Rumours suggest that he is playing Prince Yan of the planet Aladna, a rather obscure character from the comics who is briefly betrothed to Captain Marvel herself, Carol Danvers.

Park is the latest in a procession of Asian performers to have appeared in the series of films based on the comic books, a trend that looks set to run and run.

The first Asian actor to land a prominent role in an MCU film was Japan’s Tadanobu Asano, known for his roles in art house films, who was cast as Hogun, one of Asgard’s Warriors Three, in Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor.

Thor: Love and Thunder also featured veteran actor Kuni Hashimoto in a brief turn as the Japanese god Jademurai, as well as Pom Klementieff as Mantis.

Following her introduction, Mantis joined Star-Lord, Drax and the rest of the Guardians on their intergalactic adventures, with Klementieff appearing in six films to date, including this summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Wang Xueqi appears briefly at the start of the film, as a celebrated Chinese surgeon, but his part is significantly expanded in the Chinese version of the film.

Rather than enamour Chinese audiences, these sequences were met with laughter and derision upon release, and this strategy was hastily abandoned for future films.

The Asian performer most often seen in the MCU thus far is Benedict Wong, a British actor of Chinese descent.

Thanks to the actor’s deft blend of world-weariness and deadpan humour, Wong has shifted effortlessly between storylines fronted by Strange, Spider-Man and Shang-Chi, to become something of a narrative linchpin of the later phases of the franchise.

In the comic books, Shang-Chi’s malevolent father was originally depicted as Fu Manchu, a Cold War “yellow peril” caricature deemed far too problematic for modern- day audiences.

This, coupled with the fact Marvel does not own the rights to the character, created by author Sax Rohmer more than 100 years ago, meant Shang-chi’s patriarchal nemesis was reconceived as Xu Wenwu – a brand new character and the leader of an international crime syndicate, who attempts to lure his estranged son back into the fold.

Once again subverting his beefcake appearance with a performance of surprising tenderness and empathy, Ma – credited as Don Lee – offsets his character’s incredible strength with a desire to settle down and enjoy reclusive domesticity with his partner, Thena (Angelina Jolie).

Gemma Chan, a British actress of Chinese descent, landed a central role in the film as Sersi, who is torn between her love for fellow Eternal Ikaris (Richard Madden) and human colleague Dane Whitman (Kit Harington). Chan had previously appeared, albeit under heavy make-up, as the villainous Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel.

Pakistani-American comedian Kumail Nanjiani also appears as teammate Kingo, accompanied by his trusty manservant Karun, played by Indian actor Harish Patel.

Elsewhere, Filipino-American actor Jacob Batalon has become a fixture in Spider-Man’s corner of the multiverse, starring in five films as Ned Leeds, best friend of Tom Holland’s heroic web slinger.

As for The Marvels, which is scheduled for release on November 9, it is the first Hollywood film headlined by a Muslim superhero. Pakistani-Canadian actress Vellani reprises her role as Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, following her debut in the Disney+ series of the same name.

That show featured a host of celebrated performers of Pakistani and Indian descent, including Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur and Saagar Shaikh, who all return in the film, further underscoring the ambitions of Marvel, and parent company Disney, to celebrate heroism in all its forms for many years to come.