Marvel drops first official Shang-Chi trailer starring Simu Liu, Tony Leung – fans go online to celebrate the upcoming Asian superhero film

Fans celebrated the new trailer, with one tweeting: ‘I never really had an Asian hero to admire growing up which made me feel insecure in my skin and ignored’

The reaction from internet users in China has been mixed, with some criticising the prominent product placement by Chinese companies such as JD.com

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(From left) Tony Leung and Simu Liu in a still from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The first trailer dropped on April 19. Photo: YouTube

Published: 1:10pm, 20 Apr 2021Updated: 11:48am, 21 Apr 2021

Happy birthday, Simu Liu.

Filled with high-flying action, the first trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings dropped on April 19, just in time for the lead star’s birthday. The trailer has had mostly positive responses from Marvel fans, though reaction from Chinese internet users was mixed.

The teaser clip introduces the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first superhero of Asian descent, as played by Liu, known for his work on the Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience. With a cast that includes Awkwafina and Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Shang-Chi will also have an Asian-led filmmaking team behind it, including director Destin Daniel Cretton and screenwriter David Callaham.

Shang-Chi follows the titular superhero as he reckons with his past and present. The movie will introduce Leung as Wenwu, a new character created for the MCU.

Marvel Studios’ president, Kevin Feige, and the film’s producer, Jonathan Schwartz, explained in an interview with US magazine Entertainment Weekly that Wenwu has “gone by many names”, including the Mandarin. A villain pretending to be the Mandarin appeared in Iron Man 3.