After launching a slew of new content on Disney+, Marvel Studios continues to find success in a struggling film industry with its latest release Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which recently surpassed Black Widow to become the highest grossing film of the year in the domestic box office.
A large part of Shang-Chi's success can be attributed to the phenomenal cast that director Destin Daniel Cretton is largely responsible for assembling. This included a fantastic mix of veteran talent from the likes of Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh to upcoming stars like Simu Liu and Awkwafina. While the entire cast did an outstanding job overall, a handful of stand-out performances gave Shang-Chi the authenticity it needed to be successful.
10 Fell Short: Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery Feels Out-Of-Place
No one is denying that Ben Kingsley captures an audience with his naïve Trevor Slattery. In fact, among his MCU outings – which include Iron Man 3 and the Marvel one-shot "All Hail the King" – his appearance in Shang-Chi is probably the most genuine and entertaining the former criminal has ever been, especially given his dynamic with the Dijiang Morris.
While well-executed, Kingsley's performance as the bubbly Slattery unfortunately serves as more of a hindrance than the comic relief he is designed as. The fake Mandarin actor would have been better suited to a cameo scene; instead, it feels like Slattery overstays his welcome in the film by tagging along with Shang-Chi and the others on their journey to Ta Lo.
9 Nailed It: Benedict Wong Singing "Hotel California" Is Hilarious
Benedict Wong as the sorcerer who is ironically named "Wong" is inevitably entertaining no matter what he shows up in. First appearing in 2016's Doctor Strange, the Master of the Mystic Arts is known for his serious approach to life and supposed lack of knowledge about Beyoncé. However, when his services are called upon, Wong always delivers.
Wong makes a few cameos in the film, first appearing in the Golden Daggers Club to beat up Abomination before appearing at the ending to "recruit" Shang-Chi and Katy to the Avengers. Afterward, Shang-Chi and Katy decide to celebrate with some karaoke, ending the night with a comical scene that seems them and the stern Wong singing "Hotel California."
8 Fell Short: Florian Munteanu's Razor Fist Is Just A Henchman
Florian Munteanu first appears as the nefarious henchman known as Razor Fist when the Ten Rings confront Shaun and Katy in San Francisco. After Katy discovers that Shaun is really the martial artist known as Shang-Chi, the Romanian reveals his cybernetic arm blade and proceeds to fight the future Avenger.
Unfortunately, this fight is this antagonist's high point of the film where he manages to steal the Eye of the Dragon from Shang-Chi. Munteanu's character goes on to reappear in Macau and Ta Lo, but the villain is never given any real purpose again. While surviving the events of the film, the reality is that Razor Fist is nothing more than a glorified henchman.
7 Nailed It: Awkwafina Balances Humor And Sobriety With Katy
Having a plethora of characters to draw on to build a new corner of the MCU, Marvel took a risk in casting Awkwafina as Katy, a brand new character unique to the films. To ground her character, Katy's family also makes a brief appearance, with Mrs. Chen berating her for not finding an "actual" job and Waipo Chen pushing her to marry Shaun.
But, while so many things could go wrong, Awkwafina manages to strike a careful balance that resonates with the tone of the scene she is in, bringing in both trademark MCU humor and candid sobriety when it's called for. Katy even gets a chance to show off her newly acquired archery skills in the film's third act.
6 Fell Short: Michelle Yeoh Is Woefully Underused As Jiang Nan
When you cast an acting legend like Michelle Yeoh in a film, it feels sacrilegious not to make the most of her character. Unfortunately, that's exactly what Jiang Nan feels like in Shang-Chi – underserved and underused. In fact, Nan doesn't make an appearance until the movie's third act, as she resides in the mythical, hidden world of Ta Lo.
When Jiang Nan does show up in the film, there's little doubt that she's a badass character, as she quickly showcases through the way she humiliates Shang-Chi during their short fight. While the aunt of both Shang-Chi and Xialing, Nan ultimately serves the role of providing exposition to the characters and audience to tease the secrets of Ta Lo that could be explored in sequels.
5 Nailed It: Fala Chen's Jiang Li Drives The Plot Of The Story
For a character that is so absent, Fala Chen's Jiang Li presence dominates this story. She serves as a guiding star for Shang-Chi (and later Xialing) who compassionately recounts the tale of her and Wenwu's love. However, for Wenwu, she becomes a disembodied voice that the Dweller-in-Darkness uses to manipulate the Mandarin.
Jiang Li has two shining moments in Shang-Chi: when she meets Wenwu for the first time and when she defends Shang-Chi from the Iron Gang at the cost of her own life. The latter moment is especially poignant for Shang-Chi and Wenwu, as the effects of her death reverberate through the two's consequential fight in Li's original home.
4 Fell Short: Meng'er Zheng's Xu Xialing Is Relegated To The Shadows
Meng'er Zheng plays Xu Xialing, who is none other than Shang-Chi's sister. Although the Ten Rings refused to train women when the two were growing up, Xialing taught herself martial arts and became a lethal assassin that is Shang-Chi's equal.
Despite this, Xialing is continually overlooked in the film, despite her clear fighting and intellectual prowess, which she displays during the battle in Ta Lo and escaping Wenwu's compound respectively. Jiang Nan's proclamation that Xialing needs "to step out of the shadows" couldn't be more accurate.
3 Nailed It: Simu Liu Showcases His Martial Arts Skills As Shang-Chi
While a lead does not always make or break a movie, Simu Liu's performance as the titular Shang-Chi certainly takes this film to new heights it wouldn't have otherwise achieved. Particularly, the actor's rigorous preparation for the film included a training regime that encompassed martial arts styles like Taekwando, Tai Chi Chuan, and Wing-Chun.
The training certainly pays off, as some of the film's best fight scenes involve the close hand-to-hand combat that Shang-Chi is known for, taking place on everything from a San Francisco bus to a Macau skyscraper scaffolding. Furthermore, Liu brings an intensity to his role, allowing him to match Leung's riveting performance as his father.
2 Fell Short: Andy Le's Death Dealer Was Hyped Up Way Too Much
If there was any character that truly received the proverbial short end of the stick in Shang-Chi, it has to be Andy Le's Death Dealer. Similar to the comics, Li Ching-Lin is a loyal servant to Shang-Chi's father. Unlike the comics, however, Death Dealer trains Shang-Chi to become his modern-day self.
Despite being a mentor for Shang-Chi, the secondary antagonist has no speaking lines in the film and is unceremoniously killed off by a Soul Eater during the battle of Ta Lo. For a character who is purportedly pivotal in Shang-Chi's upbringing, it's upsetting to see Death Dealer's narrative potential erased so quickly.
1 Nailed It: Tony Leung Subverts Expectations As Wenwu
If there was any character that Marvel absolutely had to nail with Shang-Chi, it had to be the film's main antagonist, Wenwu, even more so than Shang-Chi himself. The role, fortunately, could not have landed in better hands than that of renowned Hong Kong actor Tony Leung, who embodies a complex man rife with tragedy and desperation.
Leung manages to not only overcome the Marvel stereotype of static villains with his portrayal of the Mandarin, but he also removes the bitter taste left in many fans' mouths following the ill-received fake-out with Trevor Slattery's Mandarin in Iron Man 3. Fortunately, Leung's performance lives up to the immortal antagonist of legends.