A new video for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings highlights the cultural significance of the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe installment. The next film in the MCU marks the first project from Marvel Studios to have an Asian director and a predominantly Asian cast, with Simu Liu starring as the titular hero alongside Awkwafina, Meng'Er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Michelle Yeoh, Tony Leung and Ben Kingsley. The film will see Shang-Chi forced to confront the past he thought he left behind as his father's clandestine Ten Rings criminal organization reemerges.

A Shang-Chi film has been in the works for over 20 years, with Stan Lee having explored the possibility of a film or TV series centered on the character as far back as the '80s with Brandon Lee set to star. Further attempts would see Blade director Stephen Norrington and Drunken Master's Yuen Woo-ping sign on to direct, though when the rights reverted to Marvel Studios, it was announced to be one of 10 properties they were working on for their then-unannounced MCU. Development would properly be ramped up on the heels of Black Panther's success, with Dave Callaham signing on to write the script in 2018 and Destin Daniel Cretton being tapped to direct in early 2019.

With just a few days remaining until the film's release, Marvel Studios has debuted a new featurette for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The video offers more behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film as well as interviews with some of the cast and crew discussing the cultural significance of the movie. Check out the featurette below:

Click here to watch the video

Despite the long road taken to bring the character to life on the big screen, every video and interview for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings have shown pointed towards the film being being well worth the wait. The latest featurette does a solid job of highlighting the cultural importance of the film with both its story and its characters, including a look at the representation efforts Cretton and Callaham have taken in both the cast and the settings of the film, with everything from the visually stunning bamboo forrest to the subtle and authentic home lives of those living in San Francisco's Chinatown. The comments from Cretton and Callaham themselves about how important it was for them to get these elements right as much as the bare necessities of a comic book movie, including the action and spectacle, further highlights they were the right pics for the job.

As proven by early reviews for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the duo's efforts have paid off as the film is currently sitting at a 91 percent "Certified Fresh" approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. With the film set to only receive a theatrical release at this time, it will be interesting to see if these positive reviews can translate to a box office tally akin to that of fellow MCU groundbreaker Black Panther or outdo recent Disney films that saw a hybrid release model. Only time will tell when Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings arrives in theaters on Friday.

More: How Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Can Fix Iron Man 3's Villain

Source: Marvel Studios

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