Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings is a tantalizing prospect. A martial arts movie set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the real Mandarin as the main villain? What’s not to get excited about? Filming on the Phase 4 project began in February this year and now, the first set footage has leaked online.
The video, which was posted on Twitter by @charlesbassf, appears to show Simu Liu and Awkwafina’s characters arriving at what looks like a nightclub in China. Not much else can be gleaned from the clip, but it’s good to see that director Destin Daniel Cretton and his team have managed to capture at least some footage amid the coronavirus disruption.
https://twitter.com/charlesbassf/status/1254579879850291200
Set for release next May, Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings will star newcomer Liu as the titular hero and Tony Leung as the Mandarin. Awkwafina has been cast in an unspecified role, as has Ronny Chieng.
There haven’t been too many official updates from Marvel Studios since the film was announced last summer as part of its Phase 4 slate, but set photos leaked a couple of months back, offering a glimpse at a blue-screen helicopter stunt. There have also been reports that the movie will be thematically similar to Mortal Kombat and could see a member of the X-Men make their first appearance in the MCU.
Marvel originally had Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings scheduled for release next February to coincide with the Chinese New Year, but was forced to push the project back due to the coronavirus crisis. It’s been hit harder than most movies by the pandemic too, as director Cretton is said to have been tested for the illness and forced to self-isolate for two weeks. These setbacks are, obviously, for a good reason and with any luck, the movie will be worth the wait when it finally arrives in theatres in 2021.