After finding success pushing for diversity with Black Panther, Marvel is now turning its eye to Asia. Chinese-American writer Dave Callaham has been hired to bring the Shang-Chi character into the MCU.
Shang-Chi first arrived on the Marvel scene in 1973 in the wake of Enter The Dragon's success. Created by by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin, he is the son of Fu Manchu, who raised and educated his son in his reclusive compound, closed off to the outside world. The lad 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.
As you might expect given that it's no longer the 1970s, elements of the character will be updated to avoid stereotypes (no, we do not expect it to be revealed that Fu Manchu is secretly Trevor Slattery). According to Deadline, the aim is to create something as impactful as Ryan Coogler's achievement with Black Panther, and Kevin Feige his team are on the lookout for the right Asian or Asian-American director to bring this one to life.
Callaham, who has written several of the Expendables films, has been even busier of late, contributing to Wonder Woman 1984 and early drafts of Zombieland 2.
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