The Mandarin fans will finally get to see his big-screen debut -- for real, this time -- when he appears as the main antagonist in Marvel's upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. However, while this may not be the Iron Man 3 version of the character, he will still be different from his comic book counterpart.
Speaking to the podcast They Call Us Bruce, hosted by Jeff Yang and Phil Yu, director Destin Daniel Cretton gave a small tease of his take on the popular villain.
“In the same vein, the emotional aspect and the ideas of camaraderie, family, and connection is something that will definitely be a part of this movie,” he said.
There are some rumors flying around that Cretton is hinting to the fact that the Mandarin will turn out to be Shang-Chi's father in the film. In the comics, Shang-Chi's father is the villainous Fu Manchu. However, aside from the fact that Marvel does not actually own the rights to Fu Manchu, the character is also viewed as an offensive racial stereotype. With Fu Manchu off the table, some suspect that Cretton will depart from the comics and make the Mandarin Shang-Chi's father.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Tony Leung as the Mandarin and Awkwafina. The film arrives in theaters on Feb. 12, 2021.