Everything You Need to Know About Marvel's 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'

Image via Marvel Studios

For a while, fans speculated that Marvel/Disney might release the movie on Disney+ in conjunction with its theatrical release. Disney had previously made new movies like Mulan, Black Widow, and Cruella available as Premier Access titles, which meant that people would pay an additional fee, on top of the monthly subscription cost, to watch a theatrical feature from the comfort of their homes. Shang-Chi, however, is releasing in theaters only. Then, after a 45-day “theatrical window,” it will debut on Disney+.

The character debuted in 1973 and was partially based on Bruce Lee. 

In the comics, Shang-Chi is the half-Asian son of Dr. Fu Manchu. Shang discovers that his father is a villain and subsequently thwarts Fu Manchu’s evil plans. Shang then joins with MI-6 agents to fight for good. 

More recent comic appearances have depicted Shang-Chi joining the Avengers, and reconciling family disputes between his siblings and half-siblings, who are also martial arts masters and members of ancient fighting orders.

Yes, the character was a popular villain of old Hollywood, but his most enduring contribution to American culture is popularizing the “Fu Manchu,” a slender, long moustache that dangles on both sides of a person’s mouth. You probably know it best from create-a-character video game modes as one of the facial hair options that you never choose.

The character, with its yellow skin, claw-like nails, and bizarre mixture of lecherousness and duplicity, was a one-stop-shop for negative Asian stereotypes. Fu Manchu played upon people’s fears of “Yellow Peril,” especially in the wake of America’s conflicts in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. 

Over time, Marvel has distanced itself from the character, especially after losing the rights to it. In 2010, Marvel revised Shang’s origin, claiming that “Fu Manchu” was an alias for the real man: a Chinese sorcerer named Zheng Zu who had discovered the secret to immortality.

It differs significantly. The original comic was so steeped in racist baggage from the outset that the new movie made an effort to reinvent the character. His father is different. His mother is different. His siblings are different. His rivals are different

The current movie incarnation is more in line with Marvel Comics’ 2015 Secret Wars reboot, but even so, the filmmakers played faster and looser with the canonical details than they did with Black Panther or Captain America. “We were all on the same page right off the bat,” said Simu Liu (Shang-Chi) in an interview. “We were going to introduce an all-new origin story for this character, and the only things we were going to take from the comics were his name, his martial arts skills, and the fact that he had a complicated relationship with his father.”

That’s one of the best things about this movie. It’s one thing to put Asian people in front of the camera. It is groundbreaking to put Asians behind the camera and allow us to tell our stories. The director is Japanese-American filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton (The Glass Castle, Just Mercy), who also co-wrote the script.

They’re looking phenomenal. The movie currently has a 91 precent on RottenTomatoes, with critics giving it a “Fresh” review. Most critics have called positive attention to the performances—particularly to Liu’s performance as Shang-Chi and Leung’s performance as the Mandarin. Multiple reviewers predict a star turn for Liu.

According to people who attended the premiere, the Shang-Chi post-credits scene is something of a doozy; it prompted cheering, shocked reactions, and anticipation over the future of the MCU. So as always, make sure to stick around.

And lastly: this movie is important. It would be important in any year because it’s the first movie of its kind, where an Asian American superhero has this kind of mainstream recognition and celebrity. But it’s especially important at a time when anti-Asian hate crimes are on the rise. 

Positive representation is important. But nuanced representation is even more so. In Shang-Chi, there’s an Asian hero, an Asian villain, and an Asian sidekick. No token character bears the responsibility of representing everything that Asians are. We get to be human, with complexities and flaws. That makes us visible and is much more meaningful than checking off a box.