“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”: A breakthrough for Asian American Representation
For the first time, Marvel releases super hero movie with an Asian-American lead
Mei Flory / Assistant Arts and Culture Editor / The USD Vista
For the few who haven’t seen it yet, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,’’ finally hit theaters on Sept. 3. Fan and critic responses came in waves of support and appreciation for the film’s plot line, character dynamics and the fight scenes that evoked a sense of nostalgia for old school martial arts films. Plus, the film’s success at the box office more than surpassed expectations by bringing in over $90 million in ticket sales during Labor Day weekend. But, the reason why Shang-Chi’s success is so important has very little to do with money. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” will go down in history as the first Marvel film with an Asian lead. The title character is portrayed by Simu Liu, who was previously best known for his role as Jung Kim in “Kim’s Convenience.” The actor expressed his interest in an Asian-led Marvel film as far back as 2014, when he tweeted:
Marvel listened, and in a sporadic series of tweets from 2018 to 2019, Simu Liu updated his Twitter followers on his involvement with the casting, eventually revealing that he successfully secured the role of Shang-Chi. Liu’s call for an Asian American superhero has been a long time coming, making his casting even more rewarding for the actor and fans alike.
Alongside Liu is Awkwafina, who plays Shang-Chi’s best friend Katy, Meng’er Zhang, who plays Shang-Chi’s sister Xialing, Tony Leung, as his father Wenwu, and Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan, Shang-Chi’s aunt. For those who’ve taken an English class with Dr. Kim, Tony Leung may look familiar, as he is known for his lead role in the highly acclaimed film “In the Mood for Love.”
In addition to the exceptional cast of predominantly East Asian actors, the movie’s soundtrack was produced by the record label 88rising, which is known for its several well-known Asian American artists such as Joji, Rich Brian and Keshi.
The music sets the tone for the action-packed movie, and it cements Shang-Chi in a contemporary setting – Asians can be cool and powerful too.
The film also successfully functions as both a major plot point for the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and as a standalone action film. On its own, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” keeps audiences interested, even those who aren’t Marvel movie fanatics.
USD sophomore, Chris Mauhay, appreciated how the plot progressed throughout the movie.
“It was a lovely movie. I loved the interactions, the father and son connection…I think overall the plot of the movie was good. It wasn’t monotone, it built up. You saw the development of the character,” Mauhay explained.
Shang-Chi also references previous Marvel films, including “Iron Man,” “Iron Man 3” and “Doctor Strange.” Shang-Chi’s father, Wenwu, discusses a meta moment within the film when he talks about the villain known as the Mandarin.
The Mandarin is the main villain of “Iron Man 3,” while the Ten Rings are briefly mentioned in “Iron Man.” This seemingly unimportant moment actually matters a lot because Wenwu is telling Marvel fans that he isn’t the Mandarin.
More importantly, Wenwu isn’t Fu Manchu, the incredibly racist and stereotypical Chinese villain from the original Shang-Chi comics. By changing Wenwu’s background, Marvel is actively working to undo the racist origins of the Shang-Chi comics and reclaim the characters.
And they’ve handled the transition well. Samantha Tran, a USD senior, is Chinese, Vietnamese and Nepalese American.
She loved how the movie integrated experiences unique to Asian Americans within a movie formula that everyone’s familiar with.
“I think it represented the Asian American community well because I feel like the actor they casted to play Shang-Chi, Simu Liu, is a face that Asian Americans can relate to and see themselves in,” she said.
USD senior, Max Ip, is from Hong Kong and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese.
For him, the film’s cultural references were fun to watch and made for a much more engaging movie.
But he also questioned how impactful Shang-Chi will be on the rest of the audience members who are not of Asian or East Asian descent.
“I think it’s a big step in the right direction, but I don’t know if that changes the status quo overnight,” Ip concluded.
Ip’s comment reminds the public that uplifting Asian Americans is an ongoing process, and the hate against the Asian American community won’t end unless individuals actively take a stand against intolerance.
Seeing Shang-Chi rise and overcome expectations within the film and outside the MCU allows Asian Americans to reclaim their pride in their culture.
Shang-Chi isn’t just a hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe–he’s a hero to all the Asian Americans who finally get to see themselves represented on the big screen.