Marvel Reportedly Committed to Casting Chinese Actor as Shang-Chi

Before long, Shang-Chi is going to start filming and for that to happen, the team at Marvel Studios is going to need someone cast in the lead role. According to one Hollywood insider, not only has the casting process begun, but offers are already being circulated to potential actors to come in and test with studio executives.

Variety's Justin Kroll took to Twitter earlier this afternoon to spill the beans on the casting process and was sure to point out Kevin Feige and team are "adamant" about the actor playing Shang-Chi having Chinese heritage. Kroll also mentions the studio is looking at actors in their mid-20s for the role, hinting that they may be playing the long-game with this particular character.

It's unclear how deadset Marvel is with the age range. If they won't entertain actors older than, say 25, that rules out fan-favorites like Ludi Lin (Power Rangers), 31, and Lewis Tan (Iron Fist), 32.

With comic-con closing in, hearing Marvel is putting out test offers for a group of men in their 20s for its SHANG-CHI movie. Marvel have also been adamant to reps offering up their clients for the role that they have to be of Chinese ancestry no other Asian ancestry excepted.

— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) July 13, 2019

Though Shang-Chi has yet to be officially announced by Marvel Studios, Feige teased it at an Avengers: Endgame press tour stop. In a separate interview, he mentioned he hoped audiences view the character just like they would Captain America/Steve Rogers.

"I think every movie that we do is a risk. We only want to do movies that people seem to think are risks. Doing the story of an Asian-American hero of Chinese heritage is something that is very intriguing to us. It will be really different and special," Feige said when asked if Shang-Chi is viewed as a risky project.

"I hope audiences around the world respond to it in the same way they did to Steve Rogers... whether they have [an] American flag or not. It's about the individual storyline, spectacle and adventure that come with Marvel Studios movies."

Who do you think should play the Master of Kung Fu? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Shang-Chi has yet to receive a release date. Spider-Man: Far From Home is now in theaters while Avengers: Endgame gets a digital release July 30th ahead of physical home media August 13th.