Marvel Studios' upcoming film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stands to give fans a much-needed dose of Asian representation in superhero media. In recent years, film studios have been injecting some diversity into the comedy genre, after 2018's smash hit, Crazy Rich Asians and last year's award-winning The Farewll . As such, the majority of the actors that have been announced to star in Shang-Chi are Asian, including fan-favorites like Awkwafina and the film's lead, Simu Liu. Now, even more Asian stars seem set to join the cast.
REPORT
Discussing Film has reported in an exclusive story regarding Malaysian actor and comedian Ronny Chieng joining the cast of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The publication reached out to Chieng's reps, who were able to corroborate this report. Discussing Film goes on to say that Chieng was cast before the coronavirus forced a shutdown of the film's production and it is currently uknown if he shot any of his scenes already. Additionally, there is no word on which character he's portraying.
WHAT THIS MEANS
Given Chieng's background in comedy, perhaps his character will be mainly comic relief, as has been the case with many MCU supporting characters such as Korg or Ned Leeds. Regardless, given the actor's popularity amongst filmgoers and stand-up comedy fans alike, he is sure to bring his A-game to whatever role he happens to be playing in the Marvel film.
Moreover, Chieng joins Awkwafina (whom he starred alongside in Crazy Rich Asians, which also served as his feature film debut), Simu Liu, Michelle Yeoh and Tony Leung in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ring 's mostly Asian cast, which will please the fans who have been pushing for more diversity and representation in not just superhero films, but movies in general.
