Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings/Trivia

A list of trivia related to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
==References to Marvel Comics==
*The movie marks the MCU debut of Shang-Chi and of the real Mandarin.
*Brandon Lee's father and martial arts legend Bruce Lee, was the visual inspiration for artist Paul Gulacy when drawing Shang-Chi during his tenure on the Master of Kung Fu comic book series in the 1970s.A Master of Comics Art - TwoMorrows.
*Shang-Chi's sister Xu Xialing runs the Golden Daggers Club in Macau. In the comics, the Golden Daggers were a criminal organization led by Shang-Chi's sister (who was named Zheng Bao Yu), who established them as a rival empire to her father's.
*The red and black suit Shang Chi acquires at Ta Lo is a homage to the suit he wore in the Jonathan Hickman "Avengers" comics.
*Death Dealer is based on the character of the same name (an agent of Shang-Chi's father who wore dark clothing and a skull mask), but is also based on Cho Lin, a priest who trained Shang-Chi.
==References to the Marvel Cinematic Universe==
*The Ten Rings were featured in the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film, Iron Man in 2008, without their leader the Mandarin. Marvel Studios then planned to feature the Mandarin in a film that could do the character "supreme justice" and showcase his complexity, which Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige felt they could not do in the Iron Man films because those focused on Iron Man.KEVIN FEIGE PREVIEWS THE MCU'S UPCOMING PHASE 4: SHANG-CHI, ETERNALS, NO WAY HOME, WAKANDA FOREVER, AND MORE - Rotten Tomatoes
*In the mid-credits scene, Shang-Chi and Katy Chen return to San Francisco, where they are summoned by the sorcerer Wong to accompany him to the New York Sanctum.
**The trio then go onto speak with Hulk and Captain Marvel, and discover that the Ten Rings are emitting a mysterious signal. 
*Tsai Chin played her double role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. First as Agent May's mother in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. now as grandmother of Katy.
**Ben Kingsley was eventually confirmed to be reprising his role as Trevor Slattery in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, with the character's inclusion planned early on in order to help fully explore the "context of who the Mandarin is in the MCU".Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton explains the goofy story behind that surprise return - EW
*On March 13, 2019, Marvel Studios hired Japanese-American filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton to direct the film in. However, Deborah Chow, who previously directed episodes of Marvel Television's Iron Fist, as well as Jessica Jones series Justin Tipping, and Alan Yang were also considered.Marvel’s ‘Shang-Chi’ Sets Director Destin Daniel Cretton - THR
*On April 19, 2021, Cretton admitted he had previously not been interested in directing a superhero film, but was drawn to the project to help create a world and character that Asian children could look up to and see themselves in.Simu Liu suits up in first look at Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - EW
*On August 17, 2021, The LEGO Group went onto explain how delays to Marvel and DC movies have affected this year's line-up of superhero sets. Both Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. (the distributors behind DC's movies) were forced to delay multiple 2020 and 2021 movies to either later this year or into 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes:Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Batman, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In other cases, like with Eternals film, the Eternals sets were unveiled in a consumer catalogue back in December 2020, which suggested that they were planned for an early-2021 release.LEGO explains how Marvel and DC movie delays affected 2021 sets - Brick Fanatics
*On August 31, 2021, Cretton mentioned that in his pitch to Marvel, Cretton had included visual inspiration from Asian, Chinese, South Korean, and Japanese cinema, including anime, to highlight a tone "that shows the drama and the pain of life, but also shows the humor of life".Geek Interview: Director Destin Daniel Cretton On How DBZ’s ‘Kamehameha’ Influenced Shang-Chi’s Epic Final Battle - Geek Culture
*Don Harwin, the New South Wales Arts Minister, confirmed in July 2020 that this film with the Shang-Chi character would be produced back-to-back with Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder which is set to premiere in 2022. Harwin mentioned that production on Shang-Chi was set to be completed before work began on Love and Thunder later in 2020.Marvel’s ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ and ‘Shang-Chi’ to Shoot in Sydney, Australia - Variety
*On September 14, 2021, seen as how Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings blew away Labor Day box office records; this bodes well for the potential success of the Eternals film. Though it was feared The Eternals might fall victim to the day-and-date release — with the film hitting theaters and Disney+ on the same day — the way Black Widow did. However, Shang-Chi has cleared the path for The Eternals to find great success in its own theatrical release.Shang-Chi's Success Bodes Well For Eternals - Screen Rant
*September 16, 2021, senior visual effects supervisor Chris Townsend talking about Morris, an unwitting expat from the realm of Ta Lo, who finds himself on a buddy adventure with Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery. He is based on a being that has existed since ancient Chinese mythology. Townsend, who previously worked on such MCU entries such as Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 3 and Avengers: Age of Ultron said that Shang-Chi offered him the chance to explore a completely new world and mentioned how "it was [Destin Daniel Cretton's] first time working on a big visual effects movie," he explains, "but he came in with so many brilliant ideas and was so passionate about making this story and keeping it as authentic as possible to Asian culture."How 'Shang-Chi' Brought Morris the Scene-Stealing Chaos God to Life - ET Online
*When one of the trailers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings confirmed the return of The Incredible Hulk villain Abomination it came with the surprise reveal that he'd be sporting a slightly more comic accurate look. The version of the character last seen in the 2008 movie was missing some key traits seen in the pages of Marvel comic books but now it seems like his mutations have continued and he's got his trademark pointed ears. Senior Visual Development Artist for Marvel Studios Anthony Francisco took to social media to share some concept art for the character's appearance which seems like a melding of the classic Abomination with the version from The Incredible Hulk.Anthony Francisco Sept. 16, 2021 IG Post - Instagram Shang-Chi: Marvel Designer Reveals Different Look for Abomination's Return - Comicbook.com
**Then on October 7, 2021, while speaking with the film's SFX supervisor Dominik Zimmerle, it was revealed that the production actually "had a guy on stilts," which they not only used for VFX purposes, but also "as reference for Benedict Wong while filming scenes with the Abomination.Marvel Reveals Hilarious Way Shang-Chi's Abomination Fight Got Filmed - The Direct
*On September 17, 2021, it was revealed that Marvel's Shang-Chi will finish the weekend ringing up the second-best domestic box office of 2021 behind Marvel's own Black Widow. Starring Simu Liu as Marvel's first Asian superhero on the big screen, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings scored $29.6 million on opening day, the third-best since the start of the pandemic, including an $8.8 million in Thursday previews — the highest since Black Widow's $13.2 million in July. The Destin Daniel Cretton-directed blockbuster shattered the Labor Day record with a four-day opening weekend of $94.67 million, far surpassing the $30.6 million of Rob Zombie's Halloween remake in 2007.Marvel's Black Widow and Shang-Chi Take Top Two Spots at Domestic Box Office - Comicbook.com
*On October 6, 2021, it was revealed that while Marvel's What If...? season 1 has just concluded, the creative team behind What If…? teased that for the second season, Head writer A.C. Bradley said that “Going into the second season, we're sticking with anthology form, and it's going to be all-new stories, lots of fun, new heroes, and pulling more from Phase Four than we were obviously able to this season. Hopefully, we'll see hints of the Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Black Widow characters.What If...? Season 2 Will Feature Shang-Chi and Eternals - IGN
*On October 8, 2021, according to insider Daniel Richtman, a series based on the organization of the Ten Rings is in the works for Disney+. Richtman further revealed on his Patreon that a Ten Rings series is in development at Marvel Studios. He added that Shang-Chi's sister Xu Xialing, played by Meng'er Zhang, will be the series lead.Marvel Studios’ Reportedly Developing ‘Ten Rings’ Series - Full Circle Cinema
*On October 27, 2021, it was reported that both the sequel to 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and the rumored Okoye project, which is said to be a Black Panther: Wakanda Forever spin-off, will start shooting sometime in 2023.Marvel's Shang-Chi 2 and Black Panther's Disney+ Spin-off Receive Production Updates - The Direct
==Other Trivia==
*This is the first MCU film to star an Asian lead and is also the first Marvel Studios film with an Asian director and a predominantly Asian cast.
*This is Simu Liu’s first lead role in a film, having previously had supporting roles in his career.
*Awkwafina was the first actor cast in the film. For her role as Katy Chen she trained in car drifting and archery.
*Simu Liu put on 10lbs of muscle to play Shang-Chi. 
*The film was not allowed to premiere in China due to strong restrictions imposed by the Chinese government.
*Tony Leung Chiu-wai was given the script a month before filming.
*According to Margaret Loesch, former president and CEO of Marvel Productions, Stan Lee discussed a potential film or television series based on the Marvel Comics character Shang-Chi with actor Brandon Lee and his mother Linda Lee during the 1980s, with the intention of having Brandon Lee star as the character.
https://www.inverse.com/article/51139-stan-lee-shang-chi-movie-or-tv-show-bruce-lee-son/ Stan Lee Tried to Make a Shang-Chi Movie Starring Bruce Lee's Son - Inverse]
*On September 5, 2021, according to director Destin Daniel Cretton, there is a key scene in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, where Shang-Chi places his fist in the wooden post that, as a child, he was forced to punch until his knuckles bled. What makes this scene a particularly memorable one to shoot is because he directed it from his iPhone just hours after his child was born.‘Shang-Chi': Destin Daniel Cretton Directed Key Scene From His iPhone While His Wife Was in Labor - The Wrap 
*On September 6, 2021, it was reported that even with the delta variant of the Covid-19 virus raging, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had a bigger debut than the studio initially reported, collecting a mighty $94.4 million over the four-day Labor Day holiday weekend.Marvel’s ‘Shang Chi’ Crushed Box Office Expectations. Will That Convince Disney to Keep ‘Eternals’ in Theaters? - Variety
*On September 15, 2021 it was reported that the 25th film in the MCU was projected to generate roughly $17 million between Friday and Sunday, which would represent a decline of around 50% from the weekend prior. Since debuting in theaters over the Labor Day holiday, “Shang-Chi” has amassed $146 million in the U.S. and Canada and looks on pace to become the first pandemic-era release to cross $200 million at the domestic box office. So far, no movie has been able to crack that milestone but Disney and Marvel's Black Widow ($183 million) and Universal's F9: The Fast Sag ($172 million) have come closest.‘Shang-Chi’ Aims to Retain Box Office Crown Over Clint Eastwood’s ‘Cry Macho’ - Variety
*On September 14, 2021, it was reported that a release of Shang-Chi in China is looking less likely after remarks originally made by star Simu Liu in 2017 resurfaced and caused a stir on Chinese social media. In an interview with the CBC from four years ago, the Toronto-raised actor, who was born in China, revealed his parents referred to the Middle Kingdom as a “third world” nation where people were “dying of starvation”.'Shang-Chi' star Simu Liu riles China after old dig resurfaces - Toronto Sun
**Similar to Marvel's “Black Panther: The Album” soundtrack, which was executive-produced by Kendrick Lamar, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: The Album” is intended as a curated artistic statement of its own. It assembles many of the Asian and Asian American stars of the 88rising musical universe.With ‘Shang-Chi’ soundtrack, Bay Area native brings Asian and Asian American musicians to the masses - Datebook.sfchronicle
**There are the R&B-leaning singers like Niki and GOT7 member Mark Tuan; the suave, sing-rap style of Oakland's Guapdad 4000; the trap-tinged rhyming of Rich Brian, Warren Hue and Audrey Nuna. Even the film's lead actor Simu Liu gets in on the act for the track “Hot Soup.” Like-minded co-conspirators such as Jhené Aiko, Anderson .Paak and Santa Clara native Saweetie make appearances.
**Though a few non-Asian artists like DJ Snake, Rick Ross, 21 Savage and Swae Lee also make it onto the album, the soundtrack is proudly, fiercely pan-Asian, representative of 88rising's goal to form an East-meets-West coalition. It's a rare industry feat, on par with the movie it accompanies, to have Asian and Asian American talent front and center.
**Chris Chan Lee believe that the significance of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and its soundtrack are tangible signs of progress for Asian and Asian American representation in Hollywood.
**Lee adds how, “it blows my mind how far things have come in the past few decades, and seeing Asian American actors become big movie stars,” said Lee, also citing 2018's “Crazy Rich Asians” as a key accelerant. “To see a Western superhero movie with Asians as the leads, it’s exactly what I’ve wanted all my life: to see direct representation on the screen.”
**This isn't a traditional movie soundtrack. It's not meant to merely underscore fight scenes (though it does it well), but more to document the humanity of Asian and Asian American communities. Miyashiro compares the album to a comforting pot of soup — a jjigae, ozoni or sinigang, perhaps — evoking memories of mom's home cooking. It's like a family get-together: Everyone's welcome, let's talk story, but please, remove your shoes first.
**As of this date, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: The Album” is available on several music streaming services.
*“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” pays homage to the Chinese wuxia genre that originated thousands of years prior to the film's Labor Day weekend release. Wuxia is a popular genre of Chinese fiction that follows martial artists through adventures in ancient China. Though “Shang-Chi” is set in the modern world, it clearly borrows elements from it – most notably in its fight scenes. Every fight scene in “Shang-Chi” mesmerizes with bright colors, fast movement and dynamic camera angles... an example of this come when “Shang-Chi” director Destin Daniel Cretton depicts this trope when the leader of the Ten Rings, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), meets Ying Li (Fala Chen) on his search for Ta Lo, a village home to mythical beasts. With romantic music playing over the pair's battle, each hit feels like an intimate connection that is only accentuated by the slow-motion cinematography. Actors Leung and Chen perfectly execute long looks filled with sexual tension, and when their hands grasp at each other, viewers aren't sure if they will pull each other closer or throw each other to the other side of the forest.Why the ‘Shang-Chi’ fight scenes are more than meets the eye - USC Annenberg Media
*On September 16, 2021, Munteanu discussed his role in Marvel's Shang-Chi and revealed that his character, Razor Fist, will appear in a couple of deleted scenes on the film's upcoming Blu-ray release. The actor said the team had shot an extended battle scene with him but unfortunately it ended up being cut from the theatrical release. He explained further by saying how they "had that big end battle, and you [originally] would have seen a bit more there from Razor Fist," Munteanu explained. "I'm looking forward to people seeing that because there was a reason why he replaced his blade with the dragon sword and fights with two swords, but I don't want to spoil too much and I don’t want to give away too much."Shang-Chi Star Teases Razor Fist Deleted Scenes For Blu-ray Release - IGN India
*On September 17,2021, Director Destin Daniel Cretton and the VFX team went onto discuss the Great Protector, the Dweller in Darkness, and Morris, who many fans are regarding as the new Baby Groot in terms of overall cuteness.‘Shang-Chi’: How Marvel Created Its First Dragons and the Adorable, Furry Morris - Indie Wire
*On September 18, 2021, a new behind-the-scenes photo showcases Simu Liu, on the floor after fighting with Andy Le's Death Dealer.Shang-Chi's Simu Liu Is Wiped Out in Death Dealer Fight BTS Image - Screen Rant
*As of September 19, 2021 it was revealed that Shang-Chi has now earned $135 million outside of North America for a $320 million global cume. That puts it above A Quiet Place part II ($298 million) and Sonic the Hedgehog ($306 million in February 2020) among 2020/2021 Hollywood offerings. It's still behind, for now, Tenet ($366 million in summer 2020), Bad Boys for Life ($430 million in early 2020), Black Widow ($370 million), Godzilla Vs. Kong ($460 million) and F9 ($716 million).Box Office: ‘Shang-Chi’ Tops $320M Global As ‘Dune’ Nabs Promising $37M Overseas - Forbes 
*As of September 21,2021, in Celebration Of Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, a Special Edition Lychee 12-Pack Featuring: Simu Liu as Shang-Chi (3 cans), Awkwafina as Katy Chen (3 cans), Meng'er Zhang as Xu Xialing (3 cans) and Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Xu Wenwu (3 cans) were unveiled. As a result, 5% Of All Sales Will Be Donated To CAPE, An Organization Dedicated To Advancing Asian American And Pacific Islander Representation In The Entertainment Industry.Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi Lychee (Berry) 12-pack Sanzo
**Also on this day, it was revealed that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will premiere on Disney+ for all subscribers on Nov. 12, 2021. That date makes Shang-Chi available for home streaming exactly one week after the Nov. 5 theatrical premiere of The Eternals, and one month before Spider-Man: No Way Home swings onto big screens.Shang-Chi Disney Plus release date announced for November - Polygon 
*On September 22, 2021, it was revealed that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has now grossed $1.9 million on Tuesday to bring its 19-day domestic cume to $180.344 million. That Tuesday gross is +26% from the day before and -39% from last Tuesday. The film will inevitably pass Ant-Man ($180 million in 2015) and Thor ($181 million) as it pushes past Black Widow ($183.4 million) the following day to become the year's biggest domestic grosser. It'll be the first film to place first at the weekend box office four times in a row since Chris Nolan's Tenet.‘Shang-Chi’ Succeeded Where ‘Tenet’ Failed (Box Office) - Forbes 
*On September 23, 2021, it was mentioned how Singaporean Mandopop star JJ Lin is one of many Asian artists who have a song on the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: The Album of Marvel Cinematic Universe's first Asian superhero movie, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings.Asian singers like S'pore's JJ Lin dominate soundtrack of superhero flick Shang-Chi - The Straight Times
*As of September 24,2021, it was reported that Shang Chi would go onto surpass the Black Widow film as the top domestic box office performer of the pandemic with $183.4M in the bank; the film needs just $200K more to break the record.'Shang-Chi' Becomes Highest-Grossing Domestic Release of the Pandemic - Collider
**By September 25, 2021, it was official that Shang-Chi had surpassed the Black Widow film at the Box Office.Box Office: ‘Shang-Chi’ Surpasses ‘Black Widow’ as Highest-Grossing Film of 2021 - Variety
*On September 27, 2021, it was reported that while Dune was a convincing winner in the international rankings, the film is not yet released in North America. In the global rankings, Disney's Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings retains the top spot thanks to estimated takings of $27.3m: $14m for international and $13.3m in North America. Total to date is $363m – $196m in North America and $167m internationally. As a result, Shang-Chi is once again remained the number one film in key markets Australia, Brazil, Mexico and UK/Ireland – all territories where Dune has yet to open.Global box office: ‘Dune’ delivers strong hold in early markets; ‘Shang-Chi’ retains top spot - Screen Daily
*On September 30, 2021, it was revealed that Andy Cheng has earned tremendous kudos as the fight choreographer of the bus scene for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” Cheng went onto reveal that the scene took nearly a year to plan and execute and has since been released by Marvel as a standalone YouTube clip.‘Shang-Chi’s’ Andy Cheng on Shaping the Next Asian Superhero (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety
*On October 2, 2021, it was revealed that the film went onto earn another $1.628 million on its fifth Friday, but due to competition from Venom: Let There Be Carnage, it took its first real hit.Friday Box Office: ‘Shang-Chi’ Falls To ‘Venom 2’ As ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Plunges 78% - Forbes
*On October 4, 2021, it was revealed that while Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, features a largely Asian cast, and the film has received a warm welcome by audiences in Asian countries. The film's release, however, has been indefinitely postponed in China.Shang-Chi Asian Marvel Film Delayed Indefinitely in China - VOA News 
*On October 8, 2021, Simu Liu took to his Instagram to shared a BTS video of himself doing an impressive backflip that didn't make into the film.'Shang-Chi': Simu Liu Shares Impressive Backflip BTS That Did Not Make It To The Movie - Republic World
*On October 21, 2021, it was revealed that alongside the Disney adventure movie Jungle Cruise, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be available on Disney+ Hotstar in India on November 12, 2021, when Disney celebrates Disney+ Day.'Shang-Chi', 'Jungle Cruise' to hit Disney+ Hotstar on Nov 12 - New Indian Express 
*On October 24, 2021, as part of an effort to bolster the AAPI community, some screening of the film were given out to some lucky people in the Bay area.Free Bay Area screenings of 'Shang-Chi' seek to improve Asian American, Pacific Islander visibility - SF Chronicle
*On October 25, 2021, it was revealed that thanks to Sydney theatres giving the Australian box office a needed surge, Shan-Chi has once again broken the $1 million threshold. After eight weeks of release, the film now has made a total of $12.996m after averaging $4,025 on 286 screens this past weekend.Box Office: Shang-Chi makes it 8 weeks at #1 as it holds off new releases - Mediaweek
**Also on this day, the authenticity of the film was praised with one writer saying that all the ingredients for a successful but still diverse film were there in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings starting with the predominantly Asian cast, the perfect Mandarin pronunciation, the traditional Chinese elements running through the film, etc.What "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings" gets right about Chinese food - Salon
==Behind the Scenes==
*According to Chris Fenton, former president of the Chinese-based film production company DMG Entertainment that was in talks with Marvel Studios to co-produce their films, Marvel offered to create a teaser featuring either Shang-Chi or the Mandarin for the Chinese market that would be featured at the end of The Avengers in 2012. DMG balked at the offer, since the Mandarin's negative stereotypical portrayal in the comics could potentially prevent the film from releasing in China and risk shutting down DMG as a company. The Mandarin would eventually appear in the DMG co-produced film Iron Man 3 in 2013 portrayed by Ben Kingsley, but he is revealed to be an imposter whose real name is Trevor Slattery posing as the Mandarin.Marvel Studios Offered Shang-Chi Or Mandarin For First Avengers Movie - Bleeding Cool
**Feige further mentioned that he felt that this fake Mandarin appeared, it does not necessarily mean that a more faithful version of the character did not exist in the MCU.
**The Ten Rings logo in the film was changed from including Mongolian language to Chinese characters written in ancient seal script, that are inoffensive and synonyms for strength or power. This was done following the logo's appearance in Iron Man 3, which drew ire from the Mongolian government, feeling the Mongolian scripts "offensively tied the country's intangible cultural heritage to a terrorist group", though Oyungerel Tsedevdamba, Mongolia's former minister of culture, sports and tourism, believed the change was more to appease the Chinese market.‘Shang-Chi’s’ Ten Rings Logo Controversy Comes Full Circle - Variety
*In unused placeholder concept art for the Golden Daggers Club sequence, Proxima Midnight is seen battling Deadpool in a cage match. This is despite her death in Avengers: Infinity War and her alternate version's death in Avengers: Endgame.Shang-Chi Movie Art Reveals Deadpool's Scrapped Cameo
==References==
Category:Trivia
Category:Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings