Everything You Need To Know About ‘Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings’

I hope you like martial arts, because Marvel’s latest film Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is an entire feast of superhero goodness.

It’s the twenty-fifth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the second of the Phase Four films, which take place after the momentous events of Avengers: Endgame. Starring Simu Liu as the titular Shang-Chi, the film is also the first Asian-led instalment of the MCU, with the majority of the cast also of Asian descent.

Early reviews are praising the high octane action and incredible martial arts fight scenes – but who is Shang-Chi, and how does he fit into the MCU? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

No spoilers!

What Happens In Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings?

Shang-Chi follows our hero living a profoundly un-superhero life in San Francisco, a simple slacker routine of working as a valet, going out for breakfast with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina), and just living the good life. However, unsurprisingly for an action film, Shang-Chi’s past finally catches up with him. Turns out Shang-Chi’s complicated dad, the formidable crime lord Wenwu (Tony Leung) really wants him back into his terrorist organisation, The Ten Rings, an empire built around the power of ten ancient rings that Wenwu wears around his arms to generate blasts of energy.

Obviously he’s not so keen, and the film revolves around Shang-Chi resisting his dad’s less than polite invitations, fighting off his evil plans, and also learning about who he is as a hero.

The film draws heavily on tropes from classic Kung Fu films, while still being a superhero film in format – there’s a LOT of martial arts, and it’s amazing.

Who Is In Shang-Chi And Why Do We Love Them?

The cast of Shang-Chi And The Legend of The Ten Rings is legendary, and a huge part of why the critics are so thrilled about this film.

The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton from a screenplay he wrote with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham.

Shang-Chi is played by Canadian actor Simu Liu, who is best known for playing Jung Kim in the award-winning CBC Television sitcom Kim’s Convenience. A lot of people have been invested in his casting in Shang-Chi, as way back in 2018 when the project was first announced, he tweeted “OK @Marvel, are we gonna talk or what #ShangChi”. It seems he was a perfect choice, with the actor doing much of his own stunts and fighting work in the film.

He is joined by Awkwafina as his best friend (who carries a lot of the comedy), and some amazing talent in Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong (who joins us as Wong from Doctor Strange), and the amazing Michelle Yeoh.

Hong Kong cinema legend Tony Leung plays Shang-Chi’s hot dad, Wenwu, who has some of the most compelling fighting scenes.

Shang-Chi In The Comics

Shang-Chi is a slightly lesser-known hero in the comics, compared to the big guns like Captain America and Iron Man. He was introduced in the 1970s at the peak of popularity for the Kung Fu film genre, inspired by stars like Bruce Lee.

In the comics he was the son of “Fu Manchu”, a comic villain with problematic connotations who has since been renamed and removed from the comics, for those reasons as well as rights issues. His parentage has shifted and changed through several storylines, but he always seems to have daddy issues.

Shang-Chi doesn’t have “super powers” precisely, but rather expert martial arts skills, an ability to focus his chi, and a background in mysticism – all of which have been transported more or less into the film.

While originally a popular character, Shang-Chi has spent much of his time in the comics helping other heroes, spending time in the pages of the likes of Daredevil and Spider-Man, even spending some time on the roster of The Avengers.

What To Watch Before Shang-Chi?

One of the best things about Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is that it’s almost an entirely fresh world for newcomers into the MCU, without the required research needed for a lot of the later Avengers-era films. That said, there’s still some good background for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that helps place Shang-Chi into context.

There’s a bunch of minor characters from other films who make an appearance, most notably Benedict Wong as Wong from Doctor Strange, who also featured heavily in Avengers: Endgame and Infinity War. It also helps explain the scene in the new Spider-Man trailer in which Wong is clearly seen to be going on holiday. Hopefully he has a relaxing time during his adventures in Shang-Chi, maybe gets a massage.

But MCU fans might also remember the evil organisation The Ten Rings, a villainous organisation led by Shang-Chi’s father, who is the main villain in this film.

In Iron Man (2008), the group kidnapped Tony Stark in an effort to extort money from the United States government. But beyond this, the organisation hasn’t had much of a chance to shine in the MCU outside of brief cameo appearances and vague references.

Where You Can Watch Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings?

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings gets a cinema release in Australia on September 2, 2021.

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Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings in Cinemas September 2.

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Patrick Lenton is a writer and author. His new book Sexy Tales of Paleontology is currently in bookshops. He tweets @patricklenton.

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Images courtesy of Disney