Marvel Announces 'Shang-Chi' as Its First Asian Superhero Film

Marvel is fast-tracking its planned Shang-Chi film, which is slated to be the studio’s first Asian superhero film. The movie is poised to be penned by Chinese-American screenwriter Dave Callaham (Wonder Woman 1984 & Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) with Marvel looking for an Asian or Asian-American director to helm it.

Allegedly, Marvel wants to match the movement around this year’s Black Panther and last year’s Wonder Woman with a film especially crafted for the Asian and Asian-American community. Deadline writes:

In the comics, Shang-Chi is the son of China-based globalist who raised and educated his progeny in his reclusive China compound, closed off to the outside world. The son trained in the martial arts and developed unsurpassed skills. He is eventually introduced to the outside world to do his father’s bidding, and then has to come to grips with the fact his revered father might not be the humanitarian he has claimed to be and is closer to what others call him: The Devil’s Doctor. He also might be centuries old. The deceit makes them bitter enemies.

The character, similar to Iron Fist, is a kung-fu master created sometime in the ’70s. However, unlike Danny Rand, the character doesn’t have any superpowers, having just extraordinary mastery over his fighting ability and access to chi.

In other entertainment news, Timothée Chalamet is starring in Wes Anderson’s next movie.