The Trailer

What we're getting here is clearly Shang Chi's origin story. Hopefully, what we get after this origin story is further development of the hero into the MCU, rather than a Deadpoolscenario where he remains somewhat within his own world.

Unlike other superheroes, Shang Chi has only one interpretation in the comics, so the storyline here is going to be predictable. However, Marvel films are also known to take liberties with the storylines followed by the comics, so who knows?

Who is Shang Chi?

Don't worry, no nerds are going to be in arms if you haven't heard of him. Well, maybe some, but not this one. Shang Chi had a very brief run, relatively speaking, with Marvel Comics from 1973-1983.

He is the son of Fu Manchu, a Chinese supervillain bent on world domination, and his mother is a white American. Manchu raises Chi to believe that he is a humanitarian who carries out assassinations and other acts of terror for the benefit of mankind. Shang Chi's origin story revolves around his realization that his father is, in fact, evil, and coming into his own as a superhero.

He's a fascinating character with a modern lens that incorporates aspects of dynastic China. It's a great character to pick, and the movie seems extremely promising.

Who is Simu Liu?

Simu Liu is a Chinese-Canadian actor and stuntman (perfect) who rose to prominence very recently on the CBC sitcom Kim's Convenience, which has been running in Canada for five seasons and made its debut on Netflix in the last year.

This is a large departure from his role as Jung Kim, as Shang Chi is a serious, brooding type, but he's balanced out by the hilarious Awkwafina in the film.

Overall, this is an unexpected and exciting introduction to the MCU for Shang Chi, and hopefully Marvel keeps breaking out the obscure heroes!