Tag: Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings

‘Shang-Chi’s Secret Actor Behind Death Dealer’s Mask Revealed

It looks like we finally found out who is behind the mask of Death Dealer in Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings. There has been a curious focus on keeping the identity of the character a secret, but it turns south the actor ended up leaking his involvement with the project. Martial artist Andy Le took to Instagram to share the official character poster for the character and hinted at his involvement with the character.

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That is not all, as POC Culture also noticed that fellow Shang-Chi actress Awkwafina shared an Instagram story that confirmed he is indeed playing the role, as she tagged him. Of course, it doesn’t confirm if we’ll even find out the identity of the character at some point in the film, and it simply is a silent role. Death Dealer is Wenwu’s right-hand man and could just be a silent opposition for Shang-Chi as he learns to finally face his father. We got a tease of their confrontations in the trailers.

Marvel Studios has been actively keeping their identity a secret, and we see that they’ve been around since Shang-Chi was a kid. They were heavily involved in his training into adulthood. So, who knows if the same version of Death Dealer exists throughout the entire film. Marvel Studios has also kept the identity of Taskmaster for quite some time, and it’s uncertain if Le is also portraying the character, or was mainly the stunt double. We’ll probably only know once the film releases in September.

Source: Instagram, POC Culture

August 6, 2021
‘Shang-Chi’s Latest Trailer May Hint at the Ten Ring’s Origins

The latest Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings trailer gave us our first look at the grand return of Abomination. He is fighting what most likely is Wong during a tournament. It’s been what everyone has been talking about, but there is one more major reveal that got a bit overlooked in the trailer. We briefly get a sequence of Shang-Chi underwater getting confronted by a mysterious dragon. Now, we automatically assumed it might be Fin Fang Foom, but a Funko Pop leak offered a better glimpse. It even confirmed his name is the Great Protector. Now, the fact we get to see him interact with Shang-Chi made me wonder how he connects to the mysterious Ten Rings and the overarching story.

In the trailer, Simu Liu‘s character is submerged in water while wearing what seems to be the outfit from the final fight in the trailer. We see the entire body of the Protector with his head coming closer. The visual has a deeper meaning, as in Chinese mythology, the dragons, also known as Long or Lung, are rulers of weather and water. There is also a Chinese idiom that states people are “hoping one’s child will become a dragon.” This belief might match Teny Leung‘s words as Wenwu: “You can’t run from your past!” They might reflect his hopes of bringing his son back into the family business. The trailer seems to imply there might be a deeper connection between the dragon and his family’s history, which may tie together with the physical symbol of their legacy, the Ten Rings.

In the comics, they are literal rings one wears on their fingers that each has a unique ability. They weren’t magical creations but of alien origin, which made us think it might connect to Fin Fang Foom. He is a shape-shifting alien from Kakaranthraa or Maku IV. It’s still uncertain how the rings work, but they seem to have an energy field. Not just that, they also seem to change depending on the user, as they light up yellow when Shang-Chi is holding them. They might utilize a person’s energy and give it form, which matches the abilities showcased by Michelle Yeoh’s Jian Nan, where she is controlling nature around her. So, it may act more like an energy siphon to utilize one’s inner powers, which, if we return to Chinese mythology, is known as Qi.

So, how does it all connect? Well, the Great Protector might be the originator of the rings. They may pay tribute to the comics by them being literal rings on the dragon’s claws. They got gifted to the founding father of Shang-Chi and Wenwu’s family, who might have been part of the war teased in the trailers. The brief sequence of floating water might be another reference to that deep connection. Liu‘s character coming face-to-face with the dragon might be the passing of the torch before the final battle between him and his father commences. In Chinese mythology, four Dragon Kings represent the four seas. One of them, most notably, being the White Dragon that is the patron of Qinghai Lake. The colors would match with the Great Protector, and it might be the birthing place of the Ten Rings. It may even be the lake teased in a brief sequence in the latest trailer, but it may be an original location that is strongly inspired by the original myth.

We’ve already seen glimpses of Chinese mythology playing a key role in the film. It would make sense they would also establish the Ten Rings to have a stronger connection to the country’s mythology. Of course, it is just speculation and it may be purely the resting place of the dragon, as earlier sets did hint at the Valley of the Sleeping Dragon. They could’ve combined the comic location with a real-world inspiration. Whatever direction they may take, it is great to finally explore a new section of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its vast mythology.

Source: YouTube

June 25, 2021
New ‘SHANG-CHI’ Trailer Reveals the Return of the Abomination

For about 5 seconds tonight, fans thought the underwater reveal of the Great Protector was the money shot of the new trailer for Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings. 5 seconds later, fans got their first look at the All-New, All-Different Abomination and social media went wild.

The final seconds of the trailer give us a look at a very different, very comic-based Abomination (confirmed by the captions) going up against Wong in what appears to be the oft-rumored tournament. While we’ve heard rumors of Wong’s potential appearance in the film, the Abomination’s presence seems to come out of nowhere (his return to the MCU was confirmed for She-Hulk but this definitely caught me off guard) and begs the asking of one very important question: on whose behalf is Blonsky fighting? The last we saw of him, he was headed to a cryo-cell in the Vault in Alaska under the watch of Thunderbolt Ross following his ass beating at the hands of the Hulk. What is the nature of this tournament and what does Ross stand to gain by sending this monster into the ring? Or is Abomination under someone else’s control at the moment, like the Contessa?

Watch the new trailer below. Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings hits theaters September 3, 2021.

June 24, 2021
REPORT: ‘Just Mercy’s Joel P West to Score ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’

It feels like a renaissance for Marvel Studios. Black Widow is only a few weeks away from release. We got official trailers for Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Speaking of, it seems that Film Music Reporter was able to confirm that Joel P West is scoring the upcoming film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. It makes a lot of sense he would also be working on the film, as he has quite the history with the director.

He was the composer for Cretton’s other four projects, I Am Not a Hipster, Short Term 12, The Glass Castle, and Just Mercy. It is currently being recorded in London’s Abbey Road Studios, as they prepare the film for its upcoming September 3rd release. It’s the first time we’ve heard about his involvement since IMDb Pro, as shared by Geeks Worldwide, revealed his involvement with the project back in October of 2019.

Composer Joel P. West will be reuniting with director Destin Daniel Cretton for Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi! His credits include Short Term 12, The Glass Castle, the upcoming film Just Mercy. pic.twitter.com/MN0uhlgZpA

— TheGWW.com 📣 (@The_GWW) October 25, 2019

Briefly, there was also the rumor that Bloodborne and Elysium‘s Ryan Amon was involved with the project, which supposedly also stemmed from IMDB Pro. He is currently listed to be involved with the film’s music department on IMDB. There hasn’t been an official confirmation so far, but Film Music Report has been reliable in the past. Around six months ago, the same site also revealed that Knightfall‘s Natalie Holt was scoring Loki. It’ll be interesting to see what he brings to the production and what kind of soundtrack we can expect from the film that’ll dive deep into the history of the Ten Rings and finally introduce the world to the true Mandarin.

Source: Film Music Reporter, Twitter, IMDb (Shang-Chi), IMDb (Amon)

June 21, 2021
China Release for ‘Shang-Chi’ and ‘Eternals’ Uncertain As Films Face Backlash

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a stronghold in cinemas across the world. They’ve also been a mainstay with China, one of the largest growing film markets globally. Its growth has been giving Hollywood quite a bit of competition. At one point, they even tried to strengthen their ties with China by filming exclusive sequences for Iron Man 3. There were even rumors that they’ve adapted specific aspects of their films to appease China’s very strict regulations for allowing Western film releases. It looks like they might be facing some troubles with their upcoming releases, as CCTV6 China Movie Chanel released their list of upcoming releases. They showcased eight of the ten available titles with Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings noticeably absent.

Why does it matter? Well, the channel is part of China’s propaganda department. They have the final word on what Western releases make it into the country. If these films do not receive governmental approval or pass censorship, they will not be released in any capacity. For now, it doesn’t imply that the films won’t be released but that there are some aspects that may have caught the Chinese official’s attention.

It’s also curious that both have strong connections to the country. Shang-Chi will feature Simu Liu as Marvel Studios’ first Asian superhero, who was born in China. Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh are also well-known in the country. The issue the film may face is the character’s ties to the racist caricature Fu Manchu in the comics. Chinese politicians have slammed the film for simply replacing the character with another harmful stereotype. The film has also seen some harsh criticism towards Simu Liu and Awkwafina’s appearances not matching the ideal Chinese beauty standard. Mulan’s reception has also been a cause for concern after it received backlash for its portrayal of Eastern culture.

Then there is Eternals‘ director Chloé Zhao, who just recently won an Oscar for Nomadland. She also was born in China and has strong ties to the country. According to Variety, there has been some backlash surrounding the director, as her name and achievements were wiped from the Chinese web. It is still uncertain why they decided to blacklist her after the praise for winning the Golden Globes. As of now, we will have to wait and see if any new developments might give them a chance to release them in the booming market. Currently, it doesn’t look like their chances are good.

Source: Variety

May 12, 2021
‘Shang-Chi’ and the Potential of the Franchise

When Marvel Studios set out to make a film about little-known comic hero Shang-Chi, many fans wondered how the company would manage to put such a minor character at the forefront of their cinematic universe. It seems that Marvel Studios has taken cues from the recent relaunch of the character from 2015’s Secret Wars, in which a multiversal collision leads to the creation of multiple new realities. One of these garden-fresh worlds presents an updated take on Shang-Chi, where his father Fu Manchu (really) got replaced by the Mandarin and his Eurocentric world is swapped for a wuxia-inspired fantasyland.

The mini-series was popular with fans and led to the Master of Martial Arts receiving a larger role in the mainstream Marvel Universe. An array of rumors and fan theories have the character’s MCU future adapting multiple parts of his comic history. Now that we finally got our first glimpse confirming the modern inspiration, it also opens up brand new avenues for the franchise to expand. So, without further ado, here’s how the endlessly charismatic Simu Liu can effectively take his place as your new favorite Marvel hero.

Shang-Chi and the Agents of Atlas

It has been heavily rumored that Marvel intends to bring the Agents of Atlas to life following the release of Shang-Chi, and there is a chance the project comes to fruition as a Disney+ series between Shang-Chi films. The titular superhero team was originally brought together by Jimmy Woo after he took over a secret underground society called the Atlas Foundation. In recent comics, Shang-Chi was recruited, quickly becoming one of their most respected members. The “agent” title was not something new to Shang-Chi, who was once a part of England’s MI-6 after frequent team-ups with many of their high-ranking constituents. Some of those MI-6 agents are reportedly set to appear in Ten Rings, so the end of the film may see Liu‘s hero join their ranks.

If he does join MI-6 at the end of his solo adventure, he would more than likely be considered one of the world’s most capable government agents. Therefore, if Randall Park‘s Jimmy Woo should discover a post-WandaVision anomaly involving the mysterious Atlas Foundation, it makes sense that Shang-Chi would join his investigation. We’ve seen hints at Woo’s potential as a leader at the tail end of the latest Disney+ series. There is a chance that he and Shang-Chi might end up fighting for the leadership role. While the series would be more of an ensemble piece, it wouldn’t be hard for the hypothetical Disney+ project to lead into a more Shang-Chi-centric storyline in the future.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Iron Fist

Perhaps the most exciting possibility for a Shang-Chi sequel, and a popular one among fans, would be the introduction of Iron Fist and the magical world of K’un-L’un. If Marvel Studios wanted to take this route, they could ´´ continue drawing from the same alternate reality they decided to base Legend of the Ten Rings on. Shang-Chi and Danny Rand participate in a tournament to decide K’un-L’un’s fate, fighting side-by-side to end the contest and Mandarin’s master plans. Of course, a direct adaptation of this might not mesh with what we know about the MCU. Yet, combining elements of this plot with elements of Matt Fraction‘s The Immortal Iron Fist run could make for a compelling sequel story.

In his comics, Danny Rand got summoned to participate in the Tournament of the Seven Heavenly Cities. Each of the cities presented a champion with Rand representing his home. They fought for honor in a competition held once in a century. Iron Fist quickly discovered that the leader of K’un-L’un was corrupt and had sold out the Heavenly City to a foe in the outside world. Rand successfully leads an uprising, but not without the help of his fellow combatants and some friends on Earth.

Since K’un-L’un’s doors only open every ten years, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume they’d been closed for the duration of the MCU’s first three phases. Upon their opening, the Agents of Atlas could discover K’un-L’un’s existence with Shang-Chi volunteering to investigate the realm incognito. Once inside, our protagonist might get pulled into participating in the Heavenly Cities’ tournament, coming head-to-head with Iron Fist and the Immortal Weapons. A natural progression would be for Shang-Chi and Danny Rand to become quick friends, with the former eventually helping the latter takedown K’un-L’un’s corrupt leadership. It would be a great way for the MCU to expand the mythology of their world while continuing the through-line of martial arts tournaments and wuxia-inspired cinematography.

Source: GWW

May 10, 2021
Murphy’s Law: Episode 89

Charles and Charles talk about the biggest news of the week including Marvel Studios green lighting Captain America 4, the new Shang-Chi teaser, Secret Invasion landing some big names and more!

April 26, 2021
Additional Photography for ‘SHANG-CHI’ Set to Begin This Week in Los Angeles

A new and exciting teaser trailer for Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings premiered yesterday on star Simu Liu’s birthday, but that doesn’t mean the work is done. Additional photography for Shang-Chi is being conducted in Los Angeles beginning this week and will go on for two weeks into early May.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton announced on his Instagram on 10/24/2020 that the production had wrapped, however additional photography like this is very common, to be expected and part of the plan for Marvel Studios features.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGt_BaoJ76Z/?igshid=6sr75f2h1j2a

Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings stars Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, and Michelle Yeoh. It’s set to hit theaters September 3, 2021, following Black Widow on July 9th. Find out everything there is to know about the project right here!

April 20, 2021
‘Shang-Chi’ Continues Marvel’s Exploration of Father Issues

Finally, the trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings dropped. We got our first look at Simu Liu in the titular role, as he tries to live his own life out of the shadow cast by his father Tony Leung‘s Wenwu. After a ten-year rest, his father calls upon him to take over the leadership of the Ten Rings. His return into the world he tried to leave behind will re-awaken some dormant issues between him and his estranged parent. Now, producer Jonathan Schwartz highlighted the focus

The core of Shang-Chi’s arc in the comics is really a family drama. That was something that Destin keyed into really early on in our conversations, the idea of taking this broken family and this really dark, even abusive family background and seeing what that does to a child over time.

This story isn’t the first time that Marvel Studios has explored a dark and abusive relationship like this. Avengers: Infinity War put quite a bit of focus on how Thanos turned his adoptive daughter into the perfect killing machine. Of course, it pushed her away from him, as his warped view of the world left a deep rift between them. Let’s not even get started on his abusive behavior towards Nebula and how that even destroyed any chance for his daughters to bond.

Now, Thanos wasn’t the only father leaving a long-lasting scar on his child. Tony Stark’s journey was haunted by the sins of his father early on. The second entry in his trilogy highlighted that very legacy weighing down on Stark, who translated that into some rather destructive behaviors. Learning to overcome his issues allowed him to embrace his mentor role for Peter Parker. Now, unlike Gamora, he was able to make amends with his father in Avengers: Endgame even if Howard Stark had no idea he was talking to his son from the future. Still, it offered a more positive ending for Tony to take away and push him towards his final decision.

Marvel Studios wasn’t the only live-action adaptation in the Marvel family exploring family ties as a core anchor for their storytelling. Marvel TV gave us the ever-expanding family in Agents of SHIELD. The relationship between Phil Coulson and Daisy Johnson, especially during the second season while being hunted by her biological father. We witnessed her even sacrifice a potential relationship with him to ensure he doesn’t have to live with the nightmares of his own actions driven by desperation to find her. Daisy carried that weight with her with Coulson taking on that role she was missing.

Now, an episode that hit home with me was in Daredevil. The close relationship between the Murdocks before tragedy would eventually separate them was laid out in just a few episodes. We see a father struggling to meet ends meet by doing the only thing he believes he can do. The weight of trying to take care of his son and ensure he doesn’t repeat his mistakes will tear at anyone’s heartstrings. In a way, the story of parentage and how it defines the next generation will continue carrying an important role in the MCU, as younger heroes take over legacy titles. It looks like Shang-Chi is kicking off a new generation of heroes with father issues.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

April 19, 2021
New ‘Shang-Chi’ Marvel Legends Leak Offers More Details on Awkwafina’s Katy

After months of clamoring from fans, the trailer for Marvel’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is finally here offering our first real look into the MCU’s world of martial arts. The film will see the big-screen debut of Simu Liu as the titular hero. He must face his past that he once ran away from and confront his father Wenwu, better known as the villainous Mandarin. Awkwafina will play the character Katy, who seems to be Shang-Chi’s good friend. A new toy leak has revealed a Target exclusive figure that will join their upcoming Marvel Legends line for Shang Chi. The figure in question is Awkwafina’s character Katy, whose description details that she is “Shang-Chi’s oldest friend, is free-spirited and fiercely loyal”. The toy teases a very different character from what we saw in the trailer.

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Not much was known about Katy and this look is certainly a new one for her. It may hint at her character having a secret past that will be explored in the film. longside the figure, it seems that she comes with a Dijiang, a creature seen in previous leaks alongside Legos, and puzzled many fans. It’s unknown what the connection is to the character but quite possibly has a stronger connection to Awkwafina‘s Katy.

Marvel Studio’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is currently set to release in theaters on September 3rd, 2021 coming from director Destin Daniel Cretton. The film is set to star Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Ronny Chieng, and Florian Munteanu.

Source: Instagram

April 19, 2021