Shang-Chi Co-Creator On Hopes For Upcoming Marvel Movie

Shang-Chi is one of the characters expected to headline a movie in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe following Avengers: Endgame. The movie will head to Australia for production later this year under the direction of Destin Daniel Cretton. Few other details have been revealed but Shang-Chi co-creator Jim Starlin has certain hopes for the upcoming Marvel Studios film.

“I didn’t know that it was coming,” Starlin admitted to ComicBook.com. “They only announced it a couple of weeks before the Endgame came out, and my wife and I were in South Africa, sort of trying to avoid most publicity stuff and so I’d never heard about it until I came back and some reporter I was talking to, I guess it was Monday, told me about it.”

As Marvel tries to diversify not only its cast members but also the tones of its films, Starlin hopes the filmmakers can capture a unique element of kung fu culture. “With Shang-Chi, I’m really curious because the trick is with that is to get a hook on it that will take it away from the millions of other kung fu movies that have been produced beforehand,” Starlin said. “You know, we don’t want just another Bruce Lee movie, we want something different, something really entertaining. I’d be curious and can’t wait to see what kind of hook that they get to take him in that direction a little bit different than where he’s been before.”

The Shang-Chi movie does not yet have a release date.

On the heels of a cameo appearance in the first act of Avengers: Endgame (one of many Easter eggs spotted in the film), the creator of Thanos is game to make another appearance with in a move featuring a character he helped create with Shang-Chi.

“Yeah, I would love to do that,” Starlin laughed. “That’d be fun. You know, you never know how they’re going to do these things. The invite down for the cameo came out of nowhere from the Russo’s, and so you know whatever comes with this Shang-Chi like I said, I didn’t even know it was in production and how far along they were until just recently. So we’ll see.”

Avengers: Endgame is now playing in theaters.