Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings *Spoilers*

[phonogram12]

I don't mind underpowered or unpowered characters. I like Batman and Captain America. The problem is Marvel assumes spy = no power, instead of spy = invisibility or shapeshifting or something like that, which would be more interesting. Plus, some of the specific characters range from 'meh' to boring. And as you point out, these guys shouldn't really be fighting mega-powerful enemies yet somehow I'm supposed to care when that happens. To me, that's less consistent than Captain Marvel going toe-to-toe with Thanos.

Fair enough. My issue is that whenever you get super science or magic involved, there always seems to be a certain set of immutable, inarguable rules to a world up until the plot or the next writer decides to toss them out. It just seems so arbitrary. At least when you know Cap's going to face Thanos without Meow Meow he's going to lose (well, with Meow Meow, too, come to think of it).

[batnbreakfast]

Fair enough. My issue is that whenever you get super science or magic involved, there always seems to be a certain set of immutable, inarguable rules to a world up until the plot or the next writer decides to toss them out. It just seems so arbitrary. At least when you know Cap's going to face Thanos without Meow Meow he's going to lose (well, with Meow Meow, too, come to think of it).

Who's Meow Meow? Love the character already

[batnbreakfast]

I don't mind underpowered or unpowered characters. I like Batman and Captain America. The problem is Marvel assumes spy = no power, instead of spy = invisibility or shapeshifting or something like that, which would be more interesting. Plus, some of the specific characters range from 'meh' to boring. And as you point out, these guys shouldn't really be fighting mega-powerful enemies yet somehow I'm supposed to care when that happens. To me, that's less consistent than Captain Marvel going toe-to-toe with Thanos.

Suicide Squad s Nemesis comes to mind...

[j9ac9k]

Shang-Chi, despite getting powers on occassion, was meant to be "the master of Kung-Fu" right, so now that he has the Ten Rings, what is he? Another super-being with undefined energy powers who can be as strong as the plot wants him to be. I'm sure he'll do his kung-fu moves, but it'll be kinda perfunctory since he has the rings. Wenwu used them to augment his fighting because he wasn't using them to their fullest potential, but now Shang has levelled up and my concern is that his kung-fu will be superfluous or he'll just have to end up fighting another cosmically powered fighter which will mean "kung-fu but with a lot more special effects." I really wonder what they'll do with him going forward. (or maybe he'll just have to throw the rings away in some space volcano to destroy them...)

[phonogram12]

Who's Meow Meow? Love the character already

Thor's hammer. Like Darcy in the first Thor movie, I can neither pronounce nor spell it's name.

[phonogram12]

Shang-Chi, despite getting powers on occassion, was meant to be "the master of Kung-Fu" right, so now that he has the Ten Rings, what is he? Another super-being with undefined energy powers who can be as strong as the plot wants him to be.

Like with character ages, I'm pretty sure that the creatives behind the scenes like it this way because it gives them more creative freedom. I gotta say, as a reader, though, this drives me insane.

I'm sure he'll do his kung-fu moves, but it'll be kinda perfunctory since he has the rings. Wenwu used them to augment his fighting because he wasn't using them to their fullest potential, but now Shang has levelled up and my concern is that his kung-fu will be superfluous or he'll just have to end up fighting another cosmically powered fighter which will mean "kung-fu but with a lot more special effects."

This isn't necessarily a terrible thing, imo. I'm actually pleasantly surprised by the amount of choreography that goes into Captain Marvel's fight scenes. Honestly, I just expected her to be another flying brick.

I really wonder what they'll do with him going forward. (or maybe he'll just have to throw the rings away in some space volcano to destroy them...)

I can go either way, personally. As a martial arts movie fan, I would love it if they were to just simply concentrate on his martial skills, but seeing as how the first Asian led Marvel movie is such a big hit in how they approached it, I don't see any reason to get rid of them since there are more than enough martial arts movies out there for me to choose from.

[batnbreakfast]

Here's my take: Shang, TChalla and Captain Marvel tackle origin movie AND non white male superheroes. Shang was my favorite. I am looking forward to the sequels of Shang-Chi and Panther AFTER having seen their origins on the big screen.

[CosmiComic]

Shang-Chi, despite getting powers on occassion, was meant to be "the master of Kung-Fu" right, so now that he has the Ten Rings, what is he? Another super-being with undefined energy powers who can be as strong as the plot wants him to be. I'm sure he'll do his kung-fu moves, but it'll be kinda perfunctory since he has the rings. Wenwu used them to augment his fighting because he wasn't using them to their fullest potential, but now Shang has levelled up and my concern is that his kung-fu will be superfluous or he'll just have to end up fighting another cosmically powered fighter which will mean "kung-fu but with a lot more special effects." I really wonder what they'll do with him going forward. (or maybe he'll just have to throw the rings away in some space volcano to destroy them...)

Master of the Rings? I think that could work.

But he can use kung fu against low level foes to avoid causing too much destruction, and the rings against aliens, robots, demons, etc.

[Username taken]

Shang-Chi, despite getting powers on occassion, was meant to be "the master of Kung-Fu" right, so now that he has the Ten Rings, what is he? Another super-being with undefined energy powers who can be as strong as the plot wants him to be. I'm sure he'll do his kung-fu moves, but it'll be kinda perfunctory since he has the rings. Wenwu used them to augment his fighting because he wasn't using them to their fullest potential, but now Shang has levelled up and my concern is that his kung-fu will be superfluous or he'll just have to end up fighting another cosmically powered fighter which will mean "kung-fu but with a lot more special effects." I really wonder what they'll do with him going forward. (or maybe he'll just have to throw the rings away in some space volcano to destroy them...)

He'll become Goku.

[Tien Long]

Hi all. Been posting these on the Shang-Chi thread, but I'll post them here as well.

First up, have Destin Cretton, the director of the film, breaking down the filming of the bus scene:

[Tien Long]

Also have Corridor Crew breaking down VFX of the film:

[nadler]

Why did Wengwu, and by association the Dweller-in-the-Darkness, need Tony Stark to build what became the Iron Man battlesuit for them, if they drew on mystical/alien technology?

[Sutekh]

Why did Wengwu, and by association the Dweller-in-the-Darkness, need Tony Stark to build what became the Iron Man battlesuit for them, if they drew on mystical/alien technology?

Tony Stark wasn't *supposed* to be creating an armor suit. He even had to hide the plans for it from his captors, as it was his escape plan. He was abducted to create more powerful missiles for them, since they only had a limited number of Starktech missiles. (And Wenwu merely found the alien/mystical tech, he wasn't able to make more of them, or outfit his troops with them, or create bunches of other super-tech. There's no indication, for instance, that he personally made Razorfist dude's tech-blade. It might have been the creation of some tech who worked for the Ten Rings.)

And the Ten Rings seemed to want more and bigger missiles, so that they could continue doing naughty things with them. Can't have Wenwu personally beat up every single thing they want beat up all over the world, simultaneously...

[Kirby101]

Hi all. Been posting these on the Shang-Chi thread, but I'll post them here as well.

First up, have Destin Cretton, the director of the film, breaking down the filming of the bus scene:

So a director went to Disney, told them the movie he wanted to make, and they let him do it. It's like the director matters in the MCU.

[MichaelC]

Why did Wengwu, and by association the Dweller-in-the-Darkness, need Tony Stark to build what became the Iron Man battlesuit for them, if they drew on mystical/alien technology?

The Mandarin is all about devouring every source of power available.

He’s the kind of character who might not invent a super-weapon purely on his own, or forge a magic-item, but he’ll try ten different military, political, and corporate tactics to get the scientists who can invent that super-weapon as his slaves. And at the same time he’s doing that, he’ll be digging through the ruins of an ancient temple for some all-powerful plot-device magic item. And he’ll then combine the super-science-invention and the magic plot-device with billions of dollars of mundane military power in his efforts to steal resources, land, and enslave people.

“To know that you are superior-- in mind, in body, in spirit. Everything! To know that power is your birthright-- to know what untold thousands exist on this world for no reason but to serve you-- to channel their powers through your empire, be it of land or of business-- channeling it upward to fuel you, to fuel your glory” - The Mandarin