Marvel has dropped its first trailer for its upcoming superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, showing off some incredible action and an intriguing new hero for the next phase of the cinematic universe.
Shang-Chi is part of the next big phase of the MCU, along with this year’s Black Widow and Spider-man: No Way Home. The film stars Simu Liu as the film’s titular character, and as we see in the trailer, he’s been trying to escape his past—he’s told by his father, he was given ten years to live his life, only to now be pulled back into lead a shadowy group known as the Ten Rings, presumably to take over from his dad.
Along the way, the trailer shows off some really incredible action sequences as Shang-Chi is pulled into some big fights with the organization that he tried to leave behind. The Marvel cinematic universe is already loaded with plenty of action scenes, but from this trailer alone, this looks like it will be one of the more exciting entries in the franchise.
For additional information on the film, Entertainment Weekly dropped some first look photos, along with an article detailing the film’s journey to the big screen. It features quotes from director Destin Daniel Cretton, Liu, and Awakfina (who plays Shang-Chi’s good friend Katy).
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is due out in theaters on September 3rd.
Looks like we’re gonna miss Moench’s mashup of Zen martial arts with James Bond spy craft. In its place we seem to be getting a somewhat traditional generational conflict of Asian vs. Asian American values.
On the other hand, we’re getting karaoke…
Well, Bill Pope’s cinematography looks as gorgeous as always.
I always wonder, for these kinds of “you have X years to live your life before buckling down to the family business” stories, how the head of the family thinks this could possibly work out. Surely the henchmen won’t have any respect or loyalty for someone who didn’t work their way up from the bottom?
And wow, Awkwafina must have an amazing agent. It’s like she’s in every single Asian-adjacent project out there haha.
If I recall, was there an off hand ten rings reference in Iron Man? I don’t know what they had planned back then, but I do remember that drop.
I have a car/driving phobia and typically close my eyes during any and all chase scenes and so yeah, the bus scene was not how I wanted to start my morning lol.
And wow, Awkwafina must have an amazing agent. It’s like she’s in every single Asian-adjacent project out there haha.
For my money, this is a money-man decision; there all in the “there can only be one” mind set.
If I recall, was there an off hand ten rings reference in Iron Man? I don’t know what they had planned back then, but I do remember that drop.
The Ten Rings was the name of the terrorist organization Stane did business with and which orchestrated Tony’s kidnapping. Anyone familiar with the comics knew it was a reference to the Mandarin and they were wisely setting him up for later (and I think Jon Fravreau confirmed they also had a hand in getting Vanko out of Russia during Iron Man 2).
But I do wonder if this the plan since Iron Man 3 and the ‘Killian Mandarin’ (with the short film All Hail the King retconning things so he merely appropriated the Mandarin name and title and that the real Mandarin was still out there).
I was also wondering if we’d get the ‘real’ Mandarin here but I don’t know a ton about the comics so…it will be interesting to see where it goes. I find I enjoy the ‘one off’ MCU movies that play around with different styles/genres more than the main line ‘Avengers’ ones, actually.
@7: This about the ONLY way for me to accept The Mandarin in the MCU. Since Shang Chi is the actual ever-loving son of Fu Manchu (never mind the retcon), it’s OK for them to re-infuse The Mandarin back into the MCU since he was always a Fu Manchu knockoff (hopefully to touch upon Orientalism and stereotyping of Asians).
Otherwise, I’d have been happy to leave him as he was in IM3.
@8,
This about the ONLY way for me to accept The Mandarin in the MCU. Since Shang Chi is the actual ever-loving son of Fu Manchu (never mind the retcon), it’s OK for them to re-infuse The Mandarin back into the MCU, hopefully to touch upon Orientalism and stereotyping of Asians.
Absolutely. Replacing the Fu Manchu as Shang-Chi’s father was the right move in this instance.
I’m with gwangung: I loved the clever solution to having the Mandarin in the MCU in IM3, but if we must have a real one, I’d rather it be in this movie than an Iron Man movie….
—Keith R.A. DeCandido
I hate to pick at this, seeing how incredibly important an Asian-led Marvel movie is, but isn’t an Asian-led martial arts movie a little too…stereotypical? Like, most superheroes are not martial-arts specific (even if they know martial arts). Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Ironman, Hawkeye, Doctor Strange etc. all have powers and abilities and none of it is focused specifically on martial arts. It would just be really cool if we could get an Asian movie that’s less martial arts and more general superpower focused.
@11 Martial arts were actually integral to Doctor Strange. He doesn’t become a martial artist, but its an important part of the disciplines of the Masters of the Mystic Arts.
Hmm, looks a lot like your average hongkong Action movie with a Bad cutter. I am not convinced.
I’d be less worried about pulp criminal masterminds and more concerned with the blatant Asian driver joke.
If they really wanted to have fun with it, they’d have Wen Wu (the Mandarin’s real name in this, apparently) reveal he’s had many names over the centuries.
In 1910, he was known as the Devil Doctor.
In the 1950s, the Golden Claw.
In the ’80s, Lo Pan…
@11- I’d contend that Hawkeye’s bit, archery, is very much a martial art.
@15 I approve of your style
@17: I thought of including Hanoi Xan, but that might be a bit too obscure for the casual viewer.