New reports suggest Michelle Yeoh is in talks for Marvel’s upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The first MCU release of 2021, Shang-Chi will star Simu Liu as the titular Master of Kung-Fu. The film has the distinction of being the first Asian-led Marvel film, with Awkwafina and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung filling out the cast. Awkwafina’s role has yet to be disclosed, but Leung will be portraying The Mandarin, a villain from the comics who was referenced in Iron Man 3 when Ben Kingsley played an actor pretending to be The Mandarin.
Production for Shang-Chi was reportedly set to begin in November 2019, but looks to have been pushed back. The film’s initial plot synopsis didn’t reveal many details, though audition tapes that reached the Internet provided some clues about other antagonists Shang-Chi will be facing. For the most part, attention has been focused on Marvel’s 2020 releases, Black Widow and Eternals, though now there is some exciting news surrounding Shang-Chi.
According to ComicBook.com, there are reports saying Michelle Yeoh is in talks to join the film. It is unclear what her role would be, but it would be different than her character in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In that film, Yeoh made a cameo as Aleta Ogord, one of the members of Yondu’s (Michael Rooker) original team. Yeoh would not be the first person to appear in multiple Marvel properties as different characters, as Alfre Woodard had a small role in Captain America: Civil War and then appeared in Luke Cage. Most recently, Gemma Chan was cast as Sersi in Eternals after having a supporting role in Captain Marvel.
Casting Yeoh would reunite her with her Crazy Rich Asians co-star Awkwafina. In the future, Yeoh is expected to star in Star Trek: Section 31, a spin-off of the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Discovery, where she played Philippa Georgiou for two seasons. Yeoh is also signed on for the long-delayed Avatar sequels, the first of which is expected in December 2021.
With two films scheduled for release before Shang-Chi (as well as some Disney+ shows), it’ll likely be a while before more concrete details surrounding the film are confirmed. So far, however, the cast sounds promising, and director Destin Daniel Cretton seems passionate about the project, which is a very good sign. Adding Yeoh would be another plus for the film, especially since her part in Guardians was so small. With production hopefully kicking off later this year, expect more news about Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to slowly emerge over the coming months.
More: Every Upcoming Marvel Movie (2020 - 2022)
Source: ComicBook.com
- Black Widow Release Date: 2021-07-09 The Eternals Release Date: 2021-11-05 Shang Chi Release Date: 2021-09-03 Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness Release Date: 2022-05-06 Thor: Love and Thunder Release Date: 2022-07-08 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Release Date: 2022-11-11
