‘Shang-Chi’ director’s dream is to cast legendary martial artist for sequel

Fans of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings are undoubtedly aware of the martial arts influences that were at play in the movie. That has included everything from Bruce Lee to the action-comedy Kung Fu Hustle.

However, there’s a certain martial arts movie star still alive and well today who director Destin Daniel Cretton has said would be an absolute dream come true to work with.

Indeed, Jackie Chan’s influence on the movie can be felt quite profoundly, particularly on the excellent action scene at the film’s beginning involving an out-of-control bus. In the scene, Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi uses his jacket to wrap around the arms of some bad guys. The brief moment was a direct homage to Chan doing similarly slapstick moves in a scene where he dukes it out with would-be shoplifters in Rumble in the Bronx.

When asked in an interview with CinemaBlend what legendary Asian actor he’d like to work with, Cretton did not hesitate to name drop Chan.

“I mean, if we could ever get Jackie [Chan] into a movie, that would be a lifelong dream of mine,” Cretton said.

Now that a sequel to Shang-Chi has indeed been greenlit — along with an accompanying Disney Plus series — we agree that Chan would be an amazing addition to the rich and fantastical world of the film.

Be sure to check back right here for all your latest Shang-Chi updates, including whether that certain dream actor will join the film franchise.