Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Concept Art Reveals Alternate Costumes

02/25/2023 07:52 pm EST

Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most popular new Avengers, with the character making his live-action debut just over a year ago in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Marvel's official art book supporting the film recently saw release, giving fans of the film all kinds of behind-the-scenes tidbits of the Destin Daniel Cretton feature. Namely, nearly a dozen of unused costumes can be seen for the eponymous martial artists, all thanks to Andy Park and the visual development department at Marvel Studios.

Though some of the costumes appeared similar to his final look in the movie, others took a more comic-accurate approach. On top of that, there are even more that were vastly different than what fans ended up seeing, taking on blue and grey colors, a stark contrast from the scarlet and black movie-goers now know the character for.

"I did a deep dive into research as far as Chinese culture was concerned... An exploration into historical symbolism, Chinese historical clothing, traditions, and, of course, the comic book source material was all necessary. Shang-Chi was created during the whole kung fu martial arts craze in the 1970s," Park remarks in Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: The Art of the Movie (via The Direct).

He adds, "I worked on different robes and jackets, exploring a lot of ancient Chinese elements but also merging them with a more modern sensibility and a Super Hero look. As with a lot of these films, we often don't know the exact story when the Visual Development team first starts working on the film. But as the story develops, our ideas get refined."

When is Shang-Chi 2 going to be released?

As of now, the highly anticipated Shang-Chi sequel has yet to set a release date. In fact, the movie has yet to even be confirmed by Marvel Studios. That said, Liu has let it be known a follow-up will soon be on the way.

"I think I know as much as anyone else, right? There's going to be a sequel, I think that part was obvious but it was also made official," the actor told us last November. "As far as when I think that's just a question of timing and how well my back holds up through the years. I'll make 40 of them if we can."

Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now available on Disney+, all major digital platforms, and wherever physical movies are sold while the first two seasons of Iron Fist are streaming on Disney+. Shang-Chi 2 doesn't have a release window yet.

What'd you think of Shang-Chi's film debut? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!

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