Marvel Studios is moving quickly on Shang-Chi with filming reportedly set to begin this fall and casting now happening. Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may still be fresh off the entirety of Avengers: Endgame, but the universe itself is moving forward fast. In just a matter of weeks, Spider-Man:
Far From Home will be in theaters and wrap up Phase 3, while Black Widow now has started filming to kick off Phase 4. Among the bounty of sequels expected, Marvel Studios is also developing new potential franchises.
One of these possible franchises could be born out of Shang-Chi, which will be the MCU's first Asian-led superhero movie. They have yet to cast the titular martial arts master, but Marvel has started to piece the film's crew together. Destin Daniel Cretton signed on to direct Shang-Chi earlier this year and signaled that production could move faster than some expected. This was further highlighted when it was reported that the solo movie would film in Australia.
Well, it now appears that cameras will start rolling on Shang-Chi later this year.
Former That Hashtag Show reporter Charles Murphy revealed on his podcast Murphy's Law Podcast that Marvel is gearing up to begin production this fall and are now in the casting process. He said, "This is 100% for sure, evidence seen with my own two eyes, Shang-Chi is now casting. Shang-Chi will film in Australia fall of 2019." Coinciding with his report, The GWW revealed details on two characters who are being cast for Marvel's Australian production, which is now reportedly Shang-Chi. Marvel is looking to cast an Asian male between 40-60 years old to play a "wise, old statesman,” who is “the leader of his people," and an Asian actress in her 30s or 40s to play “one of the leader’s most skilled warriors.”
While an exact start date is not confirmed, Shang-Chi starting production this fall will put it on track to be the third Phase 4 movie to begin filming. As mentioned before, Black Widow is now shooting scenes in Norway, and The Eternals is reportedly slated to begin filming in August. Those two films will occupy Marvel's 2020 release dates, which will then put Shang-Chi on track to be the February 12, 2021 release. Even though this date was widely believed to be for Black Panther 2 given the first film's success in Black History Month 2018, the release date mentioned above is the Chinese New Year.
Originally created in 1972, Shang-chi was a superhero conceived by Marvel during the height of interest in kung-fu films in America as popularized by actors like Bruce Lee. In the comics, Shang-Chi is an extremely skilled martial artist who was trained to be a villain but instead chose to fight for good. Proficient in weapons, marksmanship, various fighting techniques, and considered a strong ally by other Marvel heroes, it’s about time that Shang-Chi got a movie of his own.
Here’s everything we know about Shang-Chi, from the release date to the plot to who’s being cast as the lead actor and who the villains might be.
When Is the Shang-Chi Release Date?
Shang-Chi will be released during the Mcu’s Phase 4 but a specific release date is still unconfirmed.
Phase 4 will begin after Spider-Man: Far From Home (out July 2, 2019) and presumably July 29, 2022. It looks to be comprised of eight movies released during some major movie-going weekend in the coming years. Those reserved dates are:
May 1, 2020 July 21, 2020 (previously August 7)November 6, 2020May 7, 2021July 30, 2021November 5, 2021February 18, 2022May 6, 2022
If we had to guess, based solely on the fact that we know casting on Shang-Chihas already begun, we’d say the likeliest release dates would be either May 7 or July 30 in 2021. Considering Shang-Chiwill likely be an origin story and something wholly original in the MCU, it’s easy to envision a scenario where Marvel Studios would want to turn it into a big summer movie and let it thrive on that momentum.
Who Is Directing Shang-Chi?
Destin Daniel Cretton was announced As Shang-chi’s Director in March 2019. Cretton was initially considered a surprise choice because a majority of his directing credits, to date, have been on indie or low budget films, with the exception of the Brie Larson/Woody Harrelson vehicle The Glass Castle.
But when you crunch the numbers on Cretton it becomes clear that he’s a solid choice for directing what will be another landmark film in the MCU. Cretton has WRITTEN AND DIRECTED nearly all of his feature-length films (I Am Not A Hipster, Short Term 12, The Glass Castle, and the upcoming Just Mercy). He has also earned acclaim for his directing choices, especially with Short Term 12, meaning he can not only lead the way on a film but he can lead it to success. Cretton also has a strong working relationship with Brie Larson and we’d bet that Larson may have put in a good word on his behalf for the Shang-Chi gig.
Who Will Play Shang-Chi?
There’s no word on who will play the titular Shang-Chi yet, although the casting process has begun as of late May 2019. The Gww Reported on these casting developments and included breakdowns for two characters who don’t appear to be Shang-Chi, but could be other lead characters.
The first character being cast by Marvel is an Asian male, 40-60 years old, who is being described as “wise, old statesman,” and who is “the leader of his people.” The other character is an Asian actress in her 30s or 40s who is described as “one of the leader’s most skilled warriors.”
Who Is the Villain in Shang-Chi?
There is no confirmation on who the villain of Shang-Chi is or who will play him.
There are plenty of villain options to choose from for Shang-Chi. In the comics, Shang-Chi has a LONG LIST OF ENEMIES, including Cat, Doctor Doom, and Namor. Kevin Feige has also confirmed that Iron Man 3 villain The Mandarin would come back.
However, if Shang-Chi is an origin story then chances are good the film’s villain will be his father, Fu Manchu. In the comics, Fu Manchu (based on the literary character created by author Sax Rohmer in 1916) is an immortal sorcerer and crime boss who raises Shang-Chi to be an extremely skilled fighter. Shang-Chi learns of his father’s criminal dealings and chooses to take down his empire piece by piece instead of fighting for him. If that doesn’t sound like the perfect set-up for a villain, then we don’t know what does.
What Is the Plot of Shang-Chi?
No plot for Shang-Chi has been confirmed yet. The film will most likely be an origin story since Shang-Chi has not been introduced or hinted at in previous MCU films.
How Will Shang-Chi Fit Into the MCU?
There are no details yet on when exactly Shang-Chi will take place in the context of the established MCU timeline. If it’s an origin story, then it might take place before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. If the film chooses to focus on Shang-Chi in full hero mode with flashbacks to his origins, then it’s possible the film will be set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, continuing forward in the timeline just like Far From Home will.
Will Any Other Marvel Superheroes Show Up in Shang-Chi?
In the comics, Shang-Chi encounters Tons Of Marvel Heroes and teams up with them from time to time. The biggest examples:
Shang-Chi briefly teamed up with Iron FistHe joined Daredevil’s task force to help take down the PunisherHe helped train Spider-Man when he loses his spider sensesHe fought alongside the AvengersHe teamed with the X-Men to fight Kingpin.
No plans or hints have made their way to the internet to confirm if any other superheroes who have appeared in past Marvel/Netflix shows or past Marvel Studios or Fox films. Even though Fox is now a part of the same corporate family as Marvel Studios, no plans have been made for Fox properties like The X-Men to crossover into MCU films, so it’s unclear if those streams would suddenly cross in Shang-Chi. That said, there could be Easter eggs or references to the wider superhero world in Shang-Chi, as it often the case in the MCU.
By Anushka
We are very excited for this film its gone be the greatest film ever till then, Stay tuned with us for Shang-Chi' film all updates.
We are very excited for this film its gone be the greatest film ever till then, Stay tuned with us for Shang-Chi' film all updates.
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