The surprising release of the Shang-Chi trailer showcased some exciting new details about the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. One confirmation was that a supporting character would be none other than the Death Dealer, a character from the Shangi-Chi comics.
While his history in the comics is limited, there's a number of details that fans of the Marvel Universe will know about Death Dealer, which could have an impact on the narrative of the movie itself. Having said that, Marvel is known for changing things up to make it more cinematic, so don't be surprised if some of these elements aren't in the final script!
Real Name
The real name of the Death Dealer in the comics is Li Ching-Lin, a Chinese operative with some dark ties, which will be broken down later. The name itself doesn't really have any connections to other characters in the Marvel Universe and is a standalone character.
While Ching-Lin's legacy continues in the future, it's unclear what name the MCU version of the character will actually take on. After all, with the identity of the on-screen iteration unclear, this name may not be used for the adaptation. Of course, Marvel is great at reinventing their heroes and villains and Shang-Chi could make the character a major player; one that wasn't brutally burned by Shang-Chi.
Limited Appearances
In many ways, it's quite odd that Marvel has chosen the Death Dealer as one of the possible antagonists of the film. Considering he only appears in 4 different issues out of all of Marvel's comics there's not really a lot to work with. Even comic book fans know very little about the character.
Perhaps this is the point though, to be able to create something completely new for the big screen. Marvel often uses well-established characters, but that means they have less creative freedom. The Death Dealer provides an opportunity to create something different.
Comic Book Boss
In the comics, the original Death Dealer works for the villain known as Fu Manchu, who would later go on to have a different name entirely. For comic book fans, Manchu will be familiar as Shangi-Chi's father, but the MCU is shifting this as well.
For the big screen, Shang-Chi's father appears to be none other than the Mandarin. What's interesting is the relationship between the Mandarin and the Death Dealer is seemingly similar to that of the Dealer and Fu Manchu in the source material.
Original Costume
The costume that the Death Dealer uses in the comics is very similar to that of the Grim Reaper. Perhaps because Marvel wanted colors and shapes that were more iconic and maybe because they wanted to use Grim Reaper in the future, consequently his appearance has changed in the trailer.
With skulls and other elements inspired by the death concept of the character, the costume was very much of its era and would likely feel quite dated now. Interestingly, the character wears two different masks, with the second coming from Fu Manchu himself.
His Trademark Weaponry
Oftentimes a Marvel character will have a specific weapon linked to them. For Wolverine, it's of course his trademark claws. Daredevil is known for the billy clubs while Elektra utilizes an Okinawan sai. Death Dealer is known for using a blade.
In fact, his tripled bladed knives are incredibly dangerous in battle. Throwing them and using them alongside his adept combat skills, Shang-Chi is careful to face such a formidable threat in battle; especially if he is entering the fight without a weapon.
Links To Gambling
Strangely enough, when Death Dealer took on the new personality and moniker, he also picked up on some of the other connotations of the name. While the costume represented death, he also started playing on the dealer aspect of the title.
Dealers are usually those who lay down the cards in a gambling setting. Oddly enough, the Death Dealer started to bring with him playing cards, presumably to deal them to those facing their own death.
MI-6 Agent
Shang-Chi was originally made aware of Ching-Lin because of his violent tendencies. He was supposed to be an Agent of MI-6 but the only intel he was truly gathering was for his previously mentioned boss, Fu Manchu; a masterful villain at the time.
The big-screen iteration of the character looks as though he may have worked for Mandarin for most of their life. However, a background in the intelligence services is possibly where Death Dealer could have developed their skills, as was the case in the comic books.
Links To Zheng Bao Yu
Interestingly, the only reason why Shang-Chi was put on Death Dealer's trail was because the head of MI-6 at the time was Zheng Bao Yu, the estranged sister of Shang-Chi who is also known as Fah Lo Suee. The martial arts master was given his marching orders to rid the agency of Ching-Lin due to his brutal nature.
The big-screen iteration of Shang-Chi's universe also pairs the warrior with his sibling Zheng Bao Yu; another daughter of the Mandarin. With rumors that her own narrative could be linked to the Death Dealer on screen, it could be interesting to see if Marvel bring in this betrayal that played out in the comics.
He Has A Son
Huo Li was a masterful warrior in his own right. He appeared in the comics as a rival to Shang-Chi, although his appearance in the source material was really very short-lived. The two characters weren't really seen together and Huo Li didn't have an alternate identity.
Instead, he faced Shang-Chi in combat and was quickly and soundly defeated. The Hong Kong fight would have likely injured the ego of Li and his father. The character has not appeared since but could play into the MCU film.
MCU Identity Is Different
Comic fans can tell that the iteration of the Death Dealer shown in the Shang-Chi trailer is likely not the version from the comics. There's clearly a design shift that suggests that this is a slightly different character. What's more, this character may be a woman this time, or possibly even a familiar character pulling double duty.
While the version of Death Dealer in the comics is certainly mysterious, the trailer has made it clear that the identity of the person behind the mask will be kept hidden. This once again is quite different from the comics and suggests the real identity will be a major twist in the MCU film.