Marvel’s Shang-Chi Movie Explained

Another Marvel character is joining the “crew” after Avengers: Endgame, thanks to the news reported that Marvel is developing a Shang-Chi movie. Marvel has hired Destin Daniel Cretton for the project. Watch out Iron Fist and Collen Wing! Your competition is heating up in the martial artist superhero department!

But who in the world is Shang-Chi, and why is he considered onew of the greatest warriors in the Marvel Universe? Let’s take a look to find out why they call him the Master of Kung Fu!

The Basics of Shang-Chi:

While Shang-Chi is actually the son of one of the worst villains in the Marvel Universe, he himself is among Marvel’s greatest heroes. He has devoted his life to perfecting his martial arts. He decided to use his abilities to right wrongs instead of for fame and fortune. Shang-Chi is known to work alone, but other times he fights right beside heroes like Spider Man, Daredevil, or the Avengers! Shang-Chi inspires hope in the innocent and dread in anyone foolish enough to challenge him in a battle.

What are Shang-Chi’s Powers and Abilities?

He is traditionally seen as an ordinary fighter with no true superhuman abilities. However, he has developed a reputation of having possibly the best hand-to-hand fighting skills in the Marvel Universe. He’s skilled with a number of different forms in armed and unarmed combat. His “hidden gem” strength is his body’s chi. He’s mastered it allowing him to be strong enough to shatter metal and quick enough to dodge and deflect bullets. Recently Marvel did an overhaul and gave Shang-Chi a new ability–the power to create multiple copies of himself–all just as skilled in martial arts as the original.

Shang-Chi’s Origin and Background

Shang-Chi debuted in 1973’s Special Marvel Edition #15. Because of the popularity of marital arts during this time, Marvel wanted to tap into this by creating Shang-Chi.

Marvel attempted to license the rights to the TV series Kung Fu, but when that failed, they acquired the rights to the work of Sax Rohmer–pulp novelist–including infamous Chinese villain Dr. Fu Manchu and his “Sherlock Holmes-like nemesis,” Sir Denis Nayland Smith. Shang-Chi was initially introduced as Dr. Fu Manchu’s son.

After two issues of his debut, Special Marvel Edition was renamed “The Hands of Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu” and because the fighter’s permanent home. He also began appearing in other Marvel titles and teaming up with everyone from Spider-Man to the Thing.

Unfortunately, he didn’t stay popular through the 80’s and the Master of Kung Fu ended with issue #125 in 1983. After that, Shang-Chi only appeared sporadically and Marvel eventually lost the rights to Fu Manchu, making it incredibly difficult to continue the story of Shang-Chi’s family history or even reprint the older Master of Kung Fu stories.

Fortunately, Shang-Chi has reemerged in recent years. He helped Spider-Man develop a new form of spider-themed martial arts, as Spider-Man’s martial arts mentor, after Peter temporarily loses his Spider-Sense use. Shang-Chi has also served multiple incarnations of the Avengers. The Secret Avengers series of 2010 also connected him to Fu Manchu by revealing that Fu Manchu was just a cover identity for Zheng Zu, an immortal sorcerer.

Beyond the Comics of Shang-Chi:

It’s true, Shang-Chi has been seen very little outside of Marvel comics, but that’s not for lack of trying. To date, his only non-comic book appearance has been a playable character in the free-to-play mobile game Marvel Future Fight. A Shang-Chi movie was planned alongside movies for Captain America, Hawkeye, Doctor Strange, Nick Fury, Black Panther, and others. Clearly, plans changed a bit.

In December 2018, word leaked that Marvel has hired Wonder Woman 1984 writer Dave Callaham to do the screenplay for the Shang-Chi movie, with the intent of hiring a director of Asian descent, and crafting a film with a cultural impact similar to that of Black Panther.

In March 2019, Destin Daniel Cretton was in fact hired to direct the film, but no rumors of the cast have surfaced yet!

Are you a huge fan of the Marvel Universe and all its superheroes? Disney Parks are bringing more and more superheroes to their parks and it’s been a huge hit! Most recently, Captain Marvel is at Disney California Adventure Park.

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