There was a time when big Hollywood blockbusters in China were considered essential to the eventual success of a film and were often given as much importance as a domestic release. However, China has always maintained tight controls on what was shown in Western films. And combined with a global pandemic that has seen a major crackdown on foreign films, Marvel Studios (once a powerhouse in China), has faced an unofficial ban in the country. But Marvel’s three-year-plus drought is finally coming to an end.
A movie about Marvel characters hasn’t been released in China since Spider-Man: Far From Home in the summer of 2019. The latest Marvel Studios production released there was Avengers endingmeaning that the entirety of Phase Four of the MCU has been kept out of China thus far.
However, Deadline is reporting that two films now have back-to-back release dates as China will see. Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverreleased in the rest of the world in November 2022, in theaters on February 7, 2023, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantummania it will open just 10 days later on February 17, the same day it opened in North America.
The global pandemic in China was obviously a big part of why Marvel’s Phase Four was kept out of the country. Theaters have been closed for long periods of time and China’s zero covid policy has caused major cities to shut down more than once. The Chinese box office has struggled, so even when the films have been released, limiting competition for domestic films has likely been an important consideration.
China has always managed overseas theatrical releases, often instituting blackout periods during which Hollywood films are barred from release to give domestic film productions a chance to succeed. 2021 also marked the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party in China, and it appears that part of the decision to restrict Hollywood films in recent years has come from a concerted effort not to be seen as indifferent to Chinese society and culture.
Now that China has abandoned its zero covid policy and the National Congress of the Communist Party of China is over, it seems China has more leeway to do things like release Hollywood movies. The Chinese box office was down 36% last year and Marvel movies tend to be very successful in China, so these films alone could go a long way in helping the box office bounce back.
If China starts accepting more Hollywood films again, we could see a significant increase in global box office performance across the board, not just with Marvel films. However, it will be interesting to see if this also means the content changes again for the Chinese version. It was not uncommon for studios to edit films, like any explicitly gay references, for release in China and other countries. The lack of Chinese film releases over the last couple of years means these edits are largely unrealized, but they may be back on the table.
Source: Cinemablend
