Shang-Chi Character Posters Highlight the MCU's New Heroes & Villains

New posters showcasing the various heroes and villains of Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings have been released. The film is set to introduce a new pool of characters to the MCU, with Shang-Chi representing the first Asian superhero in the franchise. Shang-Chi will see Simu Liu in the eponymous role of a master of martial arts who is drawn back into the secretive Ten Rings organization that he thought he had left behind, led by his father Wenwu (Tony Leung). Alongside new faces, the film will also feature Benedict Wong's Wong from Doctor Strange and Tim Roth's Abomination from The Incredible Hulk.

Shang-Chi was initially set for release on February 12th of this year, the first day of Lunar New Year, but filming in Sydney was brought to a halt for several months as a result of the pandemic. Liu has previously stated that he was concerned over whether or not the film would finish production, but things were able to finally get back on track and it is now set to release on September 3rd. Unlike Black Widow, which was also released on Disney+ via premier access, Shang-Chi is set to have an exclusively theatrical release; however, considering the low levels of theater attendance at the moment, it remains to be seen if Disney will change their release plans.

Related: Shang-Chi Already Teased Him Beating The Mandarin

Marvel shared six character posters on Shang-Chi's official Twitter account highlighting the various heroes and villains of the film. Each poster provides a close-up look at one of the film's primary characters in various poses ready to fight. The posters feature Liu's Shang-Chi, Awkwafina's Katy, Leung's Wenwu, and Michelle Yeoh's Jiang Nan. Also depicted are Meng'er Zhang's Xialing and Death Dealer played by Jade Xu, who previously played a Widow in Black Widow. You can check out all six posters below:

Shang-Chi continues the MCU's current trend of further diversifying its roster through its predominantly Asian cast that features front and center on the newly released posters. Importantly, Marvel is also taking steps to mitigate some of the comics' more racially insensitive portrayals of Asian characters from throughout its history. In the comics, Shang-Chi's father is Fu Manchu, a literary character with a litany of racist portrayals in various mediums; likewise, Leung's character Wenwu, aka the Mandarin, the protagonist's father in the movie, is a comics villain historically rooted in racist caricature. Shang-Chi's director and writer have both stated they want to deliver a deeper and more well-rounded portrayal of both the Mandarin and other Asian characters in the film, promising that Wenwu is not what audiences may be expecting.

Leung's portrayal of the Mandarin will also pay off one of the MCU's most enduring mysteries, with the Ten Rings and an imposter parading as the Mandarin both appearing in the Iron Man films. It's unclear how much Shang-Chi will deliver on this connection, but it's good to see the character finally brought to life in a more nuanced portrayal. Similarly, it's good to see the MCU branching out and standing by its promise to deliver greater diversity within its films. How well the film accomplishes these goals will be determined when Shang-Chi releases on September 3rd.

More: Everything We Know About Shang-Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings

Source: Shang-Chi/Twitter

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August 06, 2021 at 12:17AM