After what seems like ages, we finally have a first look at Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Marvel Studios released the film's first poster, then shocked Marvel Cinematic Universe fans (and star Simu Liu) with a teaser trailer. The two-minute video is short on details, but introduces audiences to the martial artist comic book characters and shows off some impressive combat and intense stunts.
For many, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be their first exposure to the titular superhero, as well as his friends and enemies alike. Here's a list of all of the characters featured in the teaser trailer, as well as their comic book origins.
Shang-Chi (Simu Liu)
Naturally, the trailer focused mainly on the titular Shang-Chi, played by Kim's Convenience star Simu Liu. The character made his comics debut in Special Marvel Edition #15 all the way back in December 1973 and was initially spun off from novelist Sax Rohmer's licensed property as the unknown son of fictional villain Fu Manchu. Despite having no superpowers, his incredibly martial arts skills have deemed him one of the best fighters in the Marvel Universe, giving him the title Master of Kung Fu.
In the comics, Shang-Chi was raised to become a deadly assassin by his father. He turned down the opportunity, though, when he realized the true nefarious nature of his dad's operations. He defected, joining up with Fu Manchu's rival Denis Nayland Smith and the spy organization MI-6. With their combined efforts, Shang-Chi aimed to take down his father's criminal empire.
Wenwu/The Mandarin (Tony Leung)
Wenwu is Shang-Chi's disciplined and tactical father and the leader of the terrorist organization The Ten Rings, which was first mentioned in 2008's Iron Man. The character itself is entirely new to Marvel, having no comic book origin. However, the trailer makes it clear that Wenwu has taken several beats from Fu Manchu, Shang-Chi's original father from the comics. Like his counterpart, Wenwu raises his son to take his place as heir to the Ten Rings, only to be rebuffed. On the page, he is also a skilled martial artist, drawing power from ten rings that he acquired using alien technology. He also takes the Mandarin title back from Ben Kingsley, who played an imposter claiming to be the villain in Iron Man 3.
Katy (Awkwafina)
Awkwafina brings some levity to the trailer as Katy, another new character to Marvel. She's Shang-Chi's friend, as they're seen working together at the same valet job and sharing the mic together during karaoke. Naturally, as Wenwu and the Ten Rings come for the martial artist, Katy gets sucked in as well. She's seen accompanying Shang-Chi on a helicopter mission in the trailer, as well as pulling her best Sandra Bullock and attempting to save a bus of civilians. Though Katy has no comics equivalent, expect her to be the "normal person who has to deal with the extremes of the superhero world" that has been seen countless times in the MCU.
Xialing (Meng'er Zhang)
Meng'er Zhang plays Xialing, Shang-Chi's sister and the Mandarin's daughter. The character was originally going to be named Fah Lo Suee, the same name as her comics equivalent. She was raised to be at the right hand of the Mandarin, but when on to leave the Ten Rings when she attempted to subvert her father's control. In the film, she is similarly estranged from her father and will partner up with her brother to take him down once and for all.
Razor Fist (Florian Munteanu)
Razor Fist is a villain, sporting fantastic fighting skills and steel blades for hands. He is a brilliant martial artist and mercenary, recruited as an assassin to take down Shang-Chi. In the comics, the character has a storied history with the Master of Kung Fu, having fought and been defeated by him multiple times. He's also tussled with a number of notable other Marvel heroes, including Wolverine, Hawkeye and Elektra. In the film, he'll just be facing down with Shang-Chi, though, as shown during a climactic fight aboard a bus where Razor Fist gets to show off his deadly skills.
Death Dealer
The trailer introduced what looks to be another one of Shang-Chi's rivals from the comics: Death Dealer. On the page, Death Dealer's real name was Li Ching-Lin, and he served as a double agent within MI-6 while also being one of the closest confidantes of Fu Manchu. He ends up betraying both Shang-Chi and Fah Lo Suee, returning to their father and becoming one of the Ten Rings' deadliest warriors. The trailer keeps Death Dealer's identity a secret, only showing them clad in a mask with red, black and white facepaint. Given the character's comic book origins, though, it's expected Wenwu will dispatch them to take down his son, as seen in a colorful fight from the trailer.
The film will also feature several characters who were not shown in the teaser trailer, including Fala Chen as Jiang Li, Ronny Chieng as Jon Jon, and Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan. None of the characters have a history in the comics, though Yeoh has previously starred in the MCU, playing Aleta Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and written by Daniel Callaham, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars Simu Liu, Tony Leung, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Jiang Nan, Meng'er Zhang. Ronny Cheng, Fala Chen and Jiang Len. The film arrives in theaters Sept. 3.