Back in December it was announced that Marvel had tapped screenwriter Dave Callaham (Wonder Woman 1984) to pen a Shang-Chi movie, with Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12) then signing on as director this March as the studio looks to fast-track the project towards production.
Well, with reports currently circulating that filming is expected to take place in Australia next year, we’ve now got our first casting rumours for the movie courtesy of That Hashtag Show.
According to the site, Ludi Lin (Aquaman) has emerged as Marvel’s top choice to portray the Master of Kung-Fu, although Ross Butler (13 Reasons Why) is also said to be in the frame. Meanwhile, Hong Kong legend Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) is also wanted for a role, thought to be that of a “wise old statesman” character.
If you’re unfamiliar with Shang-Chi, the character made his debut in 1973’s Special Marvel Edition #15 as the comic book publisher looked to capitalise on the popularity of martial arts icon Bruce Lee and the hit TV series Kung Fu.
We should stress that these are just rumours at present, but with Marvel Studios expected to make major announcements about its next slate of movies at San Diego Comic-Con International next month, it’s certainly possible that we’ll get some official casting news soon.
Originally published June 21, 2019. Updated June 22, 2019.
