With Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 2 now confirmed to be in development, returning director Destin Daniel Cretton has begun dreaming of which actors he could add to the Marvel sequel. Allowing his imagination to run wild, the filmmaker has come up with the perfect addition – martial arts legend Jackie Chan – whose involvement Cretton describes as a “lifelong dream.”
Discussing the sequel with Cinemablend, Destin Daniel Cretton was quick to name Jackie Chan as the actor he would most like to bring into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 2, and while no conversations have yet taken place, the director was more than happy to have the interview shared far and wide in hopes of sparking something. “Yeah. Let’s put it out there,” he said to the idea.
“I mean, if we could ever get Jackie [Chan] into a movie that would be a lifelong dream of mine.”
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Jackie Chan is of course one of the most well-known names in Hollywood thanks to his genre-defining work in both martial arts and action movies. Thanks to leading roles in the likes of Police Story, Who Am I?, Drunken Master, Rumble in the Bronx, the Rush Hour franchise, and far too many more to name here, Chan’s combination of expertly choreographed martial arts and stunt work with physical comedy has influenced the genre for decades. In fact, the work of Jackie Chan had a major influence on the first Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, with Cretton revealing his inspiration before the Marvel movie’s release.
“Authenticity and respect and staying true to this genre was the main objective from day one,” Cretton said back in June. “There’s choreography that’s reminiscent of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and other fight scenes are inspired by Jackie Chan. We also had choreographers from mainland China who created some beautiful wuxia-style fight scenes. It was important for us from the beginning to have the MCU’s first Asian-American superhero be a superhero. We want him to be on par with other superheroes in the MCU and not just be the master of kung fu. Shang-Chi is an incredible martial artist, but he’s so much more than that.”
Should Jackie Chan be persuaded to add his talents to the Shang-Chi sequel, he would join fellow martial arts legend, Michelle Yeoh, with the pair having worked together multiple times over the years. Exactly which Marvel character Chan would play should Cretton get his way is open to debate, but there is little doubt that fans of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings would love to see him involved wherever possible.
Plot details for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 2 are unknown at this stage, but it is expected to further explore the whole new world of martial arts and mysticism. The likes of Simu Liu, Awkwafina, and Meng’er Zhang are also expected to return under the direction of Destin Daniel Cretton. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 2 is expected to begin production in 2023.
