Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The film was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton from a screenplay he wrote with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham, and stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi alongside Awkwafina, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Yuen Wah, Michelle Yeoh, Ben Kingsley, and Tony Leung.This revealed the film's connection to the Ten Rings organization, which previously appeared throughout the MCU, and its leader Wenwu who was adapted from the problematic comic book characters Fu Manchu and the Mandarin.Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings premiered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on August 16, 2021, and was released in the United States on September 3 as part of Phase Four of the MCU.It set several box office records and received positive reviews from critics, many of whom praised the exploration and representation of Asian culture which differentiated the film from the rest of the MCU, as well as the action sequences and Leung's performance.The group meet Li's sister Ying Nan who explains the history of Ta Lo: thousands of years ago, the village's universe was attacked by the soul-consuming Dweller-in-Darkness and its soul eaters, but was saved by a Chinese dragon called the Great Protector who helped seal the Dark Gate to the Dweller's world.Shang-Chi, Xialing, Katy, Slattery, and Morris join the villagers in training and preparing for Wenwu's arrival, using outfits and weapons crafted from dragon scales that are effective against the soul eaters.[41][42] Mark Ruffalo and Brie Larson appear, uncredited, in the mid-credits scene, reprising their respective MCU roles of Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel.[44] Brandon's father, martial arts legend Bruce Lee, was the visual inspiration for artist Paul Gulacy when drawing Shang-Chi during his tenure on the Master of Kung Fu comic book in the 1970s.[52] Feige felt this did not necessarily mean a more faithful version of the character did not exist in the MCU,[51] and this was confirmed in the Marvel One-Shot short film All Hail the King (2014) in which Kingsley reprised his role as Slattery.Marvel hired Chinese-American writer Dave Callaham to write the screenplay, and began looking at Asian and Asian-American filmmakers to potentially direct the film.[61] Don Harwin, the New South Wales Arts Minister, confirmed in July that this film was Shang-Chi and it would be produced back-to-back with Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).[11] Cast members Liu, Leung, and Zhang contributed their own experiences coming from Canada, Hong Kong, and mainland China, respectively, to add to the authenticity of the film.Some aspects that were discussed regarding each scene were whether characters should be speaking in Mandarin Chinese or English and the type of food served in the different households to ensure it felt authentic to whose house it was.The costume combines elements of his own style with those from both his parents: the jacket is made from the Ta Lo dragon scales and is a gift from his mother, he receives the ten rings from his father at the end of the film, and he wears his own American shoes.[77][78] Principal photography began in February 2020,[85][86] shooting at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney and on location throughout the state of New South Wales,[61] under the working title Steamboat.[89] Cretton was inspired for his direction by Jackie Chan's filmography, the Ip Man series, Tai Chi Master (1993), and Kung Fu Hustle (2004) among others in the martial arts and kung-fu genres,[12] as well as anime and video games.[74] On March 12, after studios had started halting production on films due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cretton decided to have himself tested for coronavirus after working closely with people who had potentially been exposed to it.[93] Work building sets for the film resumed at the end of July 2020, and by August 2 all cast and crew members had arrived to begin shooting "in the coming days".Once it was decided to include the sequence in the film and planning for it began, Cretton credited Allan for bringing the "Buster Keaton-like physical comedy [to the fight], mixed with setups and payoffs, and stakes rising ... to almost ridiculous levels".[29] The characters were added to the film after Gao created a storyline for them in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, so the audience could be reminded of Abomination and get excited for their upcoming appearances in the series.[116][117] The film's mid-credits scene, which features Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner and Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, was conceived late in production by Cretton to tease the origins of the ten rings.[43] Cretton hoped they could feature Wong in the scene and have him go to karaoke with Shang-Chi and Katy to sing "Hotel California", but was unsure which additional Avengers characters would appear until late in post-production.They based the geography of the forest on different locations in Southeast Asia, and integrated this digital environment with some practical elements from material shot in Sydney.The Great Protector's scales were initially based on quartz, porcelain, and shells before the team found images of albino lizards, alligators, and snakes that they thought were the perfect reference for the creature.This was produced by Sean Miyashiro and 88rising, who worked with Cretton to tell a story in the album about the Asian-American experience with particular inspiration from San Francisco because that city is featured in the film.Vary of Variety felt it was "gratifying to finally see Liu in action as Shang-Chi" and highlighted how the teaser provided further insight into details such as how the film would depict the Mandarin wearing the ten rings.The website's critical consensus reads, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings isn't entirely free of Marvel's familiar formula, but this exciting origin story expands the MCU in more ways than one.[196] Alexis Nedd said Liu was "flawless" as Shang-Chi and compared his casting to that of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man and Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America in the MCU.Cole also criticized the film's flashbacks which he felt slowed the overall story down, but praised Leung as "effortlessly convey[ing] the calm malice with which Wenwu asserts his absolute power as well as the anguish that the man feels over the loss of his wife".[234] By that November, Cretton stepped down as director of the planned film Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to focus on his commitments to other MCU projects, including the Shang-Chi sequel.
Destin Daniel CrettonDave CallahamAndrew LanhamMarvel ComicsKevin FeigeJonathan SchwartzSimu LiuAwkwafinaMeng'er ZhangFala ChenFlorian MunteanuBenedict WongYuen WahMichelle YeohBen KingsleyTony LeungWilliam PopeNat SandersHarry YoonJoel P. WestMarvel StudiosWalt Disney StudiosMotion PicturesHollywood, Los Angelessuperhero filmShang-ChiWalt Disney Studios Motion Picturesthe 25th filmMarvel Cinematic UniverseTen RingsXialingFu Manchuthe MandarinCOVID-19 pandemicBrad AllanJackie Chan Stunt Teamninth-highest-grossing film of 2021Asian cultureBest Visual Effects94th Academy AwardsXu WenwuimmortalityYing Limartial artsTrevor SlatteryhundunMorrisChinese mythological creaturesYing NanDweller-in-DarknessChinese dragonGreat ProtectorKamar-Tajmid-credits sceneBruce BannerCarol DanversSan Diego Comic-ConXu Shang-Chi / ShaunMatt DamonGood Will HuntingtaekwondoWing Chuntai chiMuay ThaiKrav Magajiu-jitsustreet fightingXu XialingZheng Bao Yurope dartRazor FistmacheteMaster of the Mystic ArtsMandarinjesterShakespearean foolIron Man 3Marvel One-ShotAll Hail the KingHollywoodHong Kong action cinemaRonny ChiengJodi LongDallas LiuTsai ChinDeath DealerStephanie HsuZach CherryDee BakerJade XuBlack WidowTim RothThe Incredible HulkAbominationMark RuffaloBrie LarsonCarol Danvers / Captain MarvelMargaret LoeschMarvel ProductionsStan LeeBrandon LeeLinda LeeBruce LeePaul GulacyMaster of Kung FuStephen NorringtonDreamWorks PicturesYuen Woo-PingBruce C. McKennaAng LeeAvi AradParamount PicturesDisneyIron ManTony Stark / Iron ManDMG EntertainmentThe AvengersBlack PantherCrazy Rich AsiansJessica GaoThe Hollywood ReporterDeborah ChowMarvel TelevisionIron FistJessica JonesJustin TippingAlan Yang