Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
A Marvel superhero film exploring Asian culture and family legacy.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, a 2021 American superhero film from Marvel Studios, is the 25th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It follows the Marvel Comics character Shang-Chi. Destin Daniel Cretton directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham. Simu Liu stars as Shang-Chi, with a cast that includes Awkwafina, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Yuen Wah, Michelle Yeoh, Ben Kingsley, and Tony Leung. The story forces Shang-Chi to face his past when his father, Wenwu (played by Leung), the head of the Ten Rings terrorist group, pulls Shang-Chi and his sister Xialing (Zhang) into a hunt for a mythical village.
Development on a Shang-Chi film began in 2001, but serious work only started in December 2018 when Callaham was hired. Cretton joined in March 2019, and the film’s title and main cast were announced that July. This revealed the film’s link to the Ten Rings organization, which had appeared earlier in the MCU, and its leader Wenwu, adapted from the problematic comic book characters Fu Manchu and the Mandarin. This movie is Marvel Studios’ first with an Asian director and a mostly Asian cast. Filming started in Sydney in February 2020 but paused in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed in August and finished in October, with extra filming in San Francisco. Brad Allan and other members of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team handled the fight choreography.
The film premiered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on August 16, 2021, and hit U.S. theaters on September 3 as part of the MCU’s Phase Four. It earned over $432 million worldwide, making it the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2021. It set several box office records and earned positive reviews from critics, who praised its exploration and representation of Asian culture—which set it apart from other MCU films—as well as its action sequences and Leung’s performance. The film received various accolades, including a Best Visual Effects nomination at the 94th Academy Awards. A sequel is in development.
**Plot**
A thousand years ago, Xu Wenwu found the mystical ten rings, which grant godly powers including immortality. He founded the Ten Rings organization, conquering kingdoms and toppling governments across history. In 1996, Wenwu searched for Ta Lo, a village said to harbor mythical beasts. He traveled through a magical f
- Release year
- 2021
- Director
- Destin Daniel Cretton
- Lead actor
- Simu Liu
- Box office
- Over $432 million worldwide
- MCU phase
- Phase Four
- Academy Award nomination
- Best Visual Effects
Lore & Background
A thousand years ago, Xu Wenwu discovers the mystical ten rings granting godly powers and immortality, establishing the Ten Rings organization. In 1996, he finds Ta Lo, a village with mythical beasts, and falls in love with guardian Ying Li. They marry and have two children, Shang-Chi and Xialing. When Shang-Chi is seven, Li is murdered by the Iron Gang, prompting Wenwu to resume leadership and train Shang-Chi as an assassin. At 14, Shang-Chi runs away to San Francisco after a traumatic mission.
Reader's Guide
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings grossed over $432 million worldwide, making it the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2021. It set several box office records and received positive reviews for its exploration and representation of Asian culture, action sequences, and Tony Leung's performance. The film received a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 94th Academy Awards. A sequel is in development. The film adapts the Ten Rings organization and its leader Wenwu from problematic comic book characters Fu Manchu and the Mandarin.
Did You Know?
- The film is the first Marvel Studios film with an Asian director and a predominantly Asian cast.
- Brad Allan and other members of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team coordinated the fight sequences.
- Filming began in Sydney in February 2020 but was put on hold in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The film's mid-credits scene introduces Shang-Chi and Katy to Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers.
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