film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi and features the hilarious Awkwafina as Katy. Although the film has seen growing controversy about its superficial portrayal of Chinese culture, it is noble in its attempt to give proper homage to Chinese culture and showcase the country to a world-wide audience. Aside from being a thoroughly enjoyable spectacle, Shang-Chi is not afraid to fuse traditional Chinese folklore and symbolism into the fabric of Marvel’s universe. Looking ahead, future Shang-Chi films have the opportunity to deepen blind spots that this film has in terms of representing culture.

On what’s traditionally one of the sleepiest weekends at the movies, the Marvel film “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” smashed the record for Labor Day openings with an estimated $71.4 million in ticket sales.

It's Simu Liu's time to take out baddies and be the hero as the titular “Shang-Chi” in Marvel Studios’ first Asian-led superhero flick.

The debut story of Shang-Chi in 1973 was rife with racial slurs and he was introduced as the son of the infamously offensive caricature Fu Manchu.

NEW YORK – The Walt Disney Co. has further postponed its next mega-movies from Marvel, including “Black Widow,” while also postponing Steven Spielberg's “West Side Story” a full year in the company's latest recalibration due to the pandemic. The Scarlett Johansson Marvel movie “Black Widow,” last set for Nov. 6, heads to May 7 of next year. That was the date set for “West Side Story,” but Spielberg's musical will instead debut in December 2021. Given the interconnected nature of Marvel releases, the latest delay of “Black Widow” had a domino effect on other films. Since the pandemic began, the company's “Mulan,” “Hamilton” and “Artemis Fowl” have gone direct to streaming, with “Mulan” made available for a $30 premium purchase by subscribers.

Simu Liu of Marvel Studios' 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' at the San Diego Comic-Con International 2019 Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H on July 20, in San Diego, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)(CNN) - Say hello to Simu Liu. "He'll be a household name soon enough," Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told CNN after an announcement-packed panel. "All I've ever wanted to do when I was growing was make [my parents] proud," Liu said on stage at Comic-Con. "Our films play around the world and we want the films to reflect that world," he said.