The cast of Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings continues to grow, with actress Rosalind Chao reportedly joining the ensemble. Chao most recently appeared in the Netflix film The Laundromat and will next be seen in the live-action Mulan, where she will play Mulan's mother Hua Li. Shang-Chi's cast already includes newcomer Simu Liu as the titular hero and Tony Leung as the film's villain The Mandarin. Awkwafina will also appear in the film, though her role has not been revealed. Earlier this week, reports emerged that Michelle Yeoh would also be joining the cast, though like Awkwafina, her role hasn't been disclosed. Shang-Chi is set for release on February 12, 2021.
Plot details have been kept tightly under wraps as Marvel instead focuses on promoting its 2020 movies like Black Widow and Eternals. There is a chance more information could emerge soon once production begins. Shang-Chi was initially supposed to begin filming last fall, but ended up getting pushed back. However, Awkwafina recently traveled to Australia, where Shang-Chi is supposed to shoot, suggesting production could get underway sooner than later. The sudden jump in casting news also supports this.
According to The Illuminerdi, Chao is the latest to join the cast. Her character has only been described as "Mom," and the report indicates she will be the mother of Awkwafina's character. The initial, bare-bones synopsis of the film suggested Shang-Chi's relationship with his father would play heavily into the plot, which would match the comics. If that is the case, and Chao is in fact playing Awkwafina's mother, Shang-Chi could become quite the family-centric movie.
Shang-Chi will be the MCU's first Asian-led film, with a cast Marvel head Kevin Feige said would be "98% Asian." This marks an important step forward for Marvel, which previously encountered some controversy over casting white actors in traditionally Asian roles. As audiences continue to express their desire for diverse stories, Marvel is beginning to catch up with more lead characters of color and female-led projects. Shang-Chi is only one of several projects in the MCU's Phase Four that looks to be more diverse than what has come before.
It's hard to say if Shang-Chi will be good or not with so little information currently known, but it will certainly be interesting to see how director Destin Daniel Cretton and his team introduce the MCU's newest hero. Marvel has a good track record at bringing relatively unknown comic book characters to the big screen, and Shang-Chi will hopefully be no exception. Fans can't wait to hear more about the film, and hopefully it won't be long until things are revealed.
Source: The Illuminerdi
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