Drew Pearce hails MCU for giving proper character graph to Mandarin in 'Shang-Chi'

"Iron Man 3" writer Drew Pearce has praised Marvel Studios' decision to properly introduce the villainous character of The Mandarin in its upcoming film "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings".

Pearce had penned the 2013 film's screenplay with director Shane Black, introducing the character of The Mandarin, which was portrayed by veteran actor Ben Kingsley.

However, at the end of the film, it was revealed that Kingsley's The Mandarin was nothing but a failed actor playing the role on the directions of real villain Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce).

"Shang-Chi", to be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, will now establish the character as the main antagonist, to be played by Hong Kong star Tony Leung.

Talking to Cinemablend, Pearce said the character is in safe hands as "Shang-Chi" is predominantly backed and led by Asian artistes.

"You know, and there are modern interpretations of The Mandarin that I think can work in the context of, particularly of a Marvel movie that has a much more grounded basis in Asian culture and has, frankly, Asian filmmakers and other Asian actors in its ensemble, and driving the story," he said.

He further said "Iron Man 3" was mainly led by a white cast and it would not have been wise if he had introduced the character in the film.

"In our Iron Man movie, as you and everyone else knows, it was my feeling that if we did The Mandarin in many of the forms that he is most commonly known as, we were playing into the racial stereotypes that generated the character in the beginning. Yellow peril, you know... That idea was what inspired our take on the Mandarin," Pearce added.

Canadian-Chinese actor Simu Liu is playing the titular martial arts superhero Shang-Chi in the new film, which will be hitting the theatres on February 12, 2021.