Marvel has released the first teaser for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This is a highly anticipated first clip that has been teased by star Simu Liu for months, and finally gives us a glimpse of him in character as new hero Shang-Chi.
One of the best things about this trailer is it does not feel like a Marvel film because, while there is iconography such as the first appearance of the actual Mandarin, there are no characters that have appeared in other MCU films in this movie, which is something that can’t be said for a film in this franchise since Doctor Strange.
This is the first time since March of 2019 where a film is being released by Marvel that introduces a new title character. The last was Captain Marvel, who is rather well known by fans while Shang-Chi is much less known.
The other great aspect to this trailer is that the choreography for the fight sequence as well as the accommodating cinematography looks fantastic. The camera stays in wides and the action is clearly seen, and even brings about the feeling of the hard hits, which is difficult for an MCU film. Some scenes we see in this trailer also seem to give a nod to the grand, large scale fight scenes seen in Chinese martial arts films such as Hero (which also starred Hong Kong star Tony Leung, who in this film plays Shang-Chi’s father Wenwu).
Simu Liu looks like a lot of fun in the role as well. He is charming without being overly quippy, which is an underlying issue for most MCU leads that somewhat end up feeling the same. Other cast members include Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Ronny Chieng, and Florian Munteanu.
Overall, the film has a nice mix of cultural and contemporary locals in it. It is certainly one to look out for and to see the full trailer you can watch it right here:
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is set for a September 3, 2021 release date, and will be the 25 film installment for the franchise.
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Photo credit: Raymond Flotat