Why It’s Important Wong Is In Shang-Chi

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a story that’s been long overdue for Marvel, and it’s important that Wong returned to the MCU for the action. Making his debut in Doctor Strange, Wong (Benedict Wong) has become a familiar presence in the MCU after also appearing in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame as the accomplice to Stephen Strange. Wong was introduced as a Master of the Mystic Arts in Kamar-Taj, initially the overprotective keeper of the ancient books when helping Strange with his studies. After helping defeat Dormammu with his powers, Wong was featured alongside the Avengers as he assisted in defeating Thanos.

Already being heralded as one of the best origin stories in the MCU, Shang-Chi introduces a compelling new hero into the Avengers while crafting the mysterious land of Ta Lo whose structure is not unlike Black Panther’s Wakanda. Shang-Chi has to confront the past he left behind when he is called back to Macao, China to face his father, Xu Wenwu, a powerful man who holds the supernatural abilities of the Ten Rings. Following Shang-Chi, his best friend Katy, and sister Xialing as they stop his father from abusing the Ten Rings’ power and destroying Ta Lo, the movie is an excellent celebration of Martial Arts and Chinese culture that provides some of Marvel’s most beautiful choreography and heartfelt family themes.

Although not a surprise Avengers cameo like those in Shang-Chi’s end-credits scene, Wong being teased to appear in the film contributed to how impactful it would be solidifying a group of people largely excluded from Marvel’s forefront. Aside from how powerful Shang-Chi’s message is and how well the story was crafted, the new Marvel movie is being praised for its long-awaited representation of Asian people, especially in a way where they’re positioned as the heroes instead of villains like in Iron Man 3. Benedict Wong being in Shang-Chi was much more meaningful as the character to personally connect the new hero into the larger universe than using someone like Doctor Strange, largely because he’s been the only Asian actor at the forefront of the Marvel franchise. Benedict Wong told SYFY Wire that when Shang-Chi was first announced he was elated it was happening but disappointed when he thought he wouldn’t be involved. When he got the call from Marvel about Wong's Shang-Chi appearance, he expressed his excitement to be “at the table of Asian excellence,” indicating how important it is to include Wong’s character in the movie.

Shang-Chi’s introduction into the MCU and placing Asian characters in a position of power equal to the other core Avengers is long overdue, especially since Wong has largely been Marvel's only significant Asian representation. Aside from characters like Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Minn-Erva (Gemma Chan), Asian characters have largely been pushed to the background. Shang-Chi’s significance in giving Asian people a bigger platform and spotlight in the most popular franchise in the world didn’t go unnoticed by those involved, with Benedict Wong even calling it “the Asians Assemble,” parodying Captain America’s “Avengers Assemble” line in an interview with Collider. With Shang-Chi being so important in this sense, it would be weird if Wong wasn’t part of the movie. Wong showing up in Shang-Chi also separates him from his nearly exclusive association with Doctor Strange, giving him his own autonomy as a truly beloved character in the MCU.

This is also a way for Marvel to break away from the controversial whitewashing of Asian characters in the past, such as how Tilda Swinton was cast as The Ancient One, who was a Tibetan man in the comics. Additionally, Shang-Chi redeems the comics’ mistreatment of Asian culture by doing away with the racist stereotypical Fu Manchu character and substituting him with the much more compelling Mandarin/Wenwu villain. Shang-Chi is also just the beginning of Wong’s heightened presence in the MCU Phase 4, as he’s already slated to star in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Next: Shang-Chi's Biggest Plot Holes & Unexplained Moments