29 Brand New Characters Coming To MCU Phase 4
22. Wenwu/The Mandarin - Shang-Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings
Many villains throughout the MCU, particularly in the early days, ended up being something of a disappointment. One of the most divisive was Sir Ben Kingsley's 'The Mandarin', as one of Iron Man's greatest ever foes was turned into little more than a joke in Iron Man 3.
However, the opportunity to do the character justice in Shang-Chi is one of the most exciting aspects of the entire movie, as Tony Chiu-Wai Leung is confirmed to be playing the REAL Mandarin. The character was confirmed to exist in the MCU short 'All Hail the King', and will finally make his on screen debut in 2021.
What is curious about this particular iteration of the character is that he has been given a first name as well as his alter ego. Though originally confirmed to be playing The Mandarin, the Disney Investor's Day confirmed that Tony Chiu-Wai Leung would be playing Wenwu.
While an origin story is unlikely, as his terrorist organisation has been in the MCU since the beginning, this could be an alias used by the villain throughout the movie, or it could be something of a red herring for more casual movie-goers. This would be similar to Jake Gyllenhall being marketed as Quentin Beck, before his eventual transformation into Mysterio. Either way, this could be a very exciting addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.