Advertisement
Casting rumors for Marvel’s first Chinese superhero Shang-Chi gets China's internet buzzing
Black Mirror’s Ludi Lin and 13 Reasons Why’s Ross Butler rumored for the title role, with Donnie Yen possibly up for a supporting job
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
This article originally appeared on ABACUS
Rumors are out that Marvel Studios has kicked off casting for Shang-Chi, the first Chinese superhero to helm a movie franchise from one of Hollywood’s most bankable studios. Ludi Lin and Ross Butler are in the running for the title role, according to That Hashtag Show. And as you would expect, netizens in China have some opinions on the casting choices.
LUDI LIN
Fans seem to be thrilled with this possibility. But it wasn’t the Chinese-Canadian actor’s appearance in DC blockbuster Aquaman that won them over.
“Ludi Lin could really be it,” said one popular comment on Weibo. “His performance in Black Mirror was very good.”
Lin, who has over 1 million Weibo followers, starred in the Black Mirror episode “Striking Vipers,” the first episode of the series’ latest season. He plays Lance, a video game character who bears a striking resemblance to Street Fighter’s Ryu. But there are some netizens who think he looks too hot to be Shang-Chi.
Advertisement
“Handsome, but it’s the type of handsome that’s suitable for making love with,” said another popular comment. “Not suitable for a lead character. Not distinguishable enough.”
ROSS BUTLER
Born to a Chinese-Malaysian mother and a father of British-Dutch ancestry, the American actor is largely unknown in China. If there’s one reason netizens there might know about him, it’s from one Netflix teen show in particular, as Weibo users explained:
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x