WHEN MARVEL Studios’ Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings arrives, there’s a large sector of the MCU-loving fandom that will be flying blind when it comes to knowing anything about the title character. Much like Ant-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy in their pre-movie days, he’s not exactly a household name.
If you’re a Marvel Comics diehard, however, you’ll know that Shang-Chi, the Chinese-American master of kung fu, has existed in the comics pantheon since 1973, when he was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin. Since then, he’s existed almost entirely on the printed page. Interestingly enough, back in the early 2000s when Marvel Studios decided to finance its own movies, Shang-Chi was one of 10 Marvel characters used as collateral to finance the start-up. Fourteen years later, Shang-Chi is finally coming off the bench, as actor Simu Liu embodies the hero in the first MCU film with an Asian lead and an Asian-centric storyline and cast.
NEW DIRECTIONS
For screenwriter Dave Callaham, known for his blockbuster scripts from Godzilla (2014) to Mortal Kombat (2021), writing for Marvel Studios was a goal he never quite landed. He did a production pass on Ant-Man, but it wasn’t until 2018 that he got the call to come and talk about a developing project.
“I was told Marvel wanted to talk to me about an Asian-led superhero movie, which blew me away,” Callaham tells SFX from his Los Angeles office. But he admits that in the moment, he was equally baffled by whom they might be referencing.
This story is from the September 2021 edition of SFX.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2021 edition of SFX.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
WELCOME HOME
THE CREATIVE MINDS BEHIND THE LIVE-ACTION ADAPTATION OF THE FALLOUT GAME SERIES EXPLAIN THEIR ORIGINAL TAKE ON BETHESDA'S POST-APOCALYPTIC WORLD
MONSTERS INC
THE TITANS UNITE IN HOT COLLAB GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE
THE FINAL FRONTIER
SHOWRUNNER MICHELLE PARADISE ON THE LAST TRIP FOR STAR TREK DISCOVERY
SFX SPACE AND TIME NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF DOCTOR WHO
New cast members for series one – coming in May – have been announced: Genesis Lynea (Shadow And Bone, A Discovery Of Witches) and Gwïon Morris Jones (The Winter King).
That '90s Comic
Steve Foxe and Salva Espín return for X-Men '97 prequel
Phantom Menace
Dark Horse miniseries sets the scene for the new Ghostbusters blockbuster
Book Of Magic
Doctor Strange's rise to Sorcerer Supreme is revisited in new novel Dimension War
Hitman And Her
Jango Fett faces off against Aurra Sing in his new Marvel miniseries
SHOWRUNNER EXCLUSIVE Strange Love
Resident Alien creator Chris Sheridan explains Harry's next stage of evolution in season three
Then There Was Nun
Director Michael Mohan on his new Sydney Sweeney-headlining horror Immaculate