Expect Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to live up to the martial arts prowess of its titular character.
Entertainment Weekly reports that the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film will have multiple action sequences that top anything that's come before in the franchise. "I think this is the best action [Marvel has] ever done," Shang-Chi producer Jonathan Schwartz said, going on to explain that "every punch is meaningful, every fighting style is meaningful and the story is told visually in such a great way."
Director Destin Daniel Cretton and stunt coordinator Brad Allan borrowed from a plethora of cinematic martial arts techniques from Jackie Chan to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to give Shang-Chi its own unique feel. Lead actor Simu Liu also explained some of his martial arts training to make Shang-Chi feel like a believable fighter. According to EW, Liu did not have much martial arts training beforehand but trained extensively to do his own stunts for the film.
"I had maybe worked a few days as a stuntman in Toronto," Liu said. "But really, my martial arts experience was like backflipping in my backyard when I was a teenager and doing parkour with my friends."
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings recently unveiled its first official trailer and costume poster for Shang-Chi's character the same day as Liu's birthday. The trailer teases multiple flashbacks of Shang-Chi undergoing harsh training as a child and teenager at the request of his father Wenwu, also known as the Mandarin, who made it so "the most dangerous people in the world couldn't kill you." Upon asking his son to join the Ten Rings again, Shang-Chi refuses. From there, Shang-Chi can be seen engaging in a variety of martial arts battles against new characters like Death Dealer and Razor Fist (Florian Munteanu).
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and written by Dave Callaham, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars Simu Liu, Tony Leung, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Jiang Nan, Meng'er Zhang, Ronny Chieng, Fala Chen, Dallas Liu and Jiang Len. The film arrives in theaters Sept. 3.
Source: EW