Shang-Chi. Image : Paul Gulacy, Jimmy Palmiotti, Paul Mounts ( Marvel )

Though we once swore it was never going to happen, Marvel is moving forward with a movie starring Shang-Chi, one of its comics’ lesser-known martial arts experts turned superheroes .


According to Deadline, Marvel has brought Wonder Woman 1984 and Into the Spider-Verse 2 writer Dave Callaham on to pen Shang-Chi’s script and the studio is actively looking for Asian and Asian-American directors to helm the film.

The report also says Marvel is looking to approach Shang-Chi with a modern audience in mind and is taking steps to avoid some of the more culturally insensitive aspects of the source material that have aged poorly with time. The character was created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin and first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1973. Deadline writes:

In the comics, Shang-Chi is the son of China-based globalist who raised and educated his progeny in his reclusive China compound, closed off to the outside world. The son trained in the martial arts and developed unsurpassed skills. He is eventually introduced to the outside world to do his father’s bidding, and then has to come to grips with the fact his revered father might not be the humanitarian he has claimed to be and is closer to what others call him: The Devil’s Doctor. He also might be centuries old. The deceit makes them bitter enemies.


Of course, we’re still waiting to see just what Marvel has in store for Phase 4, so no word on whether Shang-Chi’s film will factor in, though Deadline does say the studio is fast-tracking the project. We’ll bring you more as we learn it.

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