Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was one of the most anticipated and subsequently one of the most popular movies of 2021. Originally scheduled for a 2020 release, the MCU film was pushed back over a year to September 3, 2021. After the long wait the film was a box office success. One of the few in the pandemic-filled year. However, now Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is available to take home on blu-ray everywhere after a successful run in cinemas around the world.
The film features an ensemble cast that include Simu Liu as the titular hero, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Ben Kingsley, and newcomer Meng’er Zhang as Shang Chi’s scene-stealing sister Xialing. Mxdwn recently had the opportunity to sit down with Zhang. In the interview we discussed many things from her early career to her future in the MCU as well as the difficulty in waiting so long for her Hollywood debut.
mxdwn: Sweet look at that! Thanks for being here. I hope I’m not like the 50 billionth person you saw today.
Meng’er Zhang: Hahaha.
mxdwn: But good to see you. My first question for you is just like, how have the last few years has been for you as like a performer? But moreover, as a person, I know you met your husband on set. And that’s really cool. But you know, you have a big relationship, you have your breakout role, which was fantastic and then there was a huge pandemic too. So how has that just impacted your life the last three years or so?
Meng’er Zhang: Yeah, I guess. What a journey, what a journey for all of us. And yeah, it was, it was that I mean- doing the film really, really changed my life. And like you said, I met the love of my life on this production. And I got my- this is my very first film. I feel like I grew up, I grew a lot. I grew a lot from all this. It’s really an amazing journey for me. And I, we, I think we built a family, not just, I don’t just mean me and my husband, I also mean the whole, the whole production is like really like a big, big family. We still keep in touch with everyone. And we we check on each other all the time. And we have group chats. We are still talking. Like we have so many silly conversations, and we have so many deep conversations going on. And yeah, it’s it has been, it has been good.
mxdwn: Good, good. And I’m just curious, is it an iPhone group chat? Or does one person like have a Samsung so you can’t really do the whole iPhone group chat thing?
Meng’er Zhang: Oh, it’s an imessage group chat.
mxdwn: I just have a Samsung so I can never be in my friend’s group chats.
Meng’er Zhang: Oh no! Haha.
mxdwn: Shang-Chi‘s finally getting a home release. But it was also one of the first movies out exclusively in theaters like post pandemic, it’s, we’re still in it. But, you know, post the main portion of the pandemic? How did it feel like just waiting for your Hollywood debut? Like you, you filmed everything, and you were just kind of waiting? Was it like hard for you? Or was it like a practice and patience? How’d that feel?
Meng’er Zhang: Yeah, I mean, I, for me, I just couldn’t, I just couldn’t wait for the whole world to see it. Because, because we know how good the film is. It’s really an amazing film about family and love. And we know that everyone can relate to and everyone can find themselves in, in, in the characters and in the whole journey. And yeah, for me, I just, I just really couldn’t wait for the whole world to see it. And but now, the whole world seeing it and now it’s on Disney plus and the blu ray DVDs gonna coming out too. So yeah, more and more people are gonna watch it and whenever they want to- so it’s great.
mxdwn: Yeah, that’s fantastic. Um, yeah. Kind of on your character. She was one of my favorites in the in the film-
Meng’er Zhang: Thank you!
mxdwn: Yeah, there’s a lot of places– you stole every scene– but there’s a lot of places she can go. But are there any places like you specifically dream of her going to? Just as as an actor yourself?
Meng’er Zhang: Hmm. You mean for the character? To her?
mxdwn: Yeah. Like what do you want next for your character? Like she now spoilers, obviously for the film, but she now leads the Ten Rings. Like, where do you want to go from there? You know, you’re a big ruler now.
Meng’er Zhang: I mean I like to ask myself those questions too. And I think the end credits scene gives a great hint to whatever is coming next. Whatever is coming next is gonna be big. And also like, you can see she’s sitting in the throne. And with Razor Fist and Jon Jon by her side, and now she’s the new leader. And she’s the new leader of the Ten Rings organization, but she doesn’t have the actual ten rings yet, so I think she might want them. You know, and I think that makes sense to me. Because between Shang Chi and Xialing, I think Xialing is the one who is like the father more, who is ambitious and likes the taste of power. And yeah. I think that makes sense to me. But you know, Marvel doesn’t tell us anything. So I don’t know anything. It’s just for me like-
mxdwn: Yeah-
Meng’er Zhang: You know haha-
mxdwn: -that’s all I wanted to know! You know, I don’t- you know- I don’t want Kevin Feige to come and get you or anything haha-
Meng-er Zhang: Yeah and also I read a lot of like comments from Marvel fans too. And I mean, they have a lot of great ideas. I mean, no matter what they want, I’m down.
mxdwn: Yeah, no, no, my brother has been texting me all these good ideas for the next phase of Marvel.
Meng’er Zhang: Oh wow! That’s cool!
mxdwn: Yeah, he’s like eighteen and he’s just really into [the MCU] right now. But, you know, he’s, like, freaking out about the new Spider-Man trailer and stuff.
Meng’er Zhang: Oh, right. Right.
mxdwn: I mean, he’d be freaking out about this right now. I haven’t told him yet. Onto the next question! Just this last section is kind of more about like you as an actor, and like I- I do some acting, I do some stand up. And I’m just very interested in like, an actor’s point of view on things. So I know you have a theater background, and like you were saying, this is your first film. I’m curious if there any, like favorite theatre roles you’ve had in the past, like, obviously, Shang Chi‘s your first film, but were there any theater roles that like really helped you in the past to prepare you for the MCU?
Meng’er Zhang: I think all the roles that I had in the past helps me because that’s, it’s you, it’s just experience, you have to, you have to you cannot just read those books. And you cannot just write, you have to do it. And you can learn so much by just by doing it. And I watched my early videos of playing a character and then the 160 show of the same character. And I could see how myself grow just in that one character. So it’s really just, it’s just keep doing it. And think about think about it. Just just be curious about humanity and in people and yeah, I think that’s that. I think to me that that’s how it is.
mxdwn: Yeah, that’s great. That’s great. And kind of more on that. You grew up in China and I grew up in like the United States. So American cinema has always been close to my heart. was Chinese cinema something like you really liked growing up? And if so, were there like any acting influences that you really liked? When you were younger? Whether that’s Chinese cinema, American cinema, whatever cinema you you had growing up if you even watch cinema that it doesn’t matter!
Meng’er Zhang: I like [the] Matrix!
mxdwn: Yes! Are you excited for the new one?
Meng’er Zhang: Yeah, the four right?
mxdwn: Four number four! Yeah.
Meng’er Zhang: Hey, yeah!
mxdwn: So ya know, The Matrix is definitely a great film. And then sort of going off that, what’s the– so The Matrix is a huge franchise, but the MCU is the biggest franchise of all time.
Meng’er Zhang: Yeah
mxdwn: And you kind of just, you, you’re in it now and there’s a ton of great stuff in it. But were there any unexpected challenges that came with it as a person or as an actor? Were there any challenges with with just being thrown into the biggest franchise of all time?
Meng’er Zhang: I mean, if I think the- the training process because I didn’t have any martial arts background before. So they flew me four months early to train. And that was that was really intense. And they put us on this meal plan is like, you know, really healthy food. And we have like, three or four meal boxes every day, and I really miss my fried chicken.
mxdwn: Aw.
Meng’er Zhang: Haha, yeah, so I guess that’s, that’s the that’s the challenge and also the difference you know, between theater and camera acting, but I have, I have so many people to help me. Like, you know, I asked Simu about because he also has a theatre background. I asked him like, what’s the difference between acting on stage and acting in front of a camera? And he gave me the most beautiful answer like he said, “so when we are on stage, we are landscape artists and we are in front of a camera, we are portrait artists.” So that just gave me such a clear clue what it’s like, and yeah, so it’s really like Master Class to me, every day on this production.
mxdwn: I mean that’s a that’s a great way to put it. Okay, so last question. Um, now that you’re in the biggest franchise ever. Are there any like directors or actors or like production companies that like you really want to work with in the future? Or is it just kind of like, go with the flow? Who knows what’s next?
Meng’er Zhang: I want to try anything. I want to try everything. I want to try musical. I want to do a Disney musical. I want to be in Star Wars. I yeah, I Yeah.
mxdwn: That’s awesome!
Meng’er Zhang: And yes, I want to be in the Marvel Universe. To to team up with other heroes….. And yes! Haha-
mxdwn: Well, I’m sure I’m sure you’ll get all of that! It was really wonderful talking to you. Thank you so much.
Meng’er Zhang: Oh, you too. Thank you so much. Bye!
Meng’er Zhang made her film debut in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings which is on Disney+ and is now available to buy on 4K, blu-ray, and DVD in stores everywhere. The physical copy also includes a gag reel, never before seen deleted scenes, and an audio commentary by director Destin Daniel Cretton and screenwriter Dave Callaham.
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