Shang-Chi Featurette: The Groundbreaking Significance Of Marvel's First Asian Superhero

Marvel Studios is bringing their first Asian superhero into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the release of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" this week. Following in the footsteps of "Black Panther," it's another big step in the right direction when it comes to representation in the blockbuster arena. Not only is Shang-Chi groundbreaking as an Asian superhero, but various elements of Asian culture are also being incorporated into the movie. That's especially important when you consider the unfortunately racist depictions of Asian characters in the pages of Marvel Comics. But a new "Shang-Chi" featurette reveals that this is an authentically Asian superhero movie that will resonate with all audiences.

Simu Liu stars as Shang-Chi, an opportunity that he never thought would come his way. This is why representation on the big screen is so important. For years there have been dozens of white superheroes presented as larger-than-life characters, but many people of color had difficulty finding themselves in these blockbuster movies. Thankfully, Hollywood has been paying more attention to actors and actresses with different ethnic backgrounds and giving them prominent roles in a variety of feature films.

While filming on the set of "Shang-Chi," Liu said, "I was pretty much the biggest Marvel fan that you could possibly imagine. To be the first lead Asian superhero in the MCU, this is every kid's dream." Now plenty of young Asian kids will see Simu Liu taking on bad guys and using superpowers, inspiring the next generation of talent who will make waves in front of the camera.

Equally as important is having director Destin Daniel Cretton and writer Dave Callaham working behind the scenes, making this a full-on Asian production that has their perspective and culture weaved throughout every single frame. Callaham added in the featurette that "Shang-Chi" is "an amazing opportunity to write a little more of my experience."

"Shang-Chi" also stars Awkwafina as Shang-Chi's friend Katy, Michelle Yeoh as Ying Nan, and the legendary Tony Leung as Xu Wenwu, Shang-Chi's father, who is also known as The Mandarin. The rest of the cast includes Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Yuen Wah, Ronny Chieng, Zach Cherry, and Dallas Liu. Here's the official synopsis:

Marvel Studios' "Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings" stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, who must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.

"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" arrives in theaters on September 3, 2021.