Marvel Studios is developing a tentpole movie about its Shang-Chi martial arts superhero and has set Dave Callaham to write the screenplay, sources have told Variety.
If the “Shang-Chi” movie gets made, it would mark the first time that a Marvel feature film has centered on an Asian character as a protagonist. The project is in the early stages with no director or actors yet attached.
Callaham, who is Chinese-American, is a co-writer with Patty Jenkins and Geoff Johns on the upcoming Warner Bros. sequel “Wonder Woman 1984.” He also teamed with Sylvester Stallone to write the original “Expendables” movie in 2010 and has a story credit on 2014’s “Godzilla” for Legendary.
The Shang-Chi character is often called the “Master of Kung Fu” in Marvel Comics books and was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin. He first appeared in 1973 in Special Marvel Edition #15 as a martial arts expert and remained a strong seller for a decade amid the popularity of martial arts in the United States. Shang-Chi is a part of the Marvel Universe with guest appearances in other titles such as “Marvel Team-Up,” “Marvel Knights” and “X-Men.”
Callaham is represented by UTA, Kaplan Perrone Entertainment, and Gretchen Rush & Dan Fox at Hanson, Jacobson. The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.