This New Featurette Shows What It Was Really Like To Make Shang-Chi

The release of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is almost here, and Marvel Studios has given us another behind-the-scenes look at the hotly-anticipated film. In a new featurette released by Marvel on their official YouTube, audiences get some further insight into what went into making the MCU's newest installment, based on the character created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin in 1973. 

Director Destin Daniel Cretton kicks off the series of interviews present in the video, sharing how connected he feels to the project. "The story of Shang-Chi was actually very personal. I wanted to look at what a superhero could be and what it would mean to me ... to be able to add not only one character, Shang-Chi, but to add a whole cornucopia of Asian faces that are representing something I've never really seen before" (via Marvel Studios on YouTube). 

Cretton has been vocal about his passion for Asian representation in the MCU since he was announced as Shang-Chi's director. In a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said he took on the project because he wanted to give his son a superhero to look up to, adding, "I feel very privileged to be a part of telling that story."

Actor Simu Liu, who plays Shang-Chi himself, has been a huge advocate for bringing the character's story to the big screen for a long time — going all the way back to 2018, when he cheekily tweeted at Kevin Feige to share his interest in the role. 

In this new featurette, Liu talks about how getting to portray Shang-Chi is truly a dream come true. "I was pretty much the biggest Marvel fan you could possibly imagine. To be the first lead Asian superhero in the MCU, this is every kid's dream" (via Marvel Studios on YouTube). Liu elaborates on the significance of the role, saying, "For many of us who grew up in the West whose parents immigrated, you know, we never really saw ourselves on screen meaningfully. Shang-Chi will be an important piece of the conversation." Liu also shared that his parents were excited to know their son was working alongside iconic Asian-American film stars Michelle Yeoh and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, himself calling the pair "as legendary as you can get."

It's clear "Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings" is a special project for all involved, and we can't wait to see the movie ourselves when it hits theaters on September 3.