'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings': The director shares a valuable tease on the iconic supervillain
The Mandarin fans will finally get to see the supervillain in Marvel's upcoming 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'.
According to CBR, the character is a stark contrast from the 'Iron Man 3' character and is "still different from his comicbook counterpart". Director Destin Daniel Cretton, in an interview with the podcast 'They Call Us Bruce', shared his thoughts on the famed villain. "In the same vein, the emotional aspect and the ideas of camaraderie, family, and connection is something that will definitely be a part of this movie," he said.
The Mandarin we saw in 'Iron Man 3' was essayed by Sir Ben Kingsley. He was showcased as the man on the screen spreading terror and chaos while it was Guy Pierce's Aldrich Killian who used the persona as a cover to continue illegal genetic activities. The earliest MCU reference to the Mandarin was made in 'Iron Man' when the terrorist group, 'The Ten Rings', was introduced as the secondary antagonists.
The Mandarin is expected to replace Shang-Chi’s arch enemy from the comics, the evil mastermind known as 'Fu Manchu' who also happens to be the hero’s father.
Fu Manchu was created in the early years of the 20th Century by British author Sax Rohmer. Marvel licensed the character for use in the ‘Master of Kung-Fu’ comics series starring Shang-Chi. He is usually portrayed as a genius scientist and superhumanly skilled martial artist who serves as Tony Stark’s arch rival in the comics. The Mandarin has a variety of powers that he derives from his rings, which are alternately described as either being magical or alien in nature.
'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Tony Leung as the Mandarin and Awkwafina.
The film arrives in theaters on February 12, 2021.