Some Marvel characters are rumored to make their big screen debut in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. So far, very little has been confirmed by Marvel and Disney in regards to both the plot and characters of its first martial arts movie - but everything that's been reported seem to point to a big film with several people in it.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and currently scheduled for a May 2021 release, the third film on Marvel’s Phase 4 slate will bring Marvel’s Master of Kung Fu to the MCU in a film that will pit him against the Ten Rings, an organization whose existence has been teased since Iron Man. Playing the titular hero is Simu Liu, while Hong Kong superstar Tony Leung will take on the role of the Mandarin, a major Marvel Comics villain and the archenemy of Iron Man. Iron Man 3 infamously faked out audiences with a Mandarin impostor played by Ben Kingsley, but Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will finally reveal the real Mandarin.
At this point, the hero and the main antagonist are the only characters confirmed to be appearing. Other actors have been cast, such as Awkwafina and Michelle Yeoh, but there’s no official word on who they’ll be playing. Though Marvel has provided few details on Shang-Chi’s first solo movie, there are a few casting rumors that provide a few hints of what to expect. Here’s every character rumored to appear in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
In Shang-Chi’s first-ever Marvel Comics appearance, he crossed paths with Black Jack Tarr, an aging British man with a hulking stature. Black Jack Tarr was an experienced covert ops agent who worked for Sir Denis Nayland Smith and MI-6. Due to a misunderstanding, Shang-Chi and Black Jack Tarr first met as enemies, but after finding out that they shared a common foe in the immortal criminal mastermind known as Fu Manchu, Tarr was ordered by Smith to work alongside Shang-Chi. For a while, the two characters struggled to get along, as Tarr had a deep distrust for all Chinese. After sharing several adventures together, he developed a respect for the Master of Kung Fu, and reached a point where he was able to consider him a friend.
Right now, three British special agents from Marvel Comics are rumored to debut in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, one of which being Black Jack Tarr. It’s quite possible that the actor playing him is Creed 2 actor Florian Munteanu. Munteaunu, who has the physique to pull off the role, has reportedly joined the cast. It’s likely that if he does indeed appear in Shang-Chi, he’ll serve as a close ally in the fight against the Mandarin.
Not long after Awkwafina was cast in an undisclosed role in the movie, rumors started circulating that the actress will portray Shang-Chi’s sister, Fah Lo Suee. In the comics, Shang-Chi and Fah Lo Suee are the children of Fu Manchu. Of the two, Fah Lo Suee is the oldest. While Shang-Chi grew up oblivious to his father’s true nature, his sister embraced their roots and became fully invested in her life as a member of Fu Manchu’s organization. But over time, Fah Lo Suee’s ambitions led her to become a rival to her father. So when Shang-Chi broke away from Fu Machu and fought to defeat him, he also had to go up against Fah Lo Suee, who began leading her own group of villains.
One problem with the idea of Awkwafina playing that character is that Marvel doesn’t own the rights to Fu Manchu (and presumably, his daughter). However, Marvel Comics still found a way to use her after losing the rights, but they had to change her name to Zheng Bao Yu. Since Marvel won’t be using Fu Manchu anyway and instead will be replacing him with Mandarin, Marvel could be planning on reworking and renaming the character so that she’s the daughter of the Ten Rings leader.
Reportedly, Chinese actress Fala Chen will portray Leiko Wu, an MI6 agent and the primary love interest of Shang-Chi in the comics. When Shang-Chi began fighting against his father’s empire, he was forced to make an alliance with Sir Denis Nayland Smith and MI6. While assisting MI6 in their missions, Shang-Chi was often paired with Leiko Wu, who began to feel attracted to Shang-Chi due to his good nature and naivete. Since Shang-Chi had lived a sheltered life in Fu Manchu’s stronghold, he had a limited understanding of society, until Leiko Wu began introducing him to the outside world. They eventually formed a romantic relationship, but it was unable to last.
The biggest problem that came between Shang-Chi and Leiko Wu in the Master of Kung Fu comic was Clive Retson, another character heavily rumored for the upcoming Marvel movie. Clive Retson, who worked with Leiko Wu prior to Shang-Chi’s arrival on the scene, was her ex-boyfriend. Through most of Master of Kung Fu’s ten-year run, Clive Retson was the fourth member of the team that battled villains like Razor-Fist, Fu Manchu, Pavane, Zaran, and even Doctor Doom himself. The main heroes of the comic were Shang-Chi, Leiko Wu, Black Jack Tarr, and Clive Retson. For the most part, they all had a good working relationship, but there were complications, such as the love triangle that existed between Shang-Chi, Leiko, and Retson. Leiko’s romance with Shang-Chi was held back by her lingering feelings for Retson. As a result, the two men resented each other.
One of the most interesting rumors surrounding Shang-Chi are the reports that the movie will somehow incorporate Fin Fang Foom, a large green dragon from an alien planet. In the comics, Fin Fang Foom and his fellow alien invaders crash landed on Earth, with the remains of their ship being discovered by the Mandarin. After scouring through the wreckage, the Mandarin acquired his trademark ten rings and achieved great levels of power. He also found Fin Fang Foom, and enlisted him in his plans to conquer the world. Over the years, the dragon has battled an assortment of heroes that includes Iron Man, Thor, and Hulk (but not the Master of Kung Fu).
Marvel may push Fin Fang Foom into Shang-Chi’s MCU story because of the Mandarin, but regardless of the reason, the character would be an odd fit. His inclusion would certainly say a lot about the tone of the movie. If Shang-Chi has to fight a giant dragon, that would mean Marvel has no intention of making Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings a grounded martial arts film.
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