The MCU just expanded into the world of martial arts.
Marvel finally dropped the first trailer for its new and upcoming feature film titled “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
This latest installment from the Marvel cinematic universe is a martial arts epic and will be the first of its kind for the franchise.
Shang-Chi, also known as Master of Kung-Fu in the comic, is one of Marvel’s foremost martial artist characters. In the MCU storyline, Shang-Chi is “trained from birth by the villainous Ten Rings association to be an assassin. Shang-Chi leaves behind the life of violence in which he was raised to escape to the U.S., where he tries to create a normal life for himself in San Francisco. However, the machinations of his supervillain father Wenwu/The Mandarin draw Shang-Chi back into an ultimate confrontation,” wrote Paste Magazine.
Shang-Chi is played by actor Simu Liu of Kim’s Convenience fame. Popular Hong Kong actor Tony Leung will play Wenwu/The Mandarin. The trailer also saw comedian-actress Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians) and the movie is said to also star Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang and Michelle Yeow. Direction is under Destin Daniel Cretton.
The trailer features ninja-like warriors brandishing future-tech imbued swords hunting Shang-Chi. The trailer also sees MCU's return to the original premise of The Mandarin character who wields mystic powers via the ten rings the latter possesses.
“Shang-Chi” is part of MCU’s vaunted Phase Four schedule of films that also includes the upcoming Black Widow stand-alone movie that stars Scarlett Johanson.