Still related to the discussion of information about the Shang-Chi film, here we present a highlight regarding the figure of The Mandarin, a complex character who has an integral role in the storyline of Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings.
The Mandarin is actually one of the major antagonists in the Marvel comics universe. In the comic storytelling, if Superman has Lex Luthor, Batman has The Joker, and Spider-Man has the Green Goblin, as the most iconic arch-enemy, then in the Iron Man saga the title is carried by The Mandarin.
This is because in various versions of the Iron Man story, this character is often the most powerful antagonist. The Mandarin also has the same characteristics as most other iconic criminals, namely it has a confusing past. The reason is, in the comic version and the animated series, these characters are often given different backgrounds from one another.
Some say that he was an archaeologist, there is a version that says he was the son of a wealthy Chinese ruler in the Middle Ages, some say that this figure still has Genghis Khan’s descendants. This character is often described as a genius scientist, strategist, and also a martial arts expert with physical strength far exceeding the limits of normal human strength.
What is certain is his trademark, this character always has ten gemstone rings with each of these stones stored in different magical powers, and makes him have tremendous destructive power. This ring is said to have been an adaptation of alien technology he got from the debris of a spaceship that fell to Earth. The Mandarin’s physical appearance is often visualized as having green skin, long hair, and wearing a robed costume.
Just like most other Marvel comic characters, this character is the creation of Stan Lee, who this time is collaborating with Don Heck. The Mandarin started his career with Tales of Suspense #50 (February 1964). In the development of the story, The Mandarin not only often faces Iron Man, but also many other Marvel heroes. This figure in the list of polls held by IGN in 2009, was ranked #81 Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
On Screen
The casting of this iconic antagonist character in the widescreen version has experienced interesting developments. The Mandarin’s premiere was in Iron Man 3. The appearance and background of the Mandarin got a lot of patchwork. By the director of Iron Man 3, Shane Black, the main enemy character of Iron Man is made more realistic. The original figure, which was too fantastic and seemed mystical, was massively overhauled. In Iron Man 3, this character is introduced as the charismatic and ruthless leader of the international terrorist organization Ten Rings whose actions are very troublesome and Tony Stark must overcome there. Played by the legendary character actor Ben Kingsley, The Mandarin here is then revealed that he is only limited to the role played by a small-time British actor named Trevor Slattery, who is used by Aldrich Killian, a scientist who admires Tony Stark who is hurt by his idol’s treatment at the school. past. Killian himself who later had super abilities due to the injection of Extremis had declared himself as The Mandarin. Later, in the further development of the MCU, as well as the pressure factor for many Marvel fans’ dissatisfaction with the depiction of The Mandarin, this figure underwent a revision, namely that both Slattery and Killian’s versions were fake The Mandarin and the actions they caused attracted the attention of the original characters.
The figure of the original MCU version of The Mandarin only later appeared in the film Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings. Here, the character played by Tony Leung has the name Xu Wenwu. Although he is said to remain the leader of a very large global criminal organization and is thousands of years old, so he has many nicknames (one of which is The Mandarin-ed), this figure has received some drastic modifications, for the sake of the development of the story and the main conflict triggers in the film: here is told as the father of Shang-Chi, his flagship weapon is 10 rings, turned into 10 circular bracelets with mysterious materials and magical powers (although they have been downgraded from the comic version-ed). Also with a much more realistic figure.
