Shang-Chi Creator Doesn’t Want Fu Manchu to Appear in the Movie

It’s but a matter of hours before Marvel Studios likely announces a Shang-Chi film during their Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con. ComicBook.com spoke with Marvel icon Jim Starlin, who created a whole slew of characters for the House of Ideas, including the Master of Kung Fu. In our chat, Starlin made sure to mention he’d be glad if the film didn’t include the villainous Fu Manchu, one of the most controversial characters from Shang-Chi’s comics story.

“I can’t imagine them starting off with anything but an origin story because you got to begin somewhere,” Starlin said about the upcoming blockbuster. “I think it will be loosely based on what we did over the first few issues…I only did three issues of the book. I imagine there will be some eliminations like Fu Manchu, thank God.”

In a separate interview elsewhere at the convention, Starlin elaborated on his Fu Manchu thoughts more, admitting it was embarrassing how exploitive the original Fu Manchu books were before Marvel temporarily purchased the rights to the character.

“Easier to say what I would not like to say out of Shang-Chi and that’s Fu Manchu,” Starlin told Popcorn Talk. “I’m hoping and I’m pretty sure they’re gonna cut him out of the whole thing…I had never read a Fu Manchu book before we did Shang-Chi.”

“I think it was Stan [Lee] or Roy [Thomas], they bought the rights to it from the Rohmer family,” the icon continued. “It was only after I got done with the first did Larry Hamma, a friend of mine, say, ‘Have you ever read one of these books?’ and he gave me one the next day, and I was going, “Ehhh, jeez,” it’s kind of embarrassing.”

Starlin created Shang-Chi alongside Steve Englehart for Marvel’s Special Marvel Edition #15 (1973). Eventually, the character was granted his own solo title. Spinning out of the renamed Special Marvel Edition, Shang-Chi’s first solo volume lasted from Master of Kung-Fu #17 to #126. Most recently, the martial artist has aligned himself with Jimmy Woo’s Agents of Atlas.

What other characters do you hope to see in Shang-Chi? 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 will be released digitally July 30th and on home media August 13th.