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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was easily one of the big standout Marvel films on its release, and back then, not many had grown tired of the superhero genre, or so it seemed. However, for the genre's biggest production, things did not seem to go as smoothly as one would hope after Avengers: Endgame, which, combined with its predecessor, is superhero filmmaking at its best.
But it also marked the end of an era that now seems like a distant dream. After the massive hero colation took on the mightiest threat Earth had ever faced, it lost some of its leaders. The MCU turned to new superheroes, new origin stories, and the desire to move the universe forward with a freshness that was not seen before.
Sadly, most of these heroes, from Ms. Marvel to Echo, failed to captivate fans like the heroes that came before. Perhaps Shang-Chi (played by Simu Liu) became the only new hero, per se, to embody the spirit of Marvel in its greatest form.
With the actor seemingly confirming a second part on April 16, here is a look back at what Marvel did with Shang-Chi that made the character and the movie stand out.
Why Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a modern superhero masterpiece
It is difficult enough to build believable backstories for superheroes, even when they are adapted from the best of comics. Live-action is a whole different game altogether. As for Shang-Chi, the word about the adaptation had been in the year for decades before Marvel got its first Asian superhero.
There are several reasons why the Simu Liu-led film feels as good as it does on screen, and it will be difficult to incorporate some of these elements in other Marvel movies.
The freshness of a new setting, away from the Marvel(ous) crowd
Marvel films are not necessarily crowded; they just give fans what they want. Like Spider-Man: No Way Home, most recent Marvel movies are superhero extravaganzas that leave more and more to be desired, with few managing to actually satisfy the viewers.
Taking viewers away to a different land, a different setting, and a whole new superhero's origin story made this film stand out in ways that others could not. Moreover, the film managed to continue a relationship with the vast MCU in the form of Benedict Wong but refrained from diverting away from Shang-Chi's story.
Incredible choreography and memorable mythological elements
Among other things, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings featured some of the most beautifully choreographed action sequences in the MCU so far. Part of it was due to the integration of martial arts and many melee battles, but the choreography was among the most well-done things in the Destin Daniel Cretton movie. The scene where Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung) and Ying Nan (Michelle Yeoh) met was a memorable sequence that stood out for its choreography.
The film also beautifully integrated mythological elements and lore into the story, even bringing huge dragons to the screen. This felt eerily fresh, given that fans have already developed a mental pattern of how superhero movies unfold.
A personal dilemma at the heart of the story
Like most successful superhero movies in history, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings featured a personal conflict from the start in the form of a father-son relationship. This personal story taking the helm with the more "superhero-ish" story in the backdrop made the film have more heart, something that other superhero movies should also aspire to do.
This also made Simu Liu's character much more interesting and complex. Many other characters were also treated with great dedication, with most getting a good, layered character arc.
All this combined made Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings the most believable superhero movie from Marvel since Avengers: Endgame. Fans will hope to see many more like this in the future.
