From the beginning, "Shang-Chi" was made with China in mind. Much of the film's dialogue is in Mandarin, and the cast includes some of Asian cinema's biggest names, including Michelle Yeoh and the Hong Kong superstar Tony Leung, making his Hollywood film debut.
While its plot is praised by critics, it's the captivating way the production interlaces Chinese mythology, philosophy, and cultural practices into modern-day storytelling that contributes to Shang-Chi's success. The physical world depicted in Shang-Chi illustrates a variety of topographies native to China.
The movie had already faced controversy over the title character's comic-book history. When first introduced in 1973, Shang-Chi's father was Fu Manchu, a character now considered to have perpetuated racist Asian stereotypes.
Global Times, a nationalist tabloid controlled by the Communist Party, published commentary that cited the racist origin of the character. Readers of Shang-Chi comic books in the 1970s saw Asian faces colored in unnatural oranges and yellows.
Doctor Strange 2 will include Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch, and introduce Xochitl Gomez's America Chavez to the MCU, but Shang-Chi won't be making an appearance.
Doctor Strange's character Wong, played by Benedict Wong, appears in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, so there is a connection between the two movies. Simu Liu has denied the rumours of his Shang Chi being in Benedict Cumberbatch's upcoming Doctor Strange film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings subtly hints at the potential for a new superhero and one of Korea's Avengers in the original comics. Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings hinted at a Korean Avenger, White Fox.
Chinese Canadian actor Simu Liu, who last year starred as Marvel's first Asian superhero, Shang-Chi, inadvertently sparked uproar online by revealing that he lost out on roles in another bankable movie: "Crazy Rich Asians".
After watching the episode, Liu, who is fluent in Mandarin, posted a tweet criticising the actors' poor pronunciation. "Alright Arthur Harrow needs to fire his Mandarin teacher," Liu said in his tweet, which received many comments from fans who agreed with his statement.
The post-credits of Shang-Chi nodded to something bigger at play with Shang-Chi, from his unofficial membership as an Avenger to the strange origins of the Ten Rings.
Marvel Confirms Special Connection Between Eternals Villains and Shang-Chi. Fans were instantly excited when merchandise showed that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings would feature at least one dragon in the plot.
Shang-Chi is one of the greatest fighters in the Marvel Universe. Using his incredible physical prowess, martial arts mastery, and instinct, he pursues criminals and fights injustice as an Avenger and Hero for Hire.
Bruce Campbell briefly appears in Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and here is what his cameo role means.
As you can see below, the "Marvel Cinematic Universe in Timeline Order" section of Disney+ lists Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as taking place after Shang-Chi and Eternals and before Hawkeye.
Wong Is The New Coulson
That's why Wong is in Shang-Chi, as his presence ensures that everyone still remembers that they are part of the MCU. Wong appeared in both Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021 then returned in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022.
The opening avoids using English, instead featuring subtitled Mandarin. It gives the entire film an authentic touch rarely seen in Hollywood blockbusters. Because of that, there were some concerns over at Marvel that American audiences would balk at subtitles kicking off an MCU flick.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a bilingual movie, making it an outlier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Shang-Chi has not failed at all. The film earned $94 million domestically over its opening weekend, breaking the box-office record for a Labor Day release.
China has banned the West's biggest blockbusters, from Marvel movies to 'Top Gun. ' Here's why the new 'Minions' movie was approved.
Regarding Shang-Chi flopping so hard, the flick only brought in $431.9 million at the box office and it's also known the movie was rejected by Asian audiences.
The Ten Rings, after all, are circular in design, like much of the technology utilized by the Eternals. They also appear to be energy-based in their use, much like the tools and weapons used by the Eternals are fueled by cosmic energy.
For all his skills in combat, Shang-Chi is still only human, and Thor is an Asgardian with far superior strength, speed and durability. One glancing blow from Thor's hammer Mjolnir and Shang-Chi will be defeated in seconds, if not outright killed.