‘Shang-Chi’ Star Tony Leung: I Play a ‘Sociopath’

Tony Leung, one of many best actors within the historical past of Hong Kong cinema, desires to make one factor clear about his position in “Shang-Chi” – his character could also be quite a lot of issues, together with a “sociopath” and “a bigot,” however he’s not a villain.

Leung has spent 4 a long time changing into a legend in Hong Kong. Now the person identified for his performances in Wong Karwai’s “Chungking Express” and “The Grandmaster” is making his Hollywood debut with Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

While Leung has principally skipped out on the press tour for the MCU’s subsequent movie, he mentioned his newest position in a characteristic interview with Elle Singapore. In “Shang-Chi,” Leung performs Shang-Chi’s father, Wenwu, the immortal chief of an notorious felony military often known as The Ten Rings, named after ten mysterious armbands that give him unimaginable energy. It was The Ten Rings that kidnapped Tony Stark again in “Iron Man,” setting the billionaire on his path to changing into an Avenger.

This is just not solely Leung’s first Hollywood position, however his first as an antagonist. But in approaching the sophisticated relationship between Wenwu and Shang-Chi, he says that he didn’t achieve this “from a villain’s standpoint.”

“Rather, I tried to explore the reasons that led him to become who he is. He’s a man with a history, who craves to be loved,” Leung defined. “He is also human, and he has a family. As I read [the script], I began to consider the many reasons why he’d turn out the way he is — a sociopath, a narcissist, a bigot.”

With its predominantly Asian solid, “Shang-Chi” definitely holds parallels to “Black Panther” in how it’s increasing illustration on the planet’s hottest blockbuster franchise. The likelihood to be part of that was one thing Leung mentioned he couldn’t cross up.

When director Destin Daniel Cretton first described the position to me, he mentioned there are lots of layers to the antagonist position, and hoped that I might come on board,” he mentioned. “I accepted it because of the director. It just felt right. Plus, this is something I’ve never done before, to play an Asian supervillain. A chance to do something for Asia. I thought, why not?”

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” hits theaters on Sept. 3.