Why Shang-Chi’s Tony Leung Avoided Father Roles Before Marvel Movie

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Tony Leung Chiu-wai reveals why he typically avoids father roles. This week marks the arrival of the MCU’s first-ever Asian-led movie, Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi. Starring Simu Liu as the titular hero, the film arrives after several delays pushed it back from earlier this year. When Shang-Chi begins, the character has spent years hiding from his criminal father (Leung). However, when his past comes calling, Shang-Chi must confront all he left behind in order to chart a new path forward.

The MCU has built up a reputation for enlisting acclaimed performers to fill out its roles. Shang-Chi is no exception, with Hong Kong legend Leung standing as one of the biggest stars in a cast that also includes Awkwafina and Michelle Yeoh. Leung plays Wenwu, an updated version of Marvel Comics’ the Mandarin. To avoid the harmful stereotypes of the old comics, Cretton and his team made the decision to change Shang-Chi’s father from Fu Manchu to Wenwu, who is already being heralded as one of the MCU’s best villains.

In a profile with GQ, Leung opened up about his reluctance to take on father roles. His part in Shang-Chi is a notable departure from his usual characters, as he often avoids stories about failed dads. “Someone actually approached me to play the role of a failed father,” Leung said, “but I rejected it because I don’t want to be reminded of how my dad treated me.” It’s said elsewhere in the feature that Leung’s own father left him and his mother when he was just seven years old.

It must speak to the quality of Shang-Chi‘s story and Wenwu’s characterization that Leung agreed to sign on. Wenwu has been touted as a deeper villain than many would expect, and Leung even said he didn’t see the Mandarin as a villain while filming. In Shang-Chi, Wenwu’s actions are driven by his love for his family, even though it often results in pain and destruction. For a franchise that has often struggled with creating compelling villains, Wenwu is poised to be a breath of fresh air for the MCU.

Leung is one of Hong Kong’s biggest stars, so to have him onboard for a Marvel movie is a thrilling thing. The early reviews for Shang-Chi have all praised his performance, and it won’t be long before audiences can see him in action themselves. Whether this experience will change Leung’s stance on father characters remains to be seen, but at least he’s agreed to give the MCU a memorable part. The franchise will be all the better for it.

Source: GQ

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Rachel Labonte
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Rachel LaBonte is a news, feature, and movie review writer for Screen Rant with a deep passion for film and television. A graduate of Emerson College, she majored in Media Arts Production while specializing in screenwriting. She’s been a writer ever since high school when she realized she was rather good at it and joined as many entertainment news clubs as she could while in school. Most notably, she wrote for Emerson’s website Emertainment Monthly, and one of her film reviews won an Evvy (Emerson’s student awards) for Best Review. Her deep love of movies led to her working at a movie theater for five years, which she loved despite the angry customers. An avid reader who constantly buys books before reading the ones she already owns, Rachel is a huge fan of superheroes (especially of the Marvel variety) and wizards and will likely never be able to catch up on all the movies/TV shows she longs to watch.

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