Shang-Chi Actor Tony Leung Says He 'Argued With the Director' About the Film Just Copying 'Typical Kung Fu in the '70s'

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings prima Tony Leung says helium learnt rapidly not to question Marvel portion connected the acceptable of the 2021 blockbuster, aft initially complaining astir the film's combat choreography.

Speaking to Vulture, the Internal Affairs histrion said helium had "argued with the director" astir his character's warring benignant — lone to beryllium told it didn't truly matter.

Leung plays Xu Wenwu successful the film, the 1,000-year-old begetter of Shang-Chi and the person of the Ten Rings organization. And it's due to the fact that his quality is simply a millenia aged that Leung suggested helium should combat utilizing moves from passim past — alternatively than the benignant of kung fu that movie audiences were utilized to.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings prima Tony Leung. Image credit: VCG/VCG via Getty Images.

"The accumulation was overmuch bigger than what I had experienced before, and the radical were precise professional, and we had to decorativeness everything connected clip each day," Leung began, discussing the blockbuster's production. "It's precise efficient, but you can't improvise. You can't adjacent alteration a word.

"At the precise beginning, I argued with the director: 'If a feline comes from 1,000 years ago, the mode helium fights indispensable beryllium a operation of each martial arts, similar MMA today, due to the fact that helium lived done each that time.' And the manager said no.

"I said, 'Why not? Why conscionable emblematic kung fu successful the '70s?' He said, 'This is Marvel.' I said, 'Okay,' and I didn't reason anymore."

Shang-Chi was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who has since gone connected to helm the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, arsenic good arsenic co-create the palmy Disney+ Marvel bid Wonder Man.

Five years later, meanwhile, the quality of Shang-Chi volition yet instrumentality successful Avengers: Doomsday, owed successful theaters aboriginal this year. Earlier this year, Shang-Chi himself, Simu Liu, insisted a afloat sequel volition yet hap — contempt nary connection from Marvel itself to marque this official.

As for Leung, a fable of Hong Kong and Chinese-language movies, there's nary proposition he'll beryllium backmost arsenic Xu Wenwu anytime soon. The quality has since appeared successful a mates of Marvel animated bid — What If? and Marvel Zombies — though voiced by a antithetic actor.

Image credit: VCG/VCG via Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social