Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is tearing up box offices everywhere. For the many talented people involved, the film is a vehicle that’ll propel their names to the forefront of the mainstream. Comedian Bobby Lee was almost one of those people, as he revealed the missed opportunity in jest in his latest podcast. According to the Slept King:
I auditioned for it. Ronny Chieng beat me out and he always beats me out. I refuse to watch it, especially when they said, “Your audition was great! They loved it!” But thanks for the opportunity [laughs].
Now, the Slept King really didn’t miss out on a sizeable role as Ronny Chieng‘s role as the fight club announcer and middleman was only for a few scenes. That being said, it would have been nice to see the MadTV comedian in that brief appearance.
This isn’t the first time Bobby Lee has orbited around a comic book film, having previously auditioned for Randall Park‘s role in the first Aquaman film. His next big appearance is in the upcoming Borderlands film so maybe after that, he can finally snag a cool comic book role.
Shang-Chi and The Legend Of The Ten Rings features plenty of action. Each action set piece is bigger than the last until the film’s explosive third act. Now everything that leads into that action is surrounded by the heart of the movie: Jiang Li, mother of Shang-Chi, played by Fala Chen. Murphy’s Multiverse was fortunate enough to talk with Chen recently about her role, working with Tony Leung and more.
Chen’s Jiang Li makes a big impact as the moral center of the film. Chen addressed how she stepped into that central role:
I feel it was very natural for me to step into that role. I got to spend a lot of time with the cast prior to the beginning of filming. We trained together for so long that we hung out after our training sessions. We got to really know each other so well and we became best friends. So I think that really helped me to imagine some of the character I didn’t get to play with on screen but have a relationship with that was really helpful.
Chen gave director Destin Daniel Cretton credit for not only helping her create what is an entirely original character but also creating an authentic vibe for Ta-Lo, they mystical realm from which Jiang Li hails.
Then Destin (Director Destin Daniel Cretton), I have to give him so much credit for spending so much time with me to map out the journey of my character. He explained the backstories, and asked me what ideas I had for the character. There are imaginary backstories that we mapped out together. I feel like I was very lucky to not only play the character but have a lot of personal input as well. Here’s a small example particularly with the language. My character spoke Chinese in the film, and there are so many dialects in the Chinese language. Even with Jiang Li coming from Ta-Lo, which is a mystical village we wanted to be very specific about every word that she was using. It’s precise, it’s part of the spirit. The language we used is such an ancient, nuanced language we wanted to make sure it’s authentic. In order to do that we spent a lot of time with a translator. I had a lot of personal input in the translation of that. It was a lot of collaboration amongst us all.
Chen absolutely stole the show in her role, a role, as it turns out, she never auditioned for as Marvel Studios was eager to work with her.
I was offered the role and never had to audition for it, which was like, “What? “I was so honored and so happy. I almost didn’t even get the call that came through, because they’ve been tracking my availability. For a long time we didn’t know what the project was about. I had heard in the news that Shang-Chi was in the making, so I’ve been tracking it. We never know because they (Marvel) have been so secretive. I then went on a honeymoon with my husband. Then suddenly, my agent was trying to reach me and I didn’t hear from them for the longest time. Eventually we got a call from a satellite phone as we were literally out of this world, and they made an offer.
Jiang Li’s tragic story was such a necessary part of this movie. It provides the context for Shang-Chi, Xialing, and specifically Wenwu’s journeys. The opening scene between Chen’s Jiang Li and Tony Leung’s Wenwu was a beautiful homage to Asian cinema. Chen talked about that scene and working with Hong Kong legend Leung:
I have to say that was the most difficult scene to play but also the easiest thing to play. The difficult part obviously being the physical fighting. It was the intricate choreography and also being 50 feet in the air flipping around. Doing all that physically is really difficult as well as pretending to be such a master of a high power. At the same time the easiest part is looking into his eyes and just being a fan girl.
Chen also echoed the sentiments of much of the film’s Asian and Asian-American cast when asked how she felt being a part of the production that brought Marvel Studios first Asian hero the big screen
While I was a part of making this, I’m still kind of in disbelief that I’m lucky enough to be a part of this amazing story that’s going to be an historic film. Obviously not only for the Marvel Universe, but for especially the Asian-American community.
Marvel Studios Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings is in theaters now.
Following the surprising box office success of Marvel Studios Shang-Chi, Sony has chosen to move Venom: Let There Be Carnage one more time, this time moving it forward to an October 1st release.
The sequel has moved several times over the past year and change, recently moving to October 15th from a planned September 17th release. The new October 1st date puts the film’s release almost exactly one year from it’s initial October 2, 2020 target date. The new date also means the sequel will debut exactly 3 years after the original which opened to over $80M, an October record at the time.
Tickets for the Andy Serkis-helmed sequel will go on sale this Wednesday. Venom: Let There Be Carnage will see Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock face off with Woody Harrelson’s Cletus Kasaday who, after biting Brock, becomes one of Marvel’s most unhinged characters: Carnage.
As we find out in Shang-Chi and The Legend Of The Ten Rings, the titular hero is up to the task. With some help from his sister and the good people of Ta-Lo, a disaster of epic proportions is avoided. When the film wraps up we see Shang-Chi and Katy being picked up by Wong for a trip to the sanctum. What occurs next is a big step for not only the MCU, but Shang-Chi’s development as a new Avenger.
As Wong is explaining to Shang-Chi and Katy the nature of the ten rings, we get a nice surprise. Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner are there via video screen a la Endgame. They’re also advising on the situation. The rings are described as very old and very powerful, as we saw Wenwu use to devastating results in the film. Something in those rings apparently acts as a beacon sending a signal. What that scenario means for the future of the MCU is a great question, but the immediate story here is fascinating: Shang-Chi is an asset to the team.
The Avengers after the events of Endgame are all off dealing with smaller issues. We have plenty of individual stories that have begun to reconnect the larger group: the events happening on Earth, in the multiverse, and eventually space. How all of these things connect to an eventual bigger team up will be quite the undertaking. Seeing Shang-Chi after his first film essentially make his way to the team is our first hint at the future.
Wong’s role in the film as a teacher is another story to watch. It’s clear that Wong in the fight with the Abomination is giving pointers to him like a trainer. Wong then advises Shang-Chi and Katy while also welcoming them to the team. It’s clear that Wong’s MCU role has also expanded. What that might mean for Dr. Strange is quite the topic down the line. Nonetheless, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is more than just an introduction. It’s a sign that things in the MCU are evolving, with new faces and new Avengers.
As Shang-Chi and The Legend of theTen Rings opens across the globe this weekend, Marvel Studios’ fans are being introduced to an incredible roster of characters. Star Simu Liu brings charisma and a likability to a character neatly modernized for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Awkwafina, who seems to be making an impression on every available medium, makes a splash and commands a return appearance as Shang’s BFF Katy. And Hong Kong legend Tony Leung, the film’s true protagonist, gives a rich and unforgettable performance. Standing out among them all, however, is newcomer Meng’er Zhang.
WARNING: SPOILERS FOLLOW
Zhang plays Xialing, estranged sister and daughter to Shang-Chi and Wenwu, respectively, and a character every bit as formidable as her headlining brother despite her father’s efforts to relegate her to the background. Zhang’s performance as Xialing sets her on an ascending pathway that sort of resolves itself in the film’s post-credit stinger while also setting the stage for Zhang to reappear, potentially in the near future, as the lead in her own project.
And the best part about Zhang’s potential next appearance is that, despite her willingness to cooperate with her brother in the film’s final act, it will probably put her at odds with Shang-Chi. As the film concludes, Shang-Chi is under the impression that Xialing has set about the business of dismantling their late father’s thousand-year-old organization, the legendary Ten Rings; however, as the film’s stinger reveals, Xialing has gone her own way, reimagining the organization rather than destroying it.
Disney Plus has opened new storytelling avenues for Marvel Studios. WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier,and Loki have all proven to be successful efforts in continuing the stories of non-lead characters. In light of this, the next chapter in Xialing’s story feels like a perfect fit for Marvel Studios’ continued dive into the streaming world. A Xialing-centric series would be a perfect addition. It would offer an opportunity to establish not only Zhang’s breakout character’s place in the MCU, but also backfill the history of the organization she now finds herself heading up, all while advancing the story for her inevitable confrontation with her brother.
All of this, of course, thrusts newcomer Zhang into the spotlight. And for that, she seems especially prepared. Zhang has remained cool and unphased during her ascendancy to stardom, handling her interviews with equal parts rookie enthusiasm and veteran smoothness. As has often been the case for the studio over the years, Marvel Studios seems to have struck gold with the casting of Zhang, allowing it to move confidently towards the future of her character in an interconnected universe that can only be made stronger. Zhang has blazed a bright trail into the future both for herself and for Xialing, and audiences should rightfully be looking forward to what’s next.
Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is in theaters now.
Early last year, I shared the news that Marvel Comics characters Leiko Wu, Black Jack Tarr and Clive Reston, MI6 operatives and allies of Shang-Chi from the Master of Kung Fu comics, were set to be included in Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings. As those of you that have seen the movie will know, none of those characters appear in the film and there is no mention of MI6, the British Secret Intelligence service who, in the comics, was after Shang-Chi’s father.
Our own Charles Villanueva was able to talk to executive producer Jonathan Schwartz and asked if those characters were a part of the early development process of Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings.
Not really. I think that very early on we decided that we wanted to move Shang-Chi in kind of a different direction and surrounding him with that cohort just never really felt quite right. It would’ve meant kind of loading the movie up with British Caucasian characters rather than having a movie that is primarily, or almost entirely, Asian or Asian-American characters, and that version just felt more exciting, fresher and cooler.
As integral as those characters were to Shang-Chi’s development in the comics, their absence was certainly not noticeable in the film. Marvel Studios did an incredible job of creating an entirely new world for the character to inhabit and new characters to help shape and guide him along the way. With Kevin Feige indicating they already have plans for a sequel, it’s possible that we might see MI6 pop up there or in a potential Ten Rings project. As Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings proved (Abomination and Wong were certainly not on anyone’s list of characters expected in this film), characters can show up any place at any time.
Jonathan Schwartz has been involved in the MCU for over a decade, having served as an assistant to Kevin Feige before tackling the role of producer in a number of Marvel productions. Before Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, he was involved in projects that deal more with the cosmic side of the MCU, having produced both Guardians of the Galaxy volumes and Captain Marvel‘s debut feature. Having similar settings means that there are a few characters that appeared on both IPs, one of the most notable being Ronan The Accuser. This makes Schwartz, a member of Marvel Studios’ Parliament, the studio’s creative committee, a voice to be heard when regarding the Kree warlord.
We saw Ronan’s apparent death in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy with the character being brought back in Captain Marvel as that movie’s plot was set 20 years earlier. Being a fan favorite it’s fair to say many would like to see Ronan returning in all his glory. We asked about that possibility and Schwartz had this to say:
I’m a big fan of Ronan. I’m a big fan of Lee [Pace]. And I would say “Never say never.”
With all current Marvel storylines having moved past the point of Ronan’s death, it might be fair to assume that if he does make a comeback, it won’t be the same Ronan we met in 2014. But with Marvel Studios introducing the Multiverse in their projects, with What If…? opening the door for many characters to return to the MCU after being killed off in the main timeline, Ronan should indeed be on the top of the list of characters that could return in order to fulfill their comic book potential on the big (or small) screen.
Over the course of its run, Marvel Studios animated streaming series What If…? has seen its narrator, The Watcher, insert himself into the stories he’s telling. Episode 4, What If…Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands, gave audiences their first taste of the character actually interacting with others inside the main narrative as an overpowered Doctor Strange became aware of The Watcher before begging him to intervene and save his reality. True to his word, The Watcher refused to interfere and allowed the tragedy of Stephen Strange to unfold. However, according to Jeffrey Wright, who voices The Watcher, episode 4 might be the beginning of a turning point for the character.
In an interview with EW, Wright talks about how episode 4 represents a “shift in attitude” for the character and gives some interesting hints about how that shift might develop over the remaining 5 episodes of the first season.
It’s a shift in attitude for him, and it’s a shift in purpose and intent and all of that stuff for him. That’s a fun gearshift to play. And he also becomes less disembodied. For audiences too, that’s the moment in which he steps into these worlds a little bit closer and steps a little closer to the audience as well. That’s his moment where he knocks on the door.
The Watcher is is compelled by the danger that Strange is conjuring, obviously not only for himself but for his whole reality. For The Watcher there’s only so much he can only watch. He’s not a voyeur for voyeurism’s sake, he is in some ways made up of these characters. Without them, what does he watch? [Laughs] He’s profoundly compelled by them, and maybe there’s only so much he can take. We’ll see.
It seems as though the Watcher’s rules may not be as unbreakable as his calm, stern voice might make audiences believe. Comic readers are already familiar with Uatu’s inability to live by his code and, according to Wright, the MCU version might be headed in the same direction:
Well, I guess the question is, how reliable a narrator is The Watcher? How trustworthy can we be of his description of himself and the rules that he says he abides by? We’ll see.
Wright also indicated that while these stories seem disparate, the fact that they take place in a multiverse of endless possibilities means that one possibility is the separate threads of each episode finding a way to “weave themselves into the other”, something production designer Paul Lasainebacked up in an interview with Murphy’s Multiverse. Episode 4 gave us our first hints at that, including the return of our tentacled friend. As we head into the back stretch of the series, we’re sure to see The Watcher move into a more integral role, perhaps being responsible for assembling the Guardians of the Multiverse.
With just about 2 months to go until its debut on Disney Plus, the Marvel Studios streaming series Hawkeye continues production. Some cast and crew recently completed additional photography for the series in Atlanta and now, according to a report from Hollywood North Buzz, crew members are headed to Toronto for another round of additional photography.
Series co-star Jeremy Renner is currently working in Toronto on the Paramount + series Mayor of Kingstown, so this seems to be a case of the studios accommodating his schedule in order to get the additional shots. HNB reports that the shoot will be brief, with work being done on September 7th and 8th.
6 episodes of Hawkeye are set to stream on Disney Plus beginning November 24th. The anticipated series will see Hailee Steinfeld join the MCU as Kate Bishop, introduce Alqua Cox as Maya Lopez/Echo ahead of her own spinoff series and is strongly rumored to feature the return of Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin.
As fans continue to waver on how comfortable they feel heading to theaters, Marvel Studios newest origin story, Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, looks to be on track to set a Labor Day weekend box office record with a projected $45-50 million dollar U.S. opening weekend. The film received rave reviews from critics (you can read our review RIGHT HERE) and is on track to add another $40-45 million globally. A $45M domestic box office would top the recently released and well-loved The Suicide Squad.
Box office projections are not an exact science and are even cloudier now as the Delta variant continues to surge; however, it seems that Disney is going to strike it rich over the usually dead Labor Day weekend. While Shang-Chi won’t be putting up pre-pandemic numbers or even Black Widow numbers (which also premiered day-and-date on Disney Plus via Premier Acess), it seems sure to surpass the current Labor Day weekend record of $37M, held by the 2007 Halloween reboot. It also seems like the film is set to kick off a strong run atop the box office, as competition for the top spot will remain relatively weak over the next 3 weeks. Projections used advance ticket sales as part of their calculations and while those are nowhere near as strong as they were for Black Widow, it’s possible that word of mouth and walk-ins over the long weekend could push the film closer to a $100M global launch.
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