THEIR ‘REEL’ WORLD
Marvel’s ‘Shang-Chi’ aims to open eyes, inspire pride
With their new addition to Marvel’s superhero universe, the makers of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” hope to further represent the real world.
The movie is the first in Marvel’s interconnecting film franchise to be led by an Asian hero and a predominantly Asian cast.
For director Destin Daniel Cretton, the mission was to tell an epic, relatable story that stays true to Chinese culture.
“Growing up in Hawaii, movies were always my window to other cultures and other experiences,” Cretton told the Daily News. “When I watched a movie like ‘E.T.’ on Maui, that was seeing how high schoolers are in California.
“But it also allowed me to feel connected to those kids, because they’re also struggling with a broken home life or insecurities or pain ... and they have the same dreams as me. It helped me to feel connected to people that were not like me. I hope that this movie is something that the Asian community can be very proud of, but I also hope it’s a window to people who are not from this community to feel connected.”
Simu Liu stars as Shang-Chi, who was raised as an assassin in China by his power-hungry father before fleeing his family and starting a low-profile life in San Francisco.
The movie, which hits theaters Friday, follows Shang-Chi as secrets from his past catch up to him and reunite him with his estranged sister, the formidable fighter Xialing, portrayed by Meng’er Zhang.
“Shang-Chi” marks the first film role for Zhang, who previously worked in theater in Nanjing and Shanghai, China. She’s excited for audiences to meet her character.
“She is someone you don’t want to mess with, because she can kick some butt,” Zhang told The News. “I think she’s really special. She’s tough and unapproachable on the outside, but she really has the sensitive and vulnerable part deep down inside of her. She knows to stand her own ground and find her own voice. I think the world is gonna love her.”
Zhang didn’t know she was trying out for a Marvel film when she responded to an audition call for an actress who speaks Chinese and English. She realized the job was for “Shang-Chi” when she was flown out to do a screen test with Liu.
The movie leaves Zhang excited for the onscreen representation it provides.
“I’m so proud,” she said. “For Asian kids growing up in Western countries, they can have a hero they can look up to and say, ‘He looks like me.’ This story is very heartwarming and I think everyone can relate.”
Other actors in the cast include Awkwafina, who plays ShangChi’s best friend, and Tony Leung, who portrays the hero’s father.
It was important, Cretton said, to be authentic in portraying the characters and their personal backgrounds.
“We very much are paying homage to Chinese culture and the rich history of kung fu films and martial arts films,” Cretton explained. “We took incredible care into making sure that everything just felt real and relatable. Even though we are in [the Marvel Cinematic Universe] version of everything, we still want to make sure that the cultures of these communities that we are a part of ... can all be proud of this movie.”
The film is filled with journeys of self-discovery for characters such as Shang-Chi and Xialing, the director said.
“All the characters, particularly in Shang-Chi’s family, are learning over the course of our movie to deal with some pain that they have not been able to deal with since they were young,” Cretton explained.
“They all have reacted to the traumatic experience in different ways, and over the course of our movie, as they are learning to revisit and redefine what that pain means to them, I think they’re also able to look at the beautiful parts of their pasts.”