Disney says Li Shang not in 'Mulan' film because of #MeToo, fans rubbish logic: 'What kind of BS is this?'
One of the most highly anticipated movies of this year, 'Mulan' will bring the story of the fearless Chinese maiden back — only this time, it is live-action. Disney's 'Mulan' has got us eagerly waiting for the theatrical release of the movie and going by the trailers, it seems like the upcoming release will only add to the beauty of the animated classic.
But there is something that is bothering fans of the animated classic movie. Having noticed that Captain Li Shang's name is weirdly absent from the casting notices for the movie, many fans are bashing the movie for its choices.
As it turns out, the character has been split into two new characters — Commander Tung (Donnie Yen), the mentor and 'surrogate father figure' to Mulan, and Honghui (Yoson An), Mulan's squadmate.
If you really think about it, a character like General Li Shang in today's day and age would not be the perfect option for 'Mulan'. And the decision to split that character into two came from the uneven power dynamics of the original relationship in the first film, says producer Jason Reed. "I think particularly in the time of the #MeToo movement, having a commanding officer that is also the sexual love interest was very uncomfortable and we didn’t think it was appropriate," he said.
But that said, fans of the character and the original movie are upset that General Li Shang won't be a part of 'Mulan'.
"Li Shang's entire fucking arc is about realizing that Mulan isn't lesser than him because she's a woman, he learns and grows because of her, it's almost like... men could fucking learn from this exact story?????" tweeted an angry fan. Reed's very reasoning isn't sitting well with viewers. "THIS is why they removed Li Shang? What kind of BS is this??? Shang NEVER forced himself on Mulan/Ping and came to respect her like WTF," tweeted another.
"Li Shang was arguably the most healthy relationship Disney had to model to little girls. Mulan wasn’t looking for a prince. I cannot abide by the message that it’s better to be alone than with a man who is attracted to a powerful & intelligent woman," concurred another.
