Kevin Feige has revealed that he has been working on bringing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to the big screen for 20 years. Set to be portrayed by Simu Liu in September's Shang-Chi, the titular martial artist is an iconic Marvel character and the MCU’s first Asian headliner superhero. With Marvel's Phase 4 officially upon audiences, the character is set to debut in his solo movie next month.

Shang-Chi’s history in Marvel Comics dates back to the 1970s. A master martial artist of Chinese descent, the character is an expertly trained fighter who has had frequent run-ins with other fan-favorite Marvel heroes and villains. His upcoming solo film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, will explore his origins and properly introduce Simu Liu’s version of the kung-fu expert to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Related: Shang-Chi Already Teased Him Beating The Mandarin

With Shang-Chi finally getting a chance to headline his own Marvel movie under the direction of Short Term 12 helmer Destin Daniel Cretton, Kevin Feige has revealed that he has been trying to get this film off the ground for the better part of the last two decades. In a recent interview with Empire (via Syfy Wire), Feige recalled his experience putting together a list of Marvel characters that he wanted to bring to life on the big screen during his early days as a Hollywood producer, though he would not go so far as to reveal the other characters on the list. He said:

I can't remember how many titles were on there. But [it was] 20 or so. So many of the titles we identified early on was with the hope that we could do all sorts of different films, starring all sorts of different types of people. And for the last five years, we've been actively working on bringing the film to life.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Simu Liu costume

One notable aspect of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings that’s difficult to overlook is the fact that the character marks the first headlining Asian superhero for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As such, for many fans, the film represents a watershed moment for an underrepresented segment of the population in comic book movies, similar to Ryan Coogler’s 2018 film Black Panther. Though Feige has made a point to note that Black Panther did not lead to an overt, concerted push for diversity, he has confirmed that the success of Black Panther has strengthened the studio’s resolve to bring different types of heroes to the screen.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has a lot going for it in terms of audience enthusiasm. That said, the film arguably still has an uphill battle ahead of it due to circumstances beyond Marvel’s control. With the Covid-19 pandemic creating numerous box office problems for Hollywood, Marvel will have to wait and see if the movie’s performance can live up to the hype. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will debut in theaters on September 3.

Next: How Shang-Chi Could Have A Big Impact On The MCU Multiverse

Source: Empire (via Syfy Wire)

Key Release Dates