As the film hits theaters today, it seems it has become far more important than being another MCU entry and a traditional superhero film. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings would not only bring the long-awaited origin story within an interconnected franchise but would expand the studios¡¯ plans for creating more diverse stories that besides being visually spectacular are also culturally significant.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings would also bring the MCU full-circle as it would finally give the fans a closer and accurate look at the Ten Rings, a storyline from the Marvel Comics fandom which has existed in this franchise since its inception with Iron Man (2008). Besides Simu Liu taking on the role of Shang-Chi, the film will also feature a primarily Asian cast including Awkwafina, Ronny Chieng, Fala Chen, and acclaimed legendary actor Tony Leung essaying the role of Mandarin.?
Given its diverse casting and Asian American representation along with a story that would stretch back to the origin of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shang-Chi would be an exciting entry that would be essential in shaping up the new, post-Endgame era of the franchise.?
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings?would follow Shang-Chi alias Shaun, who lives in San Francisco and is drawn back to his past by his father Wenwu/Mandarin. The character is a well-trained martial artist, brought up by his father who controls a global, clandestine terrorist organization -?The Ten Rings, which is named after the majestic ten rings Mandarin wears in his hands that also contains superpowers. In the movie,?Shang-Chi?would have to fight for his life and stand against his all-powerful but evil father. While Shang-Chi would finally be out to the world through this film, it is expected that this MCU entry would expand the franchise in more than one way, connecting the plot to several other films of the cinematic universe.?
After Endgame, MCU underwent multi-dimensional and simultaneous continuation with WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, while laying some major groundwork for the Marvel Cinematic ¡°Multiverse¡± with Loki. Though those stories gave a glimpse into the future of MCU after the Snap, Shang-Chi would be the true beginning of Phase Four of the franchise.?
The three television series released so far besides What If¡?, followed up to previously layered stories in Endgame and Infinity War, and gave the second half of the Avengers an establishment in the MCU. Furthermore, Black Widow was a prequel, which wrapped up Natasha¡¯s character arc and set up a forthcoming series Hawkeye through its post-credits sequences. Yes, there were a few new characters in the film, but to focus more on Romanoff, those characters were slightly sidelined and would probably have more room in the future entries of the MCU.?
However, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings would serve as an origin story to a new character, introducing a wide range of characters possessing unique powers and abilities. It will surely have an interconnected storyline which is confirmed by Marvel boss Kevin Feige as he revealed that characters Wong and Emil Blonsky/Abomination would feature in the film.?
Also, Ben Kingsley¡¯s appearance in the film has sparked discussions on the appearance of Trevor Slattery, the decoy Mandarin in the film. But, the center plot of the film would actually push MCU towards a new expansion and building up of a new-era crossover like The Avengers.?
Shang-Chi would be a truly original story in the MCU and would probably focus on stories, themes, and characters closely associated with Shang-Chi comic books while keeping the elements of a hybrid storyline from other entries of the franchise at a minimum. And that¡¯s just one thing that makes Shang-Chi a significant MCU movie.?
While kicking off the new phase of the franchise, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will also bring the inception of the MCU full circle. The film will finally delve into the story that has often been hinted at in the franchise. In Iron Man (2008), a radical organization dubbed The Ten Rings kidnapped Tony Stark which led to him developing the first armor that was Mark I. In Iron Man 3, the organization was once again mentioned, this time with their leader Mandarin showing himself, who later turned out to be a failed actor acting as a decoy for the real villain. Since then, Ten Rings had been existing in shadows within the MCU with Mandarin hiding in plain sight.?
Shang-Chi would finally introduce the world to the real Mandarin and the powers of his ten rings, as well as dig a bit into his clandestine organization. Mandarin would be played by legendary actor Tony Leung, essaying the character as Shang-Chi¡¯s father, Wenwu. The Ten Rings and the Mandarin or their ideologies have been involved in one way or another in all the bad and awry that has occurred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To finally address the character¡¯s and the organization¡¯s long-lasting presence in the franchise would be a nice call back to the initiation of MCU, and hence, would make this vast and far-stretched world of Marvel superheroes much more linked and interconnected.?
Marvel first ventured into a culturally significant and character-centric story with Black Panther. That came after the studio faced backlash for casting Tilda Swinton as Ancient One in Doctor Strange (2016), a character who was an Asian in the comics. Marvel strategically produced Black Panther with the majority of cast and crew coming from the African-American community. The idea was a success and Black Panther helped CU reach newer heights, with Kevin Feige getting an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.?
The studio then stretched this idea in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier and made Sam Wilson¡¯s transition from Falcon to Captain America a racially important subject, which was further amplified by the introduction of Isaiah Bradley, the first Black incarnation of Captain America
With Shang-Chi, Marvel Studios is now correcting its stance on Asian-American representation. Not only is the film led by an all-Asian cast, but the film is also being helmed by Destin Daniel Cretton, an Asian director alongside writer David Callaham. Moreover, from what it seems, Shang-Chi is also ensuring to avoid racial stereotypes associated with the Chinese community, which were often depicted in the comics. The studio has ensured to make Shang-Chi a proper, well-researched, amalgamation of Chinese-American ideologies that perfectly fits the character¡¯s backdrop.?
On the other hand, the studio has Tony Leung playing Mandarin. Having? Simu Liu, a Chinese Canadian as Shang-Chi, and Leung as a core Chinese character that is Wenwu, Marvel Studios has cleverly made the film purely original and authentic, avoiding any scrutiny concerning stereotyped or wrongfully cast characters from the fans and global audience.??
A couple of clips from the films released on social media handles of Marvel gave a glimpse at the film's exhilarating and fantastic action, which reflects the cultural Kung-Fu mixed with other martial arts styles. The main theme song from the film¡¯s soundtrack, ¡°Run It¡± will feature Asian rapper Rich Brian teaming up with Rick Ross and DJ Snake.?