Marvel’s Chinese superhero has the same name as a car company in China

Fictional martial arts expert Shang-Chi could join Iron Man, Captain America and Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Reading Time:2 minutes

Marvel’s Chinese superhero has the same name as a car company in China

Published: 8:32pm, 4 Dec 2018Updated: 8:47am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

A Chinese superhero might helm Marvel’s next movie franchise. But people in China think he has a funny name.

According to Deadline, the plot will center around Shang-Chi, a Chinese-born kung fu master. Shang-Chi turned against his father -- the notorious global criminal mastermind Fu Manchu -- after learning about his evil deeds. The ambitious project hopes to do what Black Panther did, but this time for an Asian (and Asian American) audience.

This is Shang-Chi. If you think he looks like Bruce Lee, you’re not the only one. (Picture: Marvel)

Before we get to any of that deeper stuff though, the Chinese internet has something to say about the name of the main character.

Shang-Chi translates phonetically as the Chinese characters 上气, which forms part of an idiom meaning “can’t catch a breath”. It’s commonly used to describe an exhausted or anxious person gasping for air -- not the best name for a character who constantly travels around the world battling villains.

But others pointed out that Shang-Chi in Chinese is also short for “Shanghai Automotive” -- the Chinese state-owned carmaker that partners with General Motors to sell Buicks, Chevrolets and Cadillacs in China. The Chinese name of that joint venture roughly translates as “Shang-Chi versatile” -- which bodes far better for the superhero.