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'Shang-Chi' Director Breaks Down the Bus Fight Scene

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'Shang-Chi' Director Breaks Down the Bus Fight Scene

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'Shang-Chi' Director Breaks Down the Bus Fight Scene | Vanity Fair

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Chinese Cultural Breakdown of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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Chinese Cultural Breakdown of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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Chinese Cultural Breakdown of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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The Real Martial Arts Behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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The Real Martial Arts Behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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Features

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings delivers real Kung Fu as a lasting testament to the legendary stunt coordinator, Brad Allan.

Photo: Marvel Studios

This article contains some minor spoilers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

In the pages of Marvel Comics, Shang-Chi is known as the "Master of Kung Fu." So when Marvel Studios announced the character to help usher in MCU Phase 4, the one thought on every fan's mind was that whoever gets cast in the lead role better really know Kung Fu.

In the wake of Netflix's Iron Fist, Marvel's other Kung Fu master, there was a lot of skepticism. Marvel had scored with the previous Netflix series Daredevil, which delivered some of the best small screen fight choreography we'd ever seen. But Iron Fist was sorely lacking. Finn Jones just couldn't sell a punch as Danny Rand, leaving fans of Marvel martial arts masters overwhelmingly disappointed. If there's one thing that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had to nail, it was the Kung Fu.

Like Jones, Simu Liu had little martial arts experience before taking on the role of Shang-Chi. However, he already had the physique, so much so that appearing shirtless was a running joke when he played Jung in Kim's Convenience. What's more, Liu bulked up, added 10 more pounds of muscle while training for the film.

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Unlike a character like Daredevil, Shang-Chi doesn't wear a mask, so Liu had to quickly pick up enough cinematic Kung Fu to appear masterful on screen. Fortunately, he was backed by a top-notch team of stuntmen and surrounded with a cast of veteran film fighters including Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Star Trek: Discovery), Tony Leung (Hero, The Grandmaster), Yuen Wah (Kung Fu Hustle), Florian Munteanu (Creed II), Andy Le (The Paper Tigers), and others. Even though Liu was new to Kung Fu, he carries the action scenes with panache.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is not only a good Marvel movie, it's a good Kung Fu movie. It has the best fight scenes seen in the MCU so far. And although the movie doesn't get bogged down in the specifics of Kung Fu style, there are telling nods throughout the film that shows the filmmakers knew their Kung Fu too. "We knew the martial arts had to be authentic," says Director Destin Daniel Cretton. "In order for that to feel real, we worked with people who understood Chinese Kung Fu."

Let's take a look at some of the Kung Fu roots and martial arts Easter Eggs underlying Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsdone.

The Ten Rings are Real...Kind of

Wenwu (Tony Leung) is the villain of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and he wields ten magical rings that he wears on his forearms. These are the source of his power, as well as the name of his criminal organization. The origin of these rings is a prevailing mystery in the movie; however, their inspiration is not.

Traditional Kung Fu practitioners use rings akin to these while training, particularly in Southern Chinese styles. Such rings are called tit waan in Cantonese, which literally means "iron rings" or "iron bracelets." Iron rings are constructed of heavy metal, typically brass or steel, and are worn loosely on the forearms when practicing solo forms and doing arm drills.

They serve two purposes. Firstly, they are heavy, usually weighing over a pound a piece, so they act like wrist weights. Secondly, unlike Wenwu's magical rings which conform to fit his forearms perfectly, real iron rings are looser. They must be narrow enough so that they stay on when the practitioner makes a fist, but they are far from form fitting. This gives them play to bang against the practitioner's forearms when they are shadowboxing. The banging conditions the user's forearms, hardening them to withstand the impact of blocking. Some iron ring practitioners have forearms that are so tough they can severely damage an adversary's punch with their ring-hardened blocks.

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Although iron rings are not conventionally considered as weapons, Kung Fu practitioners have figured out ways to weaponize just about everything. Some wield iron rings like brass knuckles, holding them in their fists for punching.

Kung Fu Hustle

Weaponized iron rings are used in the 2004 comedy Kung Fu Hustle. The character Tailor (Chiu Chi Ling) fights with them. Chiu is a genuine master of Hung Ga Kung Fu, a southern style that uses iron ring training extensively.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton claims that Kung Fu Hustle is one of his favorite martial arts movies so there are other nods to it in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, including when a Kung Fu Hustle poster can be seen on a bedroom wall in the background. What's more, Yuen Wah also appears as the warrior leader of Ta Lo who oversees Katy's (Awkwafina) archery training. Yuen played the Landlord in Kung Fu Hustle and is a veteran martial arts actor with nearly 200 film credits. He is also the Kung Fu brother of Jackie Chan.

Yuen Qiu, who plays the Landlady in Kung Fu Hustle is a mutual Kung Fu sibling. Jackie, Yuen Wah and Yuen Qiu were all pupils of Yu Jim-Yuen, a master of Chinese opera who trained them all from childhood. They all took stage names that included the "Yuen" part of their master's name (Jackie Chan was known as Yuen Lau as a child). Others among that troupe were many of the movers and shakers of Hong Kong's golden age of Kung Fu films, such as Sammo Hung (a.k.a. Yuen Lung) and famed action choreographer, Yuen Woo-Ping (The Matrix, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill).

Tiger Head Hooks

The signature weapons of the Ten Rings are Tiger Head Hooks. These are those black glowing hooked swords that the gang members wield. They also appear on the Ten Rings banner. It's an excellent choice because Tiger Head Hooks are one of the most distinctively Kung Fu weapons of all.

In Chinese, these are called Hu tou shuang gou, which literally means "Tiger head paired hooks." "Paired" because they are typically used in pairs. Sometimes they are just translated as Hook Swords. They have a sword blade with a hooked tip, a crescent-shaped blade for a knuckle guard, and a dagger blade for a pommel. Every edge is sharp. The only place they are not sharp is the handle. This makes them very difficult to wield. Consequently, Tiger Hooks are considered an advanced Kung Fu weapon.

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The reference book Ancient Chinese Weapons by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming dates Tiger Head hooks back to China's Spring Autumn Period (771-476 BCE), however those ancient hooks likely took on a different form. The modern style of Tiger Head hooks as seen in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings rose to prominence around the 1800s. They are still practiced today, mostly by Northern schools of Kung Fu.

What Style of Kung Fu Does Shang-Chi Practice?

Kung Fu is renowned for its diverse collection of styles like Shaolin, Wing Chun, Tiger style, and countless others. There's even Drunken style and Toad style. In the movie, Shang-Chi doesn't adopt a particular style of Kung Fu. Some of his moves have characteristics of Wing Chun or Bajiquan, but there's nothing in the choreography to indicate a very specific style.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

The warriors of Ta Lo are different. While their style is not explicit, their peacekeeping philosophy is expressed through the soft, internal styles of Kung Fu like Tai Chi. When Ying Nan (Michelle Yeoh) schools Shang-Chi in their first match, it's reminiscent of how airbending is depicted in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

However, the connection is deeper than that. Despite its fantasy elements, Avatar based its martial arts sequences on authentic Kung Fu by mo-capping Sifu Kisu, a renowned martial arts master. Kisu designated specific styles for each school of bending. Airbending was based upon an internal style of Kung Fu known as Baguazhang, or Eight Diagram Palm. Like Tai Chi, it has a soft expression. It relies on circular movements and pivoting evasions. Several of Yeoh's techniques are plucked straight out of Baguazhang.

The Masters Behind Shang-Chi's Martial Arts

Credit for Shang-Chi's Kung Fu authenticity falls on the film's top notch stunt team. Two are leading graduates of the legendary Jackie Chan Stunt Team. The fight on the hi-rise scaffolding is a homage to Jackie's parkour-inspiring choreography. Andy Cheng worked on around half a dozen of Jackie's films including his first two Rush Hour films, Shanghai Noon, The Tuxedo, and Who Am I? where Jackie does one of his all-time greatest stunts, sliding down the Willemswerf skyscraper in Rotterdam. He was also the action director for Into the Badlands. When Jackie inevitably stepped back from doing his own stunts, Cheng stepped in for him.

"We were very concerned [about Kung Fu] from the very beginning," says Cretton. "Marvel was also concerned and wanted to get it right. [They] knew that Marvel fans, wouldn't have let it slide if we did a Hollywood version of a whitewashed Kung Fu movie. To be able to, we brought in Brad Allan." Brad Allan was the first non-Asian to make Jackie's stunt team. He also worked on around a dozen of Jackie's films (this is approximate because stunt work wasn't always credited).

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Who Was Brad Allan?

You can't miss the credits in any MCU film. In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, there's a prominent dedication to Allan at the very end. Tragically, on August 7 th, 2021, Brad Allan died unexpectantly at the early age of 48, sending the martial arts world reeling from the loss of one of its brightest stars. Beyond Shang-Chi, Allan leaves behind an exemplary legacy of action films where he served as the Second Unit Director including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Cuban Fury, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and the Kingsman trilogy.

Allan was obsessed with the martial arts from childhood and rose to compete internationally in Wushu, representing Australia where he was born and raised. Through a chance encounter, he was able to demonstrate his skills to Jackie, and Jackie liked what he saw so much that he took Allan under his wing.

In 1999, Allan played Alan, the villain in Jackie's film Gorgeous, which coincidentally also stars Tony Leung. With Allan clad in black and Jackie in white, their finale fight is, well, it's gorgeous. It's two of the greatest masters of the craft delivering top notch fight choreography. Allan spent most of his career modestly behind the scenes, so Gorgeous is the outstanding example of his speed and agility. It's heartbreaking that Allan didn't get to see the premiere of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Allan's final work will be seen in The King's Man later this year.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now playing in theaters.

Gene Ching is a 32nd generation layman disciple of the original Shaolin Temple of China and was the publisher of Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine until...

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The Real Martial Arts Behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings delivers real Kung Fu as a lasting testament to the legendary stunt coordinator, Brad Allan.

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From Bruce Lee to Shang-Chi: a Short History of the Kung Fu fFlm in Cinema

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From Bruce Lee to Shang-Chi: a Short History of the Kung Fu fFlm in Cinema

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With action sequences that are being hailed as some of the best in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is shaping up to overtake Black Widow as the biggest film of the pandemic.

A hit with critics and audience alike, many commentators are praising Shang-Chi's cast and, in particular, the performance by Hong Kong screen legend Tony Leung Chiu-wai, for helping breathe new life into a familiar Marvel formula.

Given the huge challenge of presenting a film of this scale with a kung fu master as its central character, it was imperative the filmmakers delivered authentic fight scenes that could stand alongside the classics and showcase the best action the genre has to offer.

Tracing through China, Hong Kong and Hollywood, martial arts films have a history almost as long cinema itself. This history is on exciting display in Shang-Chi, and will cement the film's position in kung fu cinematic history.

Read more: 'I didn't have a superhero that looked like me': Marvel's new female, culturally diverse and queer protagonists mirror our times

Birth of the kung fu genre and the first boom

Beginning with Shanghai productions in the 1920s, early martial arts films drew influence from Chinese opera and wuxia novels: narratives set in Ancient China focusing on heroes with supernatural martial arts abilities. Fight scenes in these early films emphasised flowing dramatised movements, but rarely showcased actual martial arts skills.

This changed with the transformation of Hong Kong cinema in the 1970s. Resisting the fantastical elements of the wuxia style, local studios Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest put actual martial artists into their films.

With this move, the kung fu genre was born.

Popular titles of the time like Five Deadly Venoms (1978) and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) are classics, and the films of Bruce Lee brought kung fu to the world's attention.

Lee's intense and realistic fighting style, as shown in films like The Big Boss (1971) and Enter the Dragon (1973), sparked an international obsession with the art of kung fu - even as international fans often had to deal with poor-quality dubbing and bootleg videos.

After Lee's untimely death in 1973, the genre morphed from showcasing ferocious physicality into a more acrobatic, comedy-infused approach, such as in Drunken Master (1978) and The Magnificent Butcher (1979) starring, respectively, Jackie Chan and his China Drama Academy "brother", Sammo Hung.

Hong Kong cinema entered its Golden Age in the 1980 and '90s. At this time, contemporary kung fu classics like Chan's Police Story (1985) complimented popular historical films such as Jet Li's Tai Chi Master (1993) and Donnie Yen's Iron Monkey (1993).

The second boom

In the late 1990s, around the time of Hong Kong's handover to China, many of the industry's leading figures made the move to Hollywood.

With films like Chan's Rush Hour (1998) and Shanghai Noon (2000), and Li's Romeo Must Die (2000) and The One (2001), English-speaking fans could finally see kung fu films on a big screen without the need for subtitles.

Celebrated martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping also lent his talents to international productions, allowing kung fu to find its way into hits like The Matrix (1999) and Kill Bill (2003).

In 2000, the Chinese blockbuster Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon showed modern international audiences now had an appetite for the elaborate swordplay and gravity-defying wirework of wuxia films, and many stars returned to China to capitalised on the trend.

Jet Li's Hero (2002) and Fearless (2006), as well as House of Flying Daggers (2004) and the first film to feature both Jackie Chan and Jet Li, Forbidden Kingdom (2008), all helped to redefine the martial arts film: bringing star power and global audiences to an industry that had, until then, largely received only local attention.

These Chinese-made films focused on producing elegant wuxia action dramas. In Hong Kong, kung fu was still going strong, largely thanks to Stephen Chow's hugely popular comedies Shaolin Soccer (2001) and Kung Fu Hustle (2004), and Donnie Yen's Ip Man (2008).

Shang-Chi: the first Asian superhero

In many ways, the character of Shang-Chi may be seen as the cultural successor to Bruce Lee. Created during the height of the global obsession with Lee's films, the character of Shang-Chi first appeared in Marvel comics in December 1973 - just months after the death of the legendary actor.

Marvel's "other kung fu hero", Iron Fist from the 2017 Netflix series of the same name, was controversial. The star, Finn Jones, lacked martial arts experience, and the show was criticised for its "white saviour" narrative.

In light of this, the producers of Shang-Chi were keen to bring together a predominantly Asian and Asian-American cast and crew who could do justice to the first Asian superhero to headline a Marvel feature film.

This has paid off: Shang-Chi is being praised as both a classic Marvel superhero film, and an exceptional kung fu film in its own right.

Under fight director Andy Cheng and stunt coordinator Brad Allan, the film draws upon a range of different styles, including wing chun, Shaolin kung fu, bajiquan and hung ga stances, and the iron rings from which the film gets its title.

Hollywood has come a long way from declaring Lee " too authentic" to take the lead role in the original 1970s Kung Fu television series. Shang-Chi is likely to inspire a whole new generation of kung fu cinema fans.

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From Bruce Lee to Shang-Chi: a short history of the kung fu film in cinema

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The history of martial arts films is almost as long as the history of cinema. Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings excitingly pushes the genre forward.

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3 Things in Marvel's Shang-Chi That You’ll Miss If You Don’t Speak Chinese

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3 Things in Marvel's Shang-Chi That You’ll Miss If You Don’t Speak Chinese

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TANNER BRADEN | SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

Marvel Cinematic Universe's latest installment, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, has been received with incredible enthusiasm; breaking previous Labor Day weekend records by raking in over $71 million! Not only is it filled with thrilling fights, heart-wrenching backstories, and side-splitting comedic relief; it's also permeated with Chinese culture, art, and language. Members of the Yoyo Chinese team have thoroughly enjoyed it (being Chinese speakers ourselves), so we wanted to share some insight into 3 things that only Chinese speakers would catch and appreciate.

*Don't worry, we won't share any spoilers!

Throughout the film you'll catch a few glimpses of murals or flags depicting the Ten Rings, each enclosing its own unique Chinese character. Not only are they really cool looking - especially since they are written in the ancient 篆書 (zhuàn shū) form - but they also carry special meaning that only those familiar with them can recognize. Below we've listed them out in their original two-character words, followed by their English meanings and 篆书 (zhuàn shū) characters.

*See if you can map these characters onto the image and figure out the pattern of how they are connected into words!

威力 (wēi lì) - power; might; force

强壮 (qiáng zhuàng) - strong; robust

雄伟 (xióng wěi) - grand; imposing

宏杰 (hóng jié) - great hero

权势 (quán shì) - power and influence

2 - The Meaning of "Shang-Chi" & Other Names

Unlike many names in English, Chinese names are imbued with profound meanings. So while the Shang-Chi's English name, Shaun, doesn't convey any special message; his Chinese name does! Below we've listed out the Chinese characters and meanings for 6 names you'll here throughout the movie .

Shang-Chi: 尚气 (shàng qì)

尚 (shàng) - esteemed

气 (qì) - breath; energy; life

*Many other sites have used the character 上 instead of 尚, but 尚 seems to be the one used by Marvel in the Chinese region and it just makes a lot more sense as a name.

Katy: 瑞雯 (ruì wén)

瑞 (ruì) - auspicious

雯 (wén) - multicolored clouds

Xialing: 夏灵 (xià líng)

夏 (xià) - summer

灵 (líng) - spirit; mind; fairy

Wenwu: 文武 (wén wǔ)

文 (wén) - literature; language; culture

武 (wǔ) - valiant; fierce

丽 (lì) - beautiful; pretty

Li: 丽 (lì)

Wong: 王 (wáng)

王 (wáng) - king; emperor

At one point in the movie, Wenwu approaches an old Chinese village and is met by the village elder who tries to turn him away. Wenwu replies by saying:

The English subtitles display the translation: "I've lived ten of your lifetimes, young man." But this loses the true impact and wit of the original Chinese line. A more direct translation would be, completely "I've eaten more salt than you have rice." The clever use of this figurative language carries a powerful punch in Chinese and has a much more "salty" flavor to it! In fact, if you were ever to watch this movie with both Chinese and non-Chinese speakers, the Chinese speakers will probably laugh noticeably harder at this line than the non-Chinese speakers.

*Fun fact: The Marvel character, Wong, is played by the actor Benedict Wong!

3 - The Best Line in the Movie

wǒ chī de yán bǐ nǐ chī de fàn duō

我吃的盐比你吃的饭多

We loved this movie, and think that you will too! And hopefully you'll enjoy it even more now that you've read this blog post and understand some of the Chinese language tidbits that will go right over the heads of most viewers!

* Special Note for Chinese Learners: The Chinese dialogue in Shang-Chi is especially fun & enjoyable if you're learning Chinese and working to developing your listening skills. If you've ever tried to watch films that are completely in Chinese, you probably felt like you were trying to drink from a firehose, unable to keep up with the fast-paced dialogue. But in Shang-Chi, the Chinese dialogue comes in smaller chunks, and is spoken a bit more slowly and clearly than in regular Chinese films. So we definitely encourage you to watch this awesome movie and practice your listening & comprehension skills!

If you enjoy Chinese movies and want to learn how to understand, read, write or speak the language yourself; come check out our online Chinese learning platform at YoyoChinese.com! We have 6 comprehensive courses, with over 1,000 video lessons, that can take you from absolute zero all the way to actual Chinese fluency - guaranteed! The first 45 lessons are completely FREE, so come try it yourself!

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3 Things in Marvel's Shang-Chi That You'll Miss If You Don't Speak Chinese

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Shang-Chi has tons of fantastic Chinese culture and language throughout, and this blog post highlights 3 pieces that only Chinese speakers will understand!

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Breaking Down the Real and Mythical Inspirations Behind ‘Shang-Chi’s’ Mystical Creatures

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Breaking Down the Real and Mythical Inspirations Behind ‘Shang-Chi’s’ Mystical Creatures

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The first Marvel solo-feature about an Asian American superhero, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," which hits Disney+ on Friday, is an origin story that introduces plenty of new characters as well as a whole new realm.

Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), through his mother, can trace his heritage to Ta Lo, a magical village located in an interdimensional plane. And after a dramatic family reunion, Shang-Chi must head to Ta Lo with his sister Xialing (Meng'er Zhang) and best friend Katy (Awkwafina) in order to stop his delusional father Wenwu (Tony Leung), an immortal crimelord.

Helping them get to Ta Lo is Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), an actor imprisoned by the Ten Rings, and Morris, a curiously adorable creature with wings but no face.

"Morris - who is a key character in the film - is a six-legged, headless, faceless, winged, furry creature," said Christopher Townsend, the visual effects supervisor on "Shang-Chi." "He's based on Hundun, which is a mythological character in Chinese folklore, sometimes considered the God of chaos."

Ta Lo, it turns out, is filled with different kinds of mystical creatures based on those found in Chinese folklore.

Besides Morris and his fellow Hundun, Ta Lo is home to "horse-like characters based on Qilin ... nine-tailed foxes based on a character called a Huli Jing ... phoenixes and there's also a pair of huge Fu Dogs, which are based on the creatures you'd see guarding a gate," said Townsend. "The creatures inhabit a somewhat fantastical world and because of that, we wanted these creatures to show that element of fantasy. And we really wanted to lean into Chinese mythology and approach things in terms of their design based as closely as we could on specific characters."

Townsend explained that "a tremendous amount of work" goes into developing these creatures, even if they're only seen a few shots in the film.

"When you're dealing with the fantastical, it's always a big challenge to try and make these things look real," said Townsend. "So you've got to try and echo reality as much as possible and lean into that so that there is enough familiarity there that the audience sort of buy it a little bit more easily."
Morris
When Shang-Chi, Katy and Xialing are taken to Wenwu's compound, they stumble upon Slattery, an actor being held captive for impersonating the leader of the Ten Rings, and his companion Morris, the Hundun-inspired creature from Ta Lo.

Townsend explained that when he saw an early draft of the script mention a "faceless character called Morris," he couldn't help but wonder how on earth they were going to pull it off.

"One of the things in terms of trying to [make a creature] emote and create any sort of characterization is a face and eyes," said Townsend. But "we were given this challenge of not being able to use that at all, so we needed to find ways for this character to emote."

For Morris, one of the particular challenges is that he is introduced in the more grounded world outside of Ta Lo and interacts with other characters such as Slattery and Katy. In order to make him a character that audiences could believe is actually real, the "Shang-Chi" team tried to reference real animals as much as possible.

Among the animals they studied are ostriches, cassowary birds and wombats.

"Morris is a six-legged, headless version of a wombat, really," said Townsend.

But most important in bringing Morris to life was figuring out his character and emotion and the ways he walks and moves. This involved numerous animation tests so the animators could learn how he "lives and breathes and reacts, to understand everything about him."

"We studied a lot of different animals and their behavior, particularly dogs and puppies" for Morris' movement said Townsend. (If you found Morris cute, that's probably why!)
The Great Protector
As explained by Shang-Chi's aunt Ying Nan, when Ta Lo was attacked by a giant, soul-consuming beast thousands of years ago, a dragon called the Great Protector saved the village.

"The Great Protector was based very much on the Chinese-style [dragon]," said Townsend. "She didn't have wings. She has a flowing mane and she silkily swims through the air. ... it was interesting to try and figure out a way for her to move and to fly without it feeling too magical."

According to Townsend, one of the biggest challenges in creating a believably realistic dragon is that because it is a dragon, audiences innately understand that the creature can't possibly be real. This means leaning into elements that actually do exist for both her look and her movements.

To help inform how the Great Protector could move, the team studied sea snakes and eels. Horse's manes and reptilian scales are among other details that helped inform her overall design.

Another challenge was her size.

"One of the ways to try to portray scale is to slow things down," explained Townsend. The logic "when you're working in any creature design, [is] that if you make it slower, it feels bigger."

But the "Shang-Chi" team wanted to avoid making the Great Protector look lumbering and slow as she's meant to be more graceful in her movement.

"We tried to find that very fine line between being fast enough and elegant enough and dangerous enough, because she's the Great Protector, but also maintain that sense of huge scale," said Townsend.
Qilin
When Shang-Chi and friends finally make their way into Ta Lo, they are greeted by a herd of creatures Slattery describes as "weird horse[s]."

Inspired by the Qilin from Chinese folklore, Townsend describes these creatures as "iridescent, reptilian-skinned, horse-like characters with sort of dragon heads and hooves."

The closest real-life analog the team could look at for reference were horses, which they studied for movement. They also looked at animals such as parrot fish and various snakes to help inform the Qilin's scales and its iridescence.

"Originally, we had the Qilin really bright and garish and beautiful, but they stood out in such a weird way," said Townsend. "So we then did various look [development] tests of different skin colors [and] whether it was furry or hairy, different-colored manes and different tails ... to figure out how far could you push [the color] where you could still believe that these things could exist in this world, rather than them being too cartoony."
Fu Dogs
Perhaps a couple of the more familiar-looking of Ta Lo's creatures are the Guardian Lions, also known as Fu Dogs or Stone Lions. These creatures are based on the stylized stone statues that are generally seen guarding gates or entryways to buildings.

Although they appear in only a few scenes, Townsend explained that they initially thought the creatures "were going to be in a lot more of the film."

"Fu Dogs always come in pairs," said Townsend. "There's one that's male and one that's female, traditionally, in Chinese mythology. They also tend to do the opposite things. When one is breathing out, the other one is breathing in. They're yin and yang."

These were elements the "Shang-Chi" team tried to incorporate into the film.

"It's very, very subtle, but there are things," said Townsend. "There's a lighter one and a darker one in the film and they offset each other just ever so slightly. When one is roaring, the other one is still and vice versa. It's these kind of subtleties that we tried to put in the film."
Huli Jing
A creature that had some audiences believing there could be Pokémon in "Shang-Chi" is the nine-tailed fox inspired by the Huli Jing from Chinese mythology. (The Pokémon character, called Ninetales, in inspired by similar creatures from Japanese folklore.)

"We actually had a few more moments with the nine-tailed foxes, which unfortunately were cut while trying to move the story on," said Townsend.

Townsend explained how even characters that are only seen briefly, like these foxes, require a lot of work to bring to life.

"There's one particular shot where the bad guys turn up, Wenwu and his army come [to Ta Lo], and the Qilin scatter and the nine-tailed foxes are there cowering on a rock to the left," said Townsend. "It's just such a throwaway moment, but the attention to detail is just so much fun to go back and look at. Bringing these characters to life, almost as much work goes into it as a hero character. It's beautiful stuff."

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Breaking down the real and mythical inspirations behind 'Shang-Chi's' mystical creatures

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In Marvel's 'Shang-Chi,' the mystical land of Ta Lo is full of magical creatures inspired by Chinese folklore. VFX supervisor Christopher Townsend explains.

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Simu Liu Shares What The Chinese Dragon Symbolizes

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Simu Liu Shares What The Chinese Dragon Symbolizes

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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a beacon of hope for the film industry. Not only is it a monumental moment for Marvel, but it's an even bigger win for the Asian community at large. As the studio's first Asian-American hero on the big screen, Shang-Chi is surrounded by a beautiful world of Asian peers and rich mythology.

In an episode of Phase Zero, I had the immense pleasure of asking Shang-Chi star himself, Simu Liu, and director Destin Daniel Cretton about the significance of that mythology. Particularly, the Great Protector and what it symbolizes for Shang-Chi by the end of the movie.
Disclaimer: this article contains spoilers below!
Symbolism as an Artform

In various cultures, the dragon represents something slightly different depending on which region you're referring to. In Norse mythology-where Thor originated-the "Midgard Serpent" is a symbol of war and destruction. Similarly, in Christian folklore, they're portrayed as evil creatures and a symbol of Satan due to their serpent-like form. Western cultures tend to view dragons negatively, but in East Asia, it's the opposite.

In Chinese culture, the dragon represents themes such as good fortune, imperial power, and prosperity, with powers to control water. Since childhood, I was always fascinated with all things mythology. Dragons are also one of the most commonly used creatures throughout mainstream media: Scooby-Doo, The Chronicles of Narnia, Avatar: The Last Airbender, to name a few. That is why I was especially thrilled to see the Great Protector in all its glory in Shang-Chi.

"From a writing standpoint, we wanted to wrap the essence of what the Chinese water dragon represents into the essence of Shang-Chi's mom," director Cretton explained. "Her spirit and the way that she moves-we always imagined that there's a symbiotic relationship between her spirit and the spirit of the dragon."

The connection Cretton referenced is the land of Ta Lo-a mystical village where both the Great Protector and Shang-Chi's mother, Ying Li, resided. Both Li and the dragon served as guardians of Ta Lo to keep out unwanted, power-hungry intruders. But in the context of the film, their roles as guardians extend far beyond just the village.

"One of the big emotional moments for me is when Shang-Chi is underwater and is finally revived by the breath of this dragon," Cretton added. "When he's looking into the eyes of that dragon, it's an emotional moment for me because I feel like, in a way, he is looking into the eyes of his mom."

Shang-Chi Realizes His Full Potential

It isn't until that final act when Shang-Chi is faced with a life-changing decision: sink or swim? After his father plunges him into the depths of the lake, the hero-in-training comes face-to-face with his destiny. For Simu Liu, he knew that moment would define not only his character's trajectory but his own, as well.

"It's an important moment for Shaun because it's the moment at which he embraces his destiny," Liu said. "And I just feel like it's very fitting that that's the moment when he literally grabs onto such an emblem of Chinese mythology... it's showing how connected he's become with who he is and where he comes from."

Although there are many poetic sequences throughout the film, it's safe to say this one, in particular, was one of the most poignant. As Liu recalled those moments, his passion for the character is written all over his face.

"His journey over the course of the movie is very much about self-discovery, self-acceptance, and then self-love... that's when the audience sees, for the very first time, a fully-formed superhero." Ironically, those three themes-no matter who I've talked to-seems to be the pinnacle of the human experience.

Lastly, as Liu wrapped up his answer, he was reminded of what the symbol means to him as a fan of the franchise.

"There's a part of me as a Marvel fan that also sees the coming of that dragon as like, 'oh boy,' that is the Marvel climax," he smiled. "Because this movie was never supposed to be about a son beating the crap out of his dad; there's nothing narratively interesting about that. But, seeing us be a part of that massive climax is just so empowering."

Continuing The Cultural Movement

And empowering, it is. Just as Black Panther reconstructed how the world views Black culture and entertainment, Liu hopes Shang-Chi does the same for the AAPI community. Frankly, the diversity and inclusivity movement is long overdue, but it's progressive films like these that make for a promising future for people of color. After all, everyone deserves to see their culture as beautifully and elegantly represented as Shang-Chi is for the Asian-American experience.

Make sure to check out Phase Zero's full podcast interview here on all streaming platforms.

Looking for more Shang-Chi content? Read our full breakdown and analysis of the movie here!

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Shang-Chi's Simu Liu Shares What the Chinese Dragon Symbolizes - EnVi Media

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As Marvel's first Asian-American hero on the big screen, Simu Liu told EnVi about what the Chinese dragon symbolizes for Shang-Chi.

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Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings' Album Is More Than A Movie Soundtrack

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Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings' Album Is More Than A Movie Soundtrack

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Featuring NIKI, Audrey Nuna, and Guapdad 4000, the project is about Asian-American representation.

In this reported op-ed, writer Eunica Escalante highlights the importance of Shang-Chi and The Legend of Ten Rings: The Album and talks to some of the artists included in the project.

I wish I had a song like NIKI's "Every Summertime" when I was a love-struck teenager. From its bouncy opening chords to NIKI's syrupy crooning, the track is custom-made for nights spent pining after a crush or the effervescent first months of a blooming relationship. But what truly drew me to "Every Summertime" isn't just that it's a love song to soothe the overly romantic in me. It's that the track feels like a head nod, an inside joke. NIKI's playful references and witty turns of phrase are a subtle wink to our shared experience.

"Every Summertime" is the eighth track in Shang-Chi and The Legend of Ten Rings: The Album, the auditory companion to the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Produced by 88 Rising, the album is a fitting tribute to the highly-anticipated film, which features Marvel's first Asian-American superhero. And while it exists chiefly to soundtrack a superhero movie, the album has grander ambitions than merely being a musical score.

"I think I just wanted to get at the Asian diasporic experience," NIKI explains over Zoom. "What it would look like for two first-generation Asian Americans, going to college and falling in love-that was the inspiration."

I saw myself mirrored in her lyrics, from references to Richmond, a Bay Area city with a historically robust Asian community, to the imagery of blooming magnolias, a familiar symbol in most Asian cultures. NIKI, who moved to the United States from Indonesia to pursue music, was inspired by the stories of young Asian Americans as they navigated the angst of burgeoning adulthood while adjusting to a new country's cultural complexities. "A common theme throughout the process of creating the album was: What does it mean to be Asian in America?" says NIKI.

Shang-Chi and The Legend of Ten Rings has been a box-office hit, making over $90 million over the three-day weekend, breaking the box office record for Labor Day weekend premieres. Globally, it brought in an estimated $127.6 million. The music, accordingly, had to have the same level of reverence and reverie as the film.

After all, the Asian diaspora, though historically pigeonholed under a single homogenous label, contains a multitude of cultures, ethnicities, and experiences. But while the album isn't exactly a dissection of race in America, it still serves as an apt musical representation of the Asian-American experience.

The album's premise is exciting to behold: a major music project headlined by Asian artists and produced by an Asian-American recording label. On it are artists like NIKI, Audrey Nuna, Rich Brian, Guapdad 4000, and Saweetie, who are among the next generation of young Asian American artists breaking boundaries in the industry.

It's a noteworthy milestone, especially when confronted by the severe lack of representation in the American music industry. Until recently, only a handful of Asian-American musicians have found mainstream success in the West, like Bruno Mars and Nicole Scherzinger, who are of Filipino descent; Jhené Aiko, who is half Japanese; and Sri Lankan artist M.I.A. It wasn't until 2010 that an Asian-American group, the Far East Movement, and their hit " Like a G6, " charted at number one in the Billboard Hot 100 for three non-consecutive weeks in a row. Then, K-pop icons BTS broke into the scene, becoming the first act from Asia in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to debut at number one-and that was just in 2020.

"For decades, there was little room in mainstream Western pop for women who were discernible as Asian," wrote Ligaya Mishan in a recent article documenting the rise in Asian American female pop stars for The New York Times. There has been no one reason cited for this lack of mainstream Asian representation, but anecdotes have pointed at a racial bias against Asian American artists. "I was told over and over again by countless label execs that if it weren't for me being Asian, I would've been signed yesterday," Paul Kim, a top 25 contestant in season six of American Idol, said in 2007.

Today, Asian American artists seem to be hitting a new high. K-pop groups have cultivated a rabid fanbase in the United States. Earlier this year, Filipino American singer Olivia Rodrigo surpassed Ariana Grande in having the most songs on the Billboard Global 200. And multi-genre artists like Audrey Nuna, are showing that Asian artists are more than just industry anomalies. Her song " Clocked Out!" adds her characteristic wordsmith mastery of rap and alchemical approach to composition to the Shang-Chi soundtrack.

"I didn't really see myself represented in media my whole life," says Audrey, who remembers being just one of three Korean American students at her elementary school. "I think that just perpetuates certain boxes that people feel like they need to be in because they're not empowered by their own reflections in media."

Although, Audrey admits that thinking about the significance that her artistic success carries "is a little bit overwhelming," she says, jokingly adding: "It's just so surreal that I think my brain decides not to think about it too much."

Applauding Asian representation is complicated. After all, increased visibility in mainstream media is only a surface-level accomplishment, particularly when Asian Americans still experience institutional racism and, as troublingly evidenced by the past year, violent hate crimes. Yet, it's difficult to downplay the buzz I felt hearing Masiwei on the soundtrack, his whole verse in Mandarin for " Lazy Susan," or Warren Hue rapping about MSG, fish bones, and an over-attentive mother in " Always Rising."

Many of the artists on the soundtrack felt the same spark of recognition. NIKI points to "Diamonds + and Pearls" as among her favorite tracks on the album. "They're literally just talking about tea," she says of the song, a collaboration by DPR LIVE, DPR IAN, and peace, which references the ubiquitous beverage. "But it was such a cool way to pay tribute to Asian-American culture. I've never heard a song that explicitly talks about tea in a cool and almost menacing way."

Not every song on the soundtrack makes specific references to the cultural nuances of being Asian American. Guapdad 4000's " Foolish," whose addictive hook is reminiscent of the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps," is more an ode to his Bay Area roots. Nuna's "Clocked Out!" reflects on Los Angeles' infamous hustle culture, with which she finds herself in the throes of as a burgeoning musician. Both could have easily been stand-alone songs, untethered to the soundtrack-a testament to the album's playability beyond being a Marvel movie score.

"I just felt like, regardless that this was the first Asian Marvel movie, this is a sick soundtrack," says Audrey. "The fact that we're all behind this idea that, yes, there can be an Asian Marvel superhero. I think it's more about that collective energy, rather than let's make Korean songs or something."

For artists like Guapdad, the album carries a cultural heft. Since debuting in 2017 with his mixtape Scamboy Color, he has proudly woven his Filipino heritage into his artist persona, as a way to show other aspiring Filipino artists that there is space for them in the industry. The Shang-Chi soundtrack is yet another tribute to those possibilities.

"I make sure to champion [my Filipino roots], especially given all the negative activity happening to the Asian community in the last year," he says. "I really wanted to speak on it, just telling people that I was Asian too. Representation and statements like that mean a lot to people."

Upon the film's debut, NIKI premiered a new music video for " Every Summertime. " In it, she's seen serenading across the aisles of an Asian grocery store. The comment section was filled with fans applauding NIKI's performance and the soundtrack's undeniable Asian elements. Pinned at the top was a statement from 88 Rising, a brief love letter to the album's significance for many Asian Americans. "This is not just a soundtrack of a movie," they wrote. "These are the songs of our life, songs of our love, and a story that is still being written."

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Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings' Album Is More Than A Movie Soundtrack

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Featuring NIKI, Audrey Nuna, and Guapdad 4000, the project is about Asian-American representation.

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Shang-Chi: Ta Lo World, Mythology & Creatures Explained

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Shang-Chi: Ta Lo World, Mythology & Creatures Explained

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In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, audiences were introduced to the realm of Ta Lo; here are its world, mythology, and fantastical creatures explained. Shang-Chi has dominated at the box office, easily breaking the record for Labor Day weekend totals, all propelled by great reviews and word of mouth along with excitement to see Marvel's first all-Asian cast. In the pantheon of MCU origin story movies, Shang-Chi ranks near the top, if not at the top.

Audiences were also excited to see the proper introduction of martial arts into the MCU. All due respect to Netflix series Iron Fist, but the martial arts in that series was simplified and fight scenes stunted due to Iron Fist actor Finn Jones not having any martial arts or stunt training beforehand and barely having time to learn fight choreography before shooting. Thus, many longtime fans have considered Shang-Chi to be the true introduction of martial arts in Marvel live-action projects and it certainly delivered.

Related: Shang-Chi's Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score Proves Its MCU Importance

But another vital piece of the MCU Phase 4 puzzle was also introduced and that is the realm of Ta Lo. The entire third act and final battle take place in the otherworldly realm, and it looks to be of importance to the MCU moving forward. Here's the world and mythology of Ta Lo explained, including all its creatures.

Ta Lo World & Dimension Explained

The MCU is no stranger to fictional lands and mythical dimensions; locations like Asgard and Wakanda feature prominently in the movies, and parallel realms such as the Dark Dimension have been visited before. But Ta Lo is something new and slightly different; the best way to describe it would be a pocket dimension. Unlike Wakanda, which is a real place on the MCU's Earth, or even Asgard, which has seen numerous characters traveling back and forth at any given time, Ta Lo is far less accessible.

However, unlike the Dark Dimension, which is an entirely separate universe, Ta Lo is separate but attached. The borders between Ta Lo and the main MCU universe open once a year, allowing anyone with the knowledge to pass from this world into the mythical realm of Ta Lo. Ta Lo is unique among all fictional Marvel locations in that regard, as it is neither always accessible, period, or always accessible depending on one's magical skills, but only accessible in finite windows of time. Outside of that window, it's only possible for humans to access if they have the help of one of Ta Lo's mythical creatures guiding them through the deadly maze-and even then, they may not make it. In many ways, this makes it one of the most inaccessible of all of the MCU's fictional realms and other dimensions.

Ta Lo's Magical Animals & Creatures

Ta Lo is also populated with seemingly magical creatures and animals that aren't found on Earth. Some could be forgiven for thinking these creatures are newly invented for the sake of the movie, but they're not. They're actually creatures taken from Chinese mythology and lore and each has specific meaning. For example, Ta Lo's giant lion guardians in Shang-Chi, known as shíshī, are creatures commonly seen in Chinese mythology and architecture, dating back to Imperial China, when carved stone lions would often sit at the entrance to important buildings like palaces or tombs to guard them. The pair of lions are often one male, one female, adhering to the Buddist concept of the yin and yang: balance. It's a fitting theme for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings as Shang-Chi's main struggle is to balance his light and dark sides, his mother and father within himself.

Related: How Marvel Making Shang-Chi The Mandarin's Son Changes His Story

Other creatures in Ta Lo are even deeper cuts into Chinese mythology. Fuzzy sidekick Morris, for example, is something known as a dìjiāng, a creature associated with the Chinese god Hundun and the element of chaos. Ta Lo is also home to the qílín, a unicorn-like creature with the body of a deer and tail of an ox, which traditionally only appears to herald the arrival of a great new ruler. The fènghuáng can also be seen, a mythical bird often confused with the Chinese phoenix that rules over all other birds. Like the Chinese guardian lions, the fènghuáng and the qílín often come in male and female pairs and represent balance. Other creatures include húlijīng, the lovely nine-tailed fox creatures spotted as Shang-Chi and his friends drove into Ta Lo for the first time. Unsurprisingly, they symbolize duality and can either be a good or bad omen, or benevolent or malevolent. Ta Lo is also home to longma, winged, horse-like creatures covered in dragon scales that, like the qílín, is an omen foretelling the rise of a legendary ruler.

How Ta-Lo's People Have Powers (& What Are They)

Of course, the most legendary creature of all in Ta Lo is the Great Protector, a dragon god that resides in the lake of the realm and is the source of its power. It is the Great Protector that grants the people of Ta Lo their abilities and their incredible armor and weapons. While the Great Protector is able to travel between dimensions, she has mostly slumbered beneath the lake at the center of Ta Lo for eons since first helping to defeat and imprison the soul-consuming Dweller-in-Darkness, destined to awake from her slumber to join the fight if the demon is ever freed. Despite her absence, the Great Protector supports and powers Ta Lo's warrior-guardians in two ways.

First, her scales have magical properties and the people of Ta Lo use dragon scales to enhance their armor and weaponry, imbuing them with mystical properties and immense resilience and strength. But second, it is the Great Protector that taught them how to harness the powers of chi and bend the natural elements to their will, namely water and wind. In flashbacks, it's shown how she gave them the knowledge that would imbue them with superhuman abilities in order to protect Ta Lo and guard the prison of the Dweller-in-Darkness. Particularly skilled practitioners who can tap into the natural energy of the world can even manipulate wind to create offensive and defensive vortexes of incredible power, or bend water.

What's unknown is whether the people of Ta Lo can maintain their powers beyond that realm. The Great Protector is directly tied to Ta Lo and thus, as long as her people remain within its borders, they benefit from her power. But Shang-Chi's mother, Ying Li, told Shang-Chi in a flashback that she " gave up" her power to leave Ta Lo and follow his father, Wenwu. However, it's unclear how that happened. It's possible she lost her powers when she decided to give up her role of the guardian of the entrance of Ta Lo, thereby breaking some sort of contract, or if she lost them the moment she was outside the borders of Ta Lo and outside the Great Protector's influence. It's also possible that she agreed to relinquish her powers in Shang-Chi to be with Wenwu so as to keep the secret of Ta Lo protected. It's even possible that her powers simply gradually faded away the longer she lived a normal life as a wife and mother.

Related: Every MCU Easter Egg In Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

Ta Lo's Comic History & How The Movie Compares

In all honesty, Ta Lo doesn't really have much comic book history in Marvel comics, so Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was able to shape it specifically for the MCU. It's appeared or been referenced in the comics only a handful of times, so information is sparse. What little backstory it has in the comics was changed considerably for the movie. In the comics, Ta Lo (or Ta-Lo) is considered one of the Chinese god realms, and the highest of the 36 heavens of the Chinese gods, hence its other name of "Great Canopy Heaven." It's populated by an extradimensional race of beings known as the Xian, and, like the movie, a number of mythical Chinese creatures.

That's about where the similarities stop, however. In the comics, Ta Lo operates as the Chinese version of Asgard, with the Xian being the Chinese mythology counterpart to the MCU's Asgardians of Norse mythology. Xian are a completely different race and worshipped as gods; in the movie, the residents of Ta Lo appear to be supernaturally gifted but otherwise normal human beings, seeing as how Ying Li was able to leave and live a normal life. Likewise, the Ta Lo of the comics is slightly more accessible than the one in the movie, with interdimensional nexuses found at each of China's Five Great Mountains: Tai Shan to the East, Hua Shan to the West, Bei Heng Shan to the North, Nan Heng Shan to the South, and Song Shan at the Center of the realm.

Everything else about Ta Lo, including the Great Protector and it being the realm fated to protect other universes from the Dweller-in-Darkness, was created specifically for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The movie version of Ta Lo is a fascinating place and the movie barely scratched its surface. Hopefully, much like with Asgard or Wakanda, it's a realm that will be further fleshed out and returned to frequently in future MCU projects.

Next: Shang-Chi Ending Explained: 6 Biggest Questions, Answered

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Shang-Chi: Ta Lo World, Mythology & Creatures Explained

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Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings introduced the realm of Ta Lo. Here's the world explained, including creatures, powers & comic history.

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‘Shang-Chi’: The Chinese Customs Explained, From Breakfast Porridge to Guardian Lions

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‘Shang-Chi’: The Chinese Customs Explained, From Breakfast Porridge to Guardian Lions

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'Shang-Chi': The Chinese Customs Explained, From Breakfast Porridge to Guardian Lions - TheWrap

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Marvel's first film with an Asian lead is full of cultural and mythological references

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Sue Chan Breaks Down the Symbolism in ‘Shang-Chi’s Production Design

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Sue Chan Breaks Down the Symbolism in ‘Shang-Chi’s Production Design

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Sue Chan Breaks Down the Symbolism in 'Shang-Chi's Production Design

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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Production Designer Sue Chan joined Awards Daily to discuss the design process behind the film's major set pieces and explain how she paid homage to ...

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Shang-Chi and the Mythopoeic East Asian Superhero Story

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Shang-Chi and the Mythopoeic East Asian Superhero Story

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Shang-Chi and the Mythopoeic East Asian Superhero Story - Christ and Pop Culture

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Shang-Chi's actualization into an MCU superhero gives us a hero who comes from a culture that is more we-focused than me-focused, and I see that as a good thing.

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The Philosophy at the Heart of Shang-Chi

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The Philosophy at the Heart of Shang-Chi

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WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, now in theaters.
More than simply just starring a Chinese superhero, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings showcases plenty of Chinese culture and philosophy in between all the martial arts action as the Master of Kung Fu makes his grand entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From the difference in the main characters' fighting styles to the film's use of color and costuming, there are more subtle themes prevalent in East Asian culture that help enhance the story that filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton is crafting. Here's a quick overview of some of the cultural elements in the Marvel Studios movie.

One of the most striking elements of Shang-Chi is its use of color, primarily noticeable in the costumes of its cast throughout the film. When Shang-Chi's mother Ying Li is first introduced, she is wearing a bright green outfit, matching her environment, which remains unconquered by the outside world; similar to Western cultures, the color green symbolizes nature in China. In most of the film, the villainous Wenwu is wearing black, which, again similar to Western cultures, represents evil. In more welcoming scenes, Wenwu wears white to highlight Ying Li's healing influence but reverts to an all-black ensemble by the film's final battle. When training to impress his father as a teenager, Shang-Chi similarly wears black but wears red by the film's end, with the crimson color representing happiness, vitality and fire in Chinese culture.

RELATED: Shang-Chi Star Says He Wasn't Reprimanded for Slamming Disney CEO's 'Experiment' Comment

The changes in fighting styles also highlight cultural sensibilities in Shang-Chi, present right from the movie's prologue in 1996. Wenwu always employs a close-fisted martial arts style, favoring sheer power in his blows, one also favored by Shang-Chi when he trains as a boy. In contrast, Ying Li and her fellow villagers in the fantasy village of Ta Lo use a more gracefully balletic style inspired by wuxia cinema. Ying Li's sister Ying Nan teaches her nephew Shang-Chi this fighting style when he arrives, flowing like water and turning the opponent's energy against them. This gives Shang-Chi the edge he needs to stand toe-to-toe against his father.

On a more metaphysical level, Shang-Chi and Wenwu form a sort of yin and yang, the idea of dual, complementary forces in the universe. Before being killed, Ying Li informed her son that he was comprised of both aspects of his parents, the light and dark together in a single individual. In addition to the dual colors of the yin and yang, a bird's eye view of Shang-Chi and Wenwu's fight has them briefly form the symbol's familiar circle, with both men serving as the symbol's dots. One last evocation of the yin and yang has the water dragon, the Great Protector, quickly fly into the symbol's outline. Additionally, water, which also comprises the magical map Wenwu uses to find Ta Lo, symbolizes life in Chinese culture.

RELATED: Shang-Chi: Simu Liu Shares How Awkwafina Helped Him Settle Into the Role
To see these philosophies at work, watch Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in theaters now.
More than just being primarily set in China and bringing in many fantastical creatures and other sensibilities from Chinese culture, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings weaves in enough symbolism and thematic content that helps underscore its cultural underpinnings. From conflicting fighting styles, colors cluing audiences into the temperance of its characters and symbols like the yin and yang and water dragon appearing prominently, Shang-Chi provides more than just superhero action for action's sake but something that quietly weaves in the culture of its main cast.

KEEP READING: Shang-Chi: No, Simu Liu Didn't Land the Role Because of a Tweet

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The Philosophy at the Heart of Shang-Chi

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From differences in fighting styles to its use of color, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings boasts plenty of Chinese philosophy.

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The Cast and Crew Reflect on Creating a Super Hero for Future Generations

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The Cast and Crew Reflect on Creating a Super Hero for Future Generations

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If you can believe it, we're still only at the start of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the first brand-new character has entered the fray with an exhilarating origin story. Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings tells the story of Shang-Chi and how he learns to embrace his past while forging his future, along the way solidifying himself as a Marvel Hero.

The film also introduces several Asian heroes and heroines into the larger MCU tapestry, told with stunning visuals, mind-blowing action, and a stellar cast directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. As the director tells Marvel.com, "regardless of what your ethnic background is, Shang-Chi's journey is something that is so relatable."

While you might be excited to experience Shang-Chi's journey on the big screen, the cast is even more stoked to see it come to life and resonate with fans around the world - especially younger ones, who might be seeing themselves as a Super Hero for the first time. Meng'er Zhang, who plays Shang-Chi's sister Xialing, is already seeing some of this in action when she was met with attendees dressed as her character on the red carpet for the world premiere, noting that Marvel fans are "so quick and so creative."

"Asian representation is really important to me, and Asian kids growing up in Western countries can have Super Heroes that they can look up to and say, 'They look like me.' That's amazing. I'm just super proud and I feel really lucky to be a part of this film and to be a part of this amazing moment."

Fala Chen, who plays Shang-Chi's mother Ying Li, (who also happens to be a new mom!) loves that her daughter will "grow up watching films in where she sees Super Heroes and characters who look like her. That fact alone makes me really happy as a parent."

Chen grew up in China before moving to America, and as she explains, "I did see films with faces like mine, but I never really grew up seeing a Super Hero because that just didn't exist, an Asian Super Hero. When I was growing up then later in America, I couldn't find a Super Hero that I would like to dress up as."

But with Shang-Chi, "now not only we have one, but we have multiple characters that kids can grow up watching," continues Chen.

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'Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings': The Cast and Crew Reflect on Creating a Super Hero for Future Generations

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Experience the movie in theaters this Friday!

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Shang-Chi, An Asian Superhero On The Big Screen

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Shang-Chi, An Asian Superhero On The Big Screen

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The Asian comic book character Shang-Chi first appeared in Marvel comics in the early 1970s.

Now Marvel Studios has taken the character to the big screen, offering audiences their first Asian superhero protagonist. "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" opened in theaters on Friday, Sept. 3.

Times are slowly changing, and this comic powerhouse has understood the importance of diversity, of changing with the times, and of giving ethnic characters the spotlight, said John Jennings, a media and cultural studies professor at UC Riverside.

John Jennings (UCR)

When Shang-Chi emerged in comic books, he was mainly promoted as the "Master of Kung Fu," because kung fu and martial arts connected with Americans. Using the true name, Shang-Chi, in the headline was not as appealing, Jennings said. Comic book publishers capitalized on readers' interest in martial arts, using it as a marketing tool as opposed to the character's race and ethnicity, he added.

Shang-Chi's film character is played by Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu. Beyond playing the protagonist, Liu's role is significant in that Hollywood is moving away from "yellow face," meaning having non-Asian characters rely on costumes, music, martial arts, makeup, accents, and other stereotypes to portray an Asian character. Yellow face is not a new practice, it has been used by Hollywood for many years, Jennings said.

"Having an Asian male lead in the film is very important due to the many stereotypes around Asian men being villains," Jennings said. "A great deal of this is generated through propaganda connected to World War II and other international conflicts."

"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" was written by Dave Callaham, and Asian-American; and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who has Hawaiian ancestry. Having a diverse crew is crucial to getting the right cast and the story to resonate at a deeper level, Jennings said.

Shang-Chi fans can find a wide collection of material in UCR's Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Jennings puts Shang-Chi's character in greater historical context in this Q&A:
What is Shang-Chi's historical significance?
It's a big deal. It's giving a segment of the Asian community visibility. People are going to come out for this movie. The whole lie that diversity in film doesn't sell; it's been obliterated many times around.

Also, it's good to see such a feel-good film with an Asian protagonist after all of this hatred of Asian people and violence against them.

Shang-Chi is not Marvel's first Asian character, but it is its first protagonist superhero on the big screen, correct?
Yes. MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) has come a long way. They recently created Marvel's Voices, special comic book editions created to provide an additional outlet to marginalized voices. The first of the series is called "Marvel's Voices: Identity." It celebrates Asian superheroes and their creators.

Why is this necessary? There is an issue with how people have drawn Asian characters. In the past, comic books in general would make extremely racist characters, making them look like monsters. You have to remember many of these comics were born in the WWII era; they were posters with propaganda. And for Asian characters, in particular Japanese characters, they were drawn in the most racist manner because this is what you do to the enemy, right? You demonize them, you depict them as monsters. This becomes propaganda, which then becomes "the truth." Remember, we were at war with Japan.

Also, when it comes to Asian representation in Hollywood, you have yellow face. Stereotypes stick. You have writers and creators who don't understand the content but understand the form. There's a saying, "Insiders see content, outsiders see form." That's what's great about "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," it was written and directed by insiders. This is why diversity behind the scenes matters.

Actor Simu Liu is the lead in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." (Image courtesy of Marvel Studios)

Shang-Chi was created in the early 1970s, what changed to make Marvel want an Asian superhero protagonist now?
Every medium out there is not a medium built for us. None for us, people of color, or LGBTQ. Comic characters were created mostly by white men who were imagining what it was like to be in the skin of the characters that were not them. Most times they got it wrong.

Marvel's credo has been "The World Outside Your Window." That means that in order for them to create more audiences, they have to create more windows. "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" was written by a Chinese-American. Now we have a broadening of who deserves to be a hero.

You have to have people behind the scenes who continue to change that. There are other films that have come out before and have broken new ground. The fact that Marvel is so huge now means that "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is getting much more visibility than a smaller film would.

Typically, Asian characters tend to be portrayed as villains, sorcerers, mystical personas, or sidekicks. Will "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" change that?
They created Shang-Chi to capitalize on martial arts films that were happening in the 1970s. The idea was to make diverse characters because they wanted to make money.

Shang-Chi is an awesome character; he was modeled after Bruce Lee. You do not want to play with Shang-Chi; he is the best fighter out there; he is Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and all the great martial arts masters combined. The story is powerful; Shang-Chi is basically a good guy who ends up having to fight an evil organization - led by his own father.

When we talk about changing characters in Hollywood, I think you have to have allies, people who are in power who are open minded. But the idea here is that the world is made up of different people. Everyone wants to see themselves be victorious.

And things are changing. You have documentaries like "The Slanted Screen" (2006) talking about the portrayal of Asian men in film and television; "Crazy Rich Asians" (2018); "The Farewell" (2019); Oscar-nominated "Minari" (2020); and most recently the Netflix series "The Chair." This has been a recent change in American film and television.

"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." (Image courtesy of Marvel Studios)

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Shang-Chi, an Asian superhero on the big screen

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Marvel's first Asian film protagonist marks many milestones.

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Inside Shang-Chi’s Evolution from Forgotten Comic Book Character to Big-screen Superhero

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Inside Shang-Chi’s Evolution from Forgotten Comic Book Character to Big-screen Superhero

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Inside Shang-Chi's evolution from forgotten comic book character to big-screen superhero | CNN

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From his origins in a comic that emulated kung fu films to a new comic series and MCU film where he gets to be the star, Shang-Chi has evolved into one of Marvel's major heroes. Get to know the many versions of the Master of Kung Fu through insights from his creators and more.

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East Asian-American Transcultural Perspectives in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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East Asian-American Transcultural Perspectives in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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No country on Earth is as enveloped in the creation and consumption of media as the United States. It is the world leader in television consumption, with the average American watching over 3 hours of television a day, not including other devices. Before the streaming era came in full force, the average television watching used to be over 4 hours daily.[1] Naturally, much of this plays a role into American culture, and this is where on screen representation is critical for minorities in the United States. The current most watched media is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is the highest grossing film franchise in human history, with a current worldwide box office of over 25 billion dollars.[2] So, the arrival of Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a critical moment for Asian-American representation. Specifically, Eastern Asian.

The announcement of a Chinese superhero finally getting a film in a Marvel film ensured that the two world superpowers and box office giants, the United States and China, would both be very keen on viewing the film. Thus, Marvel hired director and writer Destin Daniel Cretton and co-writer Dave Callaham, both Asian-Americans, to craft the film, to ensure it was firmly in Asian-American hands, which worked. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a very emotionally resonant film that serves as both a love letter to Asian culture, and a representation of the struggles of being Asian-American. The Eastern and Western cultures are vastly different, and children born between these worlds often face immense pressure to conform to one culture or the other, rather than be allowed to be both. In the film, the lead protagonist, Shang-Chi, is stuck in a similar situation, forced to reckon with his roots, which he tries to avoid while he lives a quiet life away from his first home. The film touches on everything it means to be in such a situation, touching on familial ties, trauma, tradition, cultural and generational clashes, and legacy, primarily in the relationship between the film's antagonist and protagonist.

You see, instead of yellowface, they named him after an orange, so it's technically called orangeface.

Like most superhero stories, there is a supervillain. Unfortunately for Shang-Chi, this is his own father, Xu Wenwu. The character of Wenwu is an amalgamation of two other characters found in Marvel's original comics, The Mandarin and Fu Manchu. The latter has infamously been utilized as a prime example of orientalism and 'Yellow Peril," who was later absorbed by Marvel and touted as the father of Shang-Chi.[3] Similarly, The Mandarin was born in an era of Asian xenophobia. He was conceived as the archenemy of Iron Man, a character whose origin story was escaping a Viet Cong prison in a metal suit and later becoming a hero.[4] The Mandarin was a vicious warlord with ten mystical rings with a literal alien origin, constantly at odds with the all-American, innovative, and charming Tony Stark (Iron Man), a very "East vs. West" setup born in the Vietnam era and post Korean War and Chinese Revolution.

Tony Stark's character arc (reactor) was rooted in this stuff.

there is a supervillain. Unfortunately for Shang-Chi, this is his own father, Xu Wenwu. The character of Wenwu is an amalgamation of two other characters found in Marvel's original comics, The Mandarin and Fu Manchu. The latter has infamously been utilized as a prime example of orientalism and 'Yellow Peril," who was later absorbed by Marvel and touted as the father of Shang-Chi.[3] Similarly, The Mandarin was born in an era of Asian xenophobia. He was conceived as the archenemy of Iron Man, a character whose origin story was escaping a Viet Cong prison in a metal suit and later becoming a hero.[4] The Mandarin was a vicious warlord with ten mystical rings with a literal alien origin, constantly at odds with the all-American, innovative, and charming Tony Stark (Iron Man), a very "East vs. West" setup born in the Vietnam era and post Korean War and Chinese Revolution.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe first attempted to adapt The Mandarin in Iron Man 3, wherein an organization appropriates Wenwu's militant organization (The Ten Rings) and blames them for a serious of explosions, covering their own sinister experiments. To help convince the world of this ruse, they even hire a drunk and out of work actor to masquerade as "The Mandarin," an Osama Bin Laden-esque figure, an imposter of Wenwu. A furious Wenwu kidnaps the actor and makes him a jester for his amusement. He later muses about the false flag terrorist situation, stating " He gave his figurehead the name of a chicken dish. And it worked! America was terrified...of an orange!" With a tongue-in-cheek approach, the film mocks the in-universe and real-life origins of The Mandarin and Fu Manchu by reinventing the characters into one humanized and complex character. "The Mandarin" character has gradually evolved as American attitudes towards Asian culture has gradually improved.

In Shang-Chi, Wenwu is an ancient warlord who came across 10 mythical iron rings that granted him great power and immortality. These rings are no longer the alien finger rings as portrayed in the comics, instead, they are reminiscent of training rings used in martial arts, especially those in Hung Ga.[5] The style of Hung Ga is a branch of Shaolin kung fu, and like all martial arts, they are not just a fighting style, they are a way of life. Hung Ga is characterized by strong stances and vigorous training, with its dual nature known to be called "soft-hard." Wenwu's fighting stances take after this style, as does some of his personality and many of his ideals. Wenwu uses his 10 rings to consolidate power and create his powerful Ten Rings organization, and rules with force. But when he meets his future wife, Ying Li, he begins to change his violent ways, and retires using the 10 rings and stops his conquests to raise a family. Soon, Shang-Chi and his sister, Xu Xialing, are born.

All of this is much to take in, but it serves as necessary context for how the film approaches Asian-American identity. The next step towards explaining this lies in Shang-Chi's mother, Li, a skilled martial artist who uses Baguazhang technique. This is a branch of the Wudang quan class of martial arts, the largest class opposite of Shaolin.[6] It involves circular and evasive footwork, and is more movement based and flexible than Hung Ga technique. When Wenwu and Li first encounter each other, they fight, as Wenwu was attempting to trespass into Li's village, hidden in another dimension. Li is able to match Wenwu's prowess, a first in his 1,000 year-long life, and he is enamored, leading to their marriage. This relationship between the two is representative of the Taoist idea of yin and yang, light needing dark, in order to preserve harmony, or balance.

This idea directly correlates to the film's approach to its heroes, Shang-Chi and his best friend, Katy. They struggle with their identities and who they are in very different, yet similar ways. Katy's character arc takes a literal approach of an Asian-American person coming to terms with their lineage, whereas Shang-Chi's character arc is attempting to find balance between his mother and father's teachings and the person he will become. But both represent the yin and yang that it is to be a immigrant minority in the United States, specifically, Chinese American. These characters are not just Chinese or just American, they are both, they are the balance, they are the yin and the yang. Their heritage is inseparable from who they are. However, they struggle in learning to achieve balance, and the film plays with these ideas and metaphors constantly.

The film starts with Shang-Chi living in San Francisco, going by the Anglicized name "Shaun." He works as a parking valet alongside Katy, the two of them constantly being chastised by family and friends that they aren't living to their full potential, as they waste their time drinking in karaoke bars and joyriding the cars they are meant to watch. Ten Rings agents sent by Wenwu force Shang-Chi to undergo a long-dreaded reunion with his father. Much like actual Asian-Americans, this means a trip to the other side of the world. Katy is dragged into the affair, and it is shown that she does not speak Chinese very well, and likewise, is surprised at how different "Shaun" is once he stops the façade of blending into the American culture.

When Wenwu and Shang-Chi's group meet in his mountain fortress, it does not feel like a superhero meeting a supervillain, it feels like a family dinner with a disagreement. Before the meal, Xu Xialing tells a nervous Katy " Just nod, don't talk, he'll forget you're there. That's how I survived." Wenwu later asks Katy what her "Chinese name" is and explains the importance of protecting one's name and legacy, recalling the imposter incident from Iron Man 3 as an example of Western culture misappropriating Chinese heritage. Katy is Chinese American, but doesn't think about it too often, she has been very Westernized and integrated.

At dinner, Wenxu explains his villainous scheme, which is not entirely sinister. He hears a voice promising his greatest desire: the return of his deceased wife, killed 17 years prior (in front of Shang-Chi) as retribution for his past sins against his rivals during his violent years. The voice calls him to return to the village and open a gate, notably enticing him by saying " We'll all be together." What Wenwu wants is not just the return of his beloved wife, but the reunion of his entire family, whom he has alienated following a return to his violence following her death. When he sees Shang-Chi for the first time in a decade, he greets him with a gentle forehead bump and a firm hand on the shoulder, stating how proud he is his men could not kill his son.

However, he almost entirely ignores his daughter, Xu Xialing, a nod to unfortunately sexist gender roles in Chinese society (sexism is not limited to just China, of course), an idea justified and spread by the early spread of Confucianism.[7] Wenxu is very much a traditionalist and sees Shang-Chi as his more important heir to his legacy, the eldest son, another idea seen in Confucianism. Wenwu also never trained Xu Xialing in any martial arts, despite training Shang-Chi beginning as soon as his mother was killed, and even trusting him to hunt down and kill his mother's murderer (something Shang-Chi accomplishes, though this is what causes him not to return to his father). Wenwu's justification for not training Xu Xialing is that she reminded him too much of his late wife. Late in the film, Shang-Chi's aunt notes that "he looks like his mother," highlighting Wenwu's hypocrisy in his excuse of not training Xu Xialing for the same reason.

Wenwu is a representation of ancient and honored Chinese tradition. Wenwu represents a generational gap (thousands of years!), a cultural gap, and an ideological gap. Yet, much of what makes up Wenwu is in both of his children. There must be balance, and he is the dark that meets their mother's light, and there are many traits about Wenwu that are admirable. He is loyal, he is pensive, he is studious, he is hardworking, he is confident, and he is ambitious. Unfortunately, it Wenwu's ambition and overconfidence that constantly makes him too pushing or power-hungry. He alienates Shang-Chi by pushing him too much to be like himself, and he does not handle failure well. When his wife is killed, he immediately becomes obsessed with avenging her and puts his rings back on, ceasing to be the good and even peaceful father he was for a short time. When his children had run away, he narcissistically claims it is something he allowed as if it was his plan, stating " I gave you ten years to live your life."

Many of these parental issues would hit close to home for some Asian-Americans struggling with familial ties and living up to the high expectations Eastern culture can place on an individual living up to their full potential. Likewise, both the actors for Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and Wenwu (Tony Leung) have struggled with parental issues. Simu Liu was raised by his grandparents until he was five,[8] and Tony Leung's father left his family when he was eight.[9] As seen with the gender roles, the other issues born out of Confucianism can still haunt Chinese family dynamics. It is something that has become imbued with the culture. A main staple of Confucianism is "filial piety," where the age of someone in a family is the deciding factor in who serves as the head of the family, and one which means children should obey and respect their elders.[10] As Wenwu is 1,000 years old and immortal when wielding his rings, that is a privilege he will not be surpassed in. He is not good at ceding power. Likewise, Confucianism also places importance on "face," or, collective identity in a family.[11] What affects one reflects on all, and this idea of the group over the individual is painfully different from Western, especially American ideas of individual autonomy and freedom.

Curiously, Wenwu does echo with the comic book Mandarin's roots of representing "East vs. West," but rather than face the white and strictly all-American Iron Man, he faces his own son, who is also Chinese. And this conflict with his father forces Shang-Chi to come to terms with the turmoil within himself and his identity. He is indeed his father's son, but he is also his mother's son. After the trip to his father's home, he eventually goes to his mother's mystical village, named Ta-Lo. It serves as a spiritual spot of self-awareness and coming to terms with balance of the yin and yang, as Shang-Chi learns his mother's Baguazhang forms from his aunt, and even Katy learns she has a place despite having never considered herself part of the culture. The metaphorically aimless Katy is presented with a bow, and told " If you aim at nothing, you will hit nothing," hinting at her low life ambitions. This is the positive side of Western values helping bring some discipline and structure to the carefree Katy. As Shang-Chi keeps training, he learns that his father and mother's techniques are not opposing, but complimentary, and he will need a balance of both in order to defeat Wenwu.

Wenwu is stubborn after being on top for 1,000 years and refuses to listen that his wife is truly gone and that the door that he hears her voice from in her village is not holding her, but instead is holding back a soul-draining beast. When rebuffed by Shang-Chi from attempting to open the door, Wenwu spitefully throws his wife's murder in his son's face, saying " You were there when they came for her. And you did nothing. You stood at the window and watched her die." Wenwu then successfully manages to open it despite being defeated by Shang-Chi in a fight, and the monster emerges, threatening to kill everyone, starting with Shang-Chi. Instead, Wenwu takes the blow without hesitation, and gives his rings to his son, calmly accepting his fate as he dies, even showing pride. For for Wenwu's performance, Tony Leung stated that when approaching Wenwu, he noticed that " He has always loved his kids, he just has no idea how."[12] This is a perfect summary of the character, representative of the clash between the human instinct of loving a child and traditional cultural values and ideas that are held within Chinese society, where any break from tradition affects the "face" of a family and can impact them negatively. But it is here that Wenwu realizes he has been impacting his family negatively.

For many immigrants, children of immigrants, or children of any Asian heritage, this film is representative of the huge dilemma in the United States of fitting in, and likewise, the dilemma in China (or many Asian countries) of conforming. The individual or the group, the American identity or the Asian identity. They can be ostracized for being "too Western" in the East and can be the target of prejudice for being "too Eastern" in the West. The struggle for many Asian Americans is finding that balance, having the opposing sides of themselves find harmony and work together. To be balanced in two such drastically different cultures is the true superpower, in a sense. Shang-Chi is a person who ran away from his family because of his internal conflict and hid away in the United States pretending to be someone he wasn't. Neither of these ways of life were sustainable, but it was when he confronted his culture and likewise unabashedly embraced it, he was able to overcome his all-powerful father and more importantly, achieve closure When Shang-Chi returns to San Francisco, his other home, he openly talks about his adventures and exploitations as a superhero, and finds a new purpose and no longer questions what he will do with his life. He also does not lose his carefree American side, and still has fun with Katy and gets drunk for karaoke despite his new great power, great responsibility superhero lifestyle.

Overall, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a film that took huge steps in evolving Asian-American representation by allowing Asian-Americans to craft their story themselves, taking white American-made ideas of their culture and instead humanizing them and making them more genuine. Shang-Chi's decision to have about a quarter of the film spoken in Chinese dialect, the accurate Asian imagery and ideologies, and the nearly-all Asian cast are massive steps for blockbuster films. In cinema, Asian and Pacific Islanders make up less than 6% of speaking roles, which includes minor roles.[13] On top of that, violent hate crimes against Asians in the United States rose by 73%, following increased xenophobia due to the Chinese origin of COVID-19.[14]

Films like Shang-Chi are critical in a country that produces and worships television and films, where perceptions of outside cultures can be challenging with two massive oceans on either side and only two bordering nations. The transcultural approach the film takes in being understandable by Western audiences without compromising or bastardizing Eastern culture is in of itself a perfect balance of yin and yang. While not everyone may relate to having a 1,000-year-old father with 10 mythical rings or being a kung-fu master, anybody can relate to finding their purpose, and Asian-Americans can relate to how challenging that can be when their definition or execution of that purpose might vary greatly in two vastly different cultures.
PS: My friend made this animated cartoon, underlined here in this link, based on a "Pretty Much It" podcast talking about how to pronounce "Shang-Chi." It rules, and you need to watch it.
[1] Stoll, Julia. "U.S. Time Spent Watching Television 2023." Statista, June 21, 2021.

[2] "Top Lifetime Grosses." Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Accessed January 10, 2022.

[3] Francisco, Eric. "How Marvel's 'Shang-Chi' Had to 'Destroy' Its Own Racist Origins." Inverse, August 26, 2021.

[4] Lee, Stan, Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber. Tales of Suspense. no. 39. New York, NY, Marvel Comics, 1963.

[5] Lam, Wing. Southern Shaolin Kung Fu: Ling Nam Hung Gar Kuen. Sunnydale, CA, U.S.A.: Wing Lam Enterprises, 2003.

[6] "Wu Dang Martial Arts." Kunyu Mountain Shaolin Martial Arts Academy. Accessed January 11, 2022.

[7] Xie, Z. "Regarding men as superior to women: impacts of Confucianism on family norms in China." China population today vol. 11, 1994.

[8] Gatollari, Mustafa. "Simu Liu Once Penned a Heartfelt Open Letter to His Parents That Went Viral." Distractify. April 19, 2021.

[9] Mr Charming Tony Leung: born to be an actor. China Daily, November 11, 2003.

[10] Pier. "Chinese Culture." Cultural Atlas. Accessed January 11, 2022.

[11] Han, K-H. The Feeling of "Face" in Confucian Society: From a Perspective of Psychosocial Equilibrium. Front. Psychol. 2016.

[12] Robinson, Joanna. "The Irresistible Allure of Shang-Chi Villain Tony Leung." Vanity Fair, September 3, 2021.

[13] Rahman, Abid. "Asians and Pacific Islanders Account for Less than 6 Percent of Speaking Roles in Hollywood Films, Study Finds." The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, May 18, 2021.

[14] "Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Rose 73% Last Year, Updated FBI Data Says." NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal News Group, October 25, 2021.

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Asian-American Transcultural Perspectives in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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No country on Earth is as enveloped in the creation and consumption of media as the United States. It is the world leader in television consumption, with the average American watching over 3 hours of...

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Hero Nation Podcast: Simu Liu & Director Destin Daniel Cretton On Creating A Marvel Celebration Of Culture & Representation

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Hero Nation Podcast: Simu Liu & Director Destin Daniel Cretton On Creating A Marvel Celebration Of Culture & Representation

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Much like Disney/ Marvel's 2018 mega blockbuster and Oscar-winning feature Black Panther was a breakthrough for diversity on the big screen, the studios continue to shine with that this coming weekend with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the first Hollywood Asian-American superhero movie.

Today on Deadline's Hero Nation podcast, we speak with both the pic's star Simu Liu and director-writer Destin Daniel Cretton about this feat. You can listen to our conversation here:

"We've always approached this story with an amount of care, befitting of something that is as historically significant as it is," Liu tells us. "It's another thing to have the validation of audiences, not just Asian audiences and Asian-American audiences, but everybody."

"Kids growing up today will have what I never did growing up, which is somebody across that screen reflecting who they are, and showing them what is possible," adds Liu. "What is possible if you're a superhero, is anything."

Liu and Cretton talk about how the actor landed the role: his reading of Good Will Hunting sides for the audition.

On creating a love-letter tentpole for Asian moviegoers, Cretton says, "We want this to really feel like a celebration of the rich history of martial arts films and the rich history of Chinese culture while also remembering it's an MCU movie, and there's a rich history there we wanted to be a part of."

In regards to Liu taking Disney CEO Bob Chapek to task on social media over his remarks that Shang-Chi is an "interesting experiment," the actor responds, "I feel like a lot of headlines took a narrative and warped into something like 'talent versus studio.' I think it may have been informed by other things in the news; what I was reading in the trades."

"I wanted to reclaim the narrative on how fired up I am on this this movie," answers Liu. But in the end, with a massive premiere and a multitude of fan screenings, including a big preview at CinemaCon, that's barreling toward a Labor Day domestic weekend opening record of $50 million, Liu says that together with Chapek and Marvel boss Kevin Feige, "We're all fired up on this movie."
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Hero Nation Podcast: 'Shang-Chi' Star Simu Liu & Director Destin Daniel Cretton On Creating A Marvel Celebration Of Culture & Representation

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Much like Disney/Marvel's 2018 mega blockbuster and Oscar-winning feature Black Panther was a breakthrough for diversity on the big screen, the studios continue to shine with that this coming...

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‘Shang-Chi’ Director Destin Daniel Cretton on Marvel’s First Asian Superhero and Revisiting the Ten Rings

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‘Shang-Chi’ Director Destin Daniel Cretton on Marvel’s First Asian Superhero and Revisiting the Ten Rings

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Speaking of, Shang-Chi's father plays a critical role in the movie. But in the original source material, this character is Fu Manchu, a racist stereotype. Was it difficult to navigate away from problematic cliches when updating Shang-Chi for 2021?

Updating these characters in a way that wasn't completely getting rid of them was the number one challenge of this movie. People want real representation and real characters. With the small bit of information that I think audiences had about "The Mandarin" and this evil organization [the Ten Rings], I think it's hard not to picture a stereotypical version of that character. But to be able to surprise people with an actor like Tony Leung, who's playing a multidimensional person, it's very exciting.

There are several characters in Shang-Chi that audiences will recognize from previous MCU films: Iron Man 3's Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley); Doctor Strange's associate Wong (Benedict Wong); and even the Abomination (Tim Roth), who hasn't been seen since 2008's The Incredible Hulk. Were these characters already part of the story you envisioned, or does Marvel give you specific characters or elements that they'd like to see included in the film?

Marvel usually starts by giving you a big list of "What Ifs," which is really just an initial guide to see what might naturally work its way into the story. It's [by] no means a rule. More often than not, when we actually want to use something from that list, the MCU has already moved in that direction and Marvel says we can't use it anymore. One month later, that's already irrelevant. So it's really just navigating a constantly moving river of ideas until the right thing starts to click in. It's like that moment in Tetris when everything starts flying and you just have to try to click pieces in and hopefully you can keep up.

You have to wait for that long Tetris piece, which in this case is maybe Wong.

Waiting for that long piece is the trick!

Even the Ten Rings itself is something of a question mark; most audiences will probably assume the organization is Middle Eastern, based on what we've seen in the first Iron Man and Iron Man 3.

It was really exciting to be able to give more context to a lot of big questions or mysteries that were posed back in the very first MCU movie. And to be able to pay them off in a way that not only makes sense but is also surprising.

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'Shang-Chi' Director Destin Daniel Cretton on Marvel's First Asian Superhero and Revisiting the Ten Rings

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'Shang-Chi' Director Destin Daniel Cretton Interview 'Shang-Chi' Director Destin Daniel Cretton Interview 'Shang-Chi' Director Destin Daniel Cretton Interview '