Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings managed to eliminate the negative stereotypes that have plagued the character since his introduction in the pages of Special Marvel Edition #15 in 1973. That included making a number of significant changes to "The Mandarin," while Marvel Studios also quickly moved on from the idea of Shang-Chi being a "Master of Kung Fu."
Of course, that title adorns many of the hero's comic books, and is considered an offensive and outdated term for an actor of Asian descent who knows martial arts.
Actor Simu Liu, who brought Shang-Chi to life in the 2021 movie, will be making an appearance at Awesome Con this June. However, a note on the website explains that the actor "will not sign any Master of Kung Fu comics or other comics deemed offensive. All autographs from Simu will be signed in English only."
This is likely to disappoint some fans. After all, Shang-Chi's first comic book appearance has "Master of Kung Fu" plastered right across the cover, but Liu's feelings are easy enough to understand. There's a lot of offensive imagery and wording on comics featuring the hero's early appearances, while it seems some have asked Liu to sign their items in Chinese - a pretty ignorant request when you stop and think about it.
Marvel Studios is currently developing a Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings sequel and an untitled Disney+ spinoff, though neither has a release date as of right now.
You'll be able to meet Liu when he appears at Awesome Con in Washington, DC this June.
About The Author:
Comic Book Reader. Film Lover. WWE and F1 Fan. Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and ComicBookMovie.com's #1 contributor.