Shang-Chi And The Legend of the Ten Rings

Written by Anamaria Popovska | Design by Ting Wei Li | Graphic by Emily Snisarenko

After 13 years of production and 24 movies later, Marvel Studios has finally released its first Asian superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The movie, released on September 3, has smashed box office records, gaining $71.4 million the weekend of its release. One of the reasons for this success is Marvel fans’ excitement to see Asian representation in the new film, finally! After I went with a few friends to watch the film on the Friday premiere, I fell in love, not only with Simu Liu and Awkwafina’s chemistry, but also with the story, ranking it as one of my top Marvel favorites.

Among activists and movie critics, Shang-Chi received excellent reviews in terms of Asian representation.

Kat Moon says it perfectly in her article for Time, stating that “it wasn’t a profound scene in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings that made me feel instantly connected to the film—not the Mandarin narration that opened the movie or even the early references to customs specific to Chinese culture like eating zhou, or congee, for breakfast and tomb-sweeping on the annual Qingming Festival…. But it was a moment around 30 minutes in that let me know for certain I was watching my life experiences reflected on the big screen in a way Hollywood has rarely done: when Ronny Chieng’s character, Jon Jon, exclaims, “Waka!”’

Writer and Director Destin Daniel Cretton’s inclusion of such scenes brought a more realistic, relatable light towards Asian culture. This is a big step in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because it shows that films about and including Asian characters can and should be made without falling to horrific stereotypes.

The beauty of the film doesn’t just stop at actor representation, but also cultural representation. Martial arts weapons, guardian lions, and the language are just some examples of Chinese culture included within the movie. The film does a great job of including and giving audiences a look into some Chinese cultural aspects.

This is significant as it gives audiences, and those who have not yet been exposed to Chinese culture, an accurate representation of the different cultural aspects, rather than past non-accurate stereotypical movie representations.

Since Shang-Chi grew up in China, much of the film takes place at his father’s home, where his army trained. There, we see martial arts weapons used and the sculptures of the guardian lions, which are traditional Chinese ornaments.

Throughout the film, we hear Mandarin being used, allowing audiences to connect even deeper with Chinese culture. The use of Mandarin could also be interpreted as a refusal to cater completely to Western audiences and instead assert that the film is showing depth of culture, not just surface-level representation. It gives audiences a direct look into the language that Shang-Chi speaks and doesn’t just adapt to English. If it were to all be in English, it would not be as realistic and impactful. With this, director Crettons was able to properly and respectfully represent a culture in a block-buster film, an area where many directors fall short.

When watching the film, the scene that stuck with me most was the one where Shang-Chi began his training with his father’s army at such a young age. The way the scenes were shot, with the soldiers in the back, the dim lighting, and the martial arts props used, I felt connected to the important cultural parts of the movie.

Shang-Chi gave us a look into a different lifestyle, one that we haven’t seen in the Marvel Universe. Hopefully in the future we will be exposed to more beautiful and unique stories. Shang-Chi should just be a stepping stone in a path to a Hollywood where representation is the standard.