Ms. Marvel review: An eye-opening addition to the coming-of-age genre

Iman Villani, left, plays Kamala Khan, and her alter ego Ms. Marvel.

REVIEW:

Based on the first two episodes of the Ms. Marvel Disney series, I have to say: I'm loving it!

This Disney series opens the door to what it means being a South Asian American; being a product of two cultures: one full of tradition and ancient beliefs from India and the constantly changing and shifting culture of modern day America.

At its roots, it's a coming-of-age story; but from from a fresh point of view from the eyes of an immigrant girl struggling to find balance between the two cultures, trying not to pit one over the other, but more like accepting both side-by-side.

The clash of cultures, the mixing of new and old to create something new: that's the dilemma faced by most Asian Americans, not only by identify-seeking teenagers like the central character, Kamala Khan played by newcomer Iman Villani, but also for her parents, who think are also trying to adjust to a new way of thinking but still clinging to the traditions that they were raised with.

That's one of the beautiful aspects of the series, it doesn't give us easy either-or answers to how to navigate the confusion created by not quite fitting in either world; it shows us that there are two sides to every question and the solutions aren't necessarily clear-cut.

Of all the (limited) series about Asian Americans, (All-American Girl, Fresh Off the Boat and Never Have I Ever,) Ms Marvel gives us one of the best glimpse of the world of South Asian Americans and Muslim Americans without hammering down on the obvious: the immigrant parents with their traditional views of raising a proper Pakistani child and the Americanized child who idolizes comic book heroine Captain Marvel of the Avengers. 

All this takes place in a treasure trove of ethnic references, there is perhaps the the first depiction of the celebration Eid ("the minor one") on TV; mispronouncement of names ("My name is Ka-ma-la!"); rushing to prayers, the loss of shoes ("the shoe thief strikes again"); the secondary role of Muslim women (it's hard to pay attention with the screen blocking tour view"); the Bollywood references (which I got lost in since I'm not into that genre -- yet) and the debate over Indian movie stars SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) and Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani).

I imagine the ethnic references  evoked cheers among South Asian viewers hungry for representation. (It went over my head but I appreciate the writers' unapologetic approach prompting some Google searches.)

Even the New Jersey references coming from Kamala's parents, Jon Bon Jovi fans, are funny and remind us that they have had to adapt to the U.S.  just like their daughter, 

I recommend that viewers who like Ms. Marvel should also watch the accompanying behind-the-scenes short. You'll discover that the reason the 19-year old Iman is so good playing Kamala, is because she is so similar to the character she plays.

"There is so much of Kamala in her because I think Kamala has the same type of view of the world," said producer Sana Amanat, Ms. Marvel's co-creator, to Entertainment. "She looks at the world with eager and hopeful eyes, and I think Iman does that, too. You can't help but root for her and be drawn to her. There are just so many similarities that it felt like such a natural fit to see her put on the costume for the first time [or] see her go into the Khan house for the first time. It just made sense. There's no other Kamala than Iman Vellani."

The Pakistani Canadian actress is, like Kamala, is a real geeky fan of the Marvel superheroes. Her wide-eyed innocence on the show easily reflects the same excitement and wonderment she is experiencing as an actress in her first professional gig for Disney. Her expressive face is able to convey every high and low of a teenager struggling with fitting in, teenage crushes and trying to find her own racial identity. Add on to all the complications of getting use to her new found powers and getting used to the idea of being a superhero. Put all of that together and you can't help to cheer for and for AANHPI of all ages, someone you can relate to..

Despite the mostly rave reviews by critics, Ms. Marvel is suffering one of the lowest ratings of any Marvel product which can be explained by several troubling factors.

One, unlike other Marvel superheroes, Kamala Khan is much younger, which, while appealing to a younger audience may cause older fans to think the storyline and character is too juvenile. Really? Relating to beings with super powers is more adult?

The other reasons are more complicated and more related to the tenor of the times we live in. 

First, Kamala Khan is a girl; second she is a girl of color; third, she is Muslim; all  elements that tends to stir up two major constituencies: the teenage boys who prefer their Marvel heroines in tight-fitting spandex and playing second fiddle to the male heroes; and a sector of the audience who prefer their heroes to be White and (presumably) Christian and believe Ms. Marvel is just another sign of the diminishing white power structure. 

When Captain Marvel first came out in the comic books and onscreen, the same insecure element came out protesting the gender takeover.

Unfortunately, those bandwagon fans who don't know the intricacies of the Marvel Comic Universe (MCU) believe that the Pakistani Ms. Marvel is taking over the White Captain Marvel. To be clear, they are two separate characters, who will (we are told)  eventually  team up in a future Marvel production.

As a result of the show being the target of bomb-reviews giving a bunch of 1-ratings countering, the generally higher reviews (9s and 10s) awarded by more legitimate media critics, the overall ratings have been artificially lowered to 3.6 the lowest rating  among Marvel's recent productions.

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the directing duo known as Adil and Bilall who directed the first episode of Ms. Marvel, commented on the review-bombing controversy. “I think fandom values are a reflection of society, you know, so you got to have the good and the bad,” El-Arbi is quoted by Gizmodo.

“We believe that it’s overall good. I mean, fandom for us the reason why we make these TV shows and movies. They make Marvel MCU heroes big and that’s why we have AvengerCon. We try to do that homage to the fandom. That’s why Kamala Khan is a fan," he said.

"You got to also respect the fandom because they’re so passionate about that. I think that we tend to focus just on the positive aspects of it, because the love and the care that they give. You will not have that in any other job and it’s a real pleasure. We hope that our humble contribution to the MCU will please the fandom everywhere in the world, especially the younger fandom.”

As Kamala discovers the strength of her superpowers and as the series progresses, she will discover her real superpower, something all immigrants, young and old, who have had to find that middle ground between two cultures.

"I think, in this TV show that the family and friends are the real superpower of Kamala Khan" explains Fallah. "And she has to go deep into her her roots to really understand from where she is and who she is."

Ms. Marvel is available for streaming on Disney+.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

 

Shang-Chi sequel in the works

Simu Liu starred in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."

So there will be a sequel to “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” the first Marvel product to feature an Asian American as its lead super-hero, according to Deadline, which first reported the news.

For those fans who watched the first Shang-Chi movie all the way to the end, the news of a follow-up film is no surprise. In one of two teasers at the end of the credits, the message, "The Ten Rings will return," was superimposed over the image.

Destin Daniel Cretton, the Japanese American director who helmed the first Shang-Chi movie, will return to direct the sequel.

“Working on ‘Shang-Chi’ with ... the Marvel Studios team was one of the highlights of my life," said Cretton. 

Cretton has signed an exclusive multi-year overall deal with Marvel Studios and Hulu’s Onyx Collective., reports Variety. The new deal will allow Cretton to develop TV projects for both Marvel Studios on Disney Plus and the Onyx Collective for Hulu and other platforms.

The original movie relased this summer not only out-performed box office expectations but also broke pandemic records as well, earning $422 million globally, thus reassuring Shang-Chi's return.

“Destin is an amazing collaborator who brought a unique perspective and skill to ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.’ We had a fantastic time working together on the film and he has so many intriguing ideas for stories to bring to life on Disney Plus, so we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with him and can’t wait to get started,” said Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige in a statement.

Not only was the hero Asian American, played by Simu Liu, he was supported by a cast who were mostly Asian and Asian American, including Awkwafina, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Michelle Yeoh, Meng'er Zhang, Ben Kingsley, Benedict Wong, Ronny Chieng and Fala Chen. 

Although its box office performance merited a sequel, online critics criticized the first film in comparison to other Marvel movies. That criticism gave star Simu Liu a chance to hit back at the critics on Twitter.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

Asian American superhero: Marvel Studios’ 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at theaters today

Simi Liu stars as Shang-Chi, a Marvel superhero.

The excitement surrounding the motion picture Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings  is palpable, especially among AAPI moviegoers.

Shang-Chi, one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year, hits theaters today (Friday, Aug. 3). Featuring a host of Asian American and Asian actors, the buzz surrounding the film has been compared to Crazy Rich Asians, even though the action-packed Marvel product is as different from the romantic comedy as a movie can be.

The two movies representing different genres,  are similar in one important way: the lead characters and the supporting cast are all of Asian descent.

Before Shang-Chi's debut, Marvel Studios released a featurette titled "Ready To Rise," interviewing the cast alongside director Asian American director Destin Daniel Cretton and Asian American screenwriter Dave Callaham and Simu Liu in the titular role and cast members Awkwafina and Michelle Yeoh exploring the importance of the movie's Asian representation.

"The story of Shang-Chi was actually very personal.," said Cretton, who is Japanese American. "I wanted to look at what a superhero could be. What it would mean to me. To be able to add not only one character, Shang-Chi, but to add a whole cornucopia of Asian faces that are representing something I've never really seen before."

The experience of writing for an Asian American character struck a chord with screenwriter Callahan, whose 20-year career includes writing credits for Godzilla and Wonder Woman.

I’ve never had an experience like this," said the Chinese American writer. "The moment I realized that was day three or four of writing the script ... I got very emotional and I couldn’t figure out why," he told Nerds of Color. 

"I sat back from my chair and I really checked in with myself and I audited what was happening. I realized, holy shit. I’ve never in my 19 years of writing actually been asked to write anything even resembling my experience.”

That sentiment was echoed by the movie's star Liu. "For many of us who grew up in the west, whose parents immigrated, we never really saw ourselves on screen meaningfully," says Chinese Canadian Liu, who starred in the Asian Canadian sitcoms,  Netflix's Kim's Convenience, which finished the production of its fifth and final season this year.

To help the film impress Disney and other Hollywood studios, the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans in Entertainment (CAPE) and Gold House are encouraging Asian Americans to host viewing events by buying out a theater to increase the box office draw of the movie.

The Marvel's movies staring their Pantheon of comic book superheroes  is the biggest film franchise on the planet right now, according to Gold House president Bing Chen, who said there's a lot on the line this weekend for members of the AAPI community who want to see more Hollywood films and TV shows starring Asian Americans.

"If we can show that we can actually hold our own ground opening weekend through the biggest film franchise in the world, that is going to unlock other opportunities in other major franchises, as well as independent films, for AAPIs to lead," Chen told CNN Business. "We're two-thirds of the world and there are still people who don't believe we can open films ... A single movie does not change the world forever, but it does start to stoke it."

Hailee Steinfeld joins the Marvel universe as new superhero

INSTAGRAM

Hailee Steinfeld was seen filming in New York City's subway, carrying a bow.

While most of the world's focus is on the coronavirus pandemic, the Georgia's Senate race and the ravings of the madman in the White House, there are other things going on -- important things. Important things such as: Is Hailee Steinfeld the latest actress to be cast as a Marvel superhero? and, is the character half-Asian?

For over a year, speculation has run rampant on social media that the 24-year-old Steinfeld was being sought to play Kate Bishop, a central figure in Marvel's new universe of superheroes.

What? Who is Kate Bishop, you ask?

Kate Bishop, created by writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung, is the daughter of a rich family. A victim of an attack by thugs, she trains in the martial arts and eventually becomes the leader of the Young Avengers, a group of young whipper-snappers who want to emulate their heroes, the Avengers led by Captain America.

Excitement has been building for a year since it was announced that Marvel wanted to cast Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, but contract negotiations apparently was a rocky road as no official announcement of Steinfeld taking the role has been formally announced.

I'm not sure about the origins of the rumor that Kate Bishop is half Asian -- perhaps its wishful projections, but the rumor has refused to die.

Kate BIshop's ethnicity has never been raised in the comics. Perhaps it's her black hair, a propensity to wearing shades and that particular hue of Bishop's skin possessed by many mixed-race individuals. Maybe, as the artist, Cheung -- in the form of a  guerrilla act -- has given the character a racially ambiguous appearance to spur the debate.

Artist Cheung said in a Tumblr Q&A that he “definitely never thought of her as Asian at all, but I can understand how people might interpret her that way from my art style.”

I take that as "Maybe she could be ..."

Many of the fans of Kate Bishop have assumed her racial heritage and raised alarms when Steinfeld's name was raised as the actress to play their favorite character. They said it was a another "whitewashing" case like Ghost In A Shell when Scarlett Johansson played the role of the Asian lead character.

Those readers apparently didn't know of Steinfeld's real Filipino background via her grandfather. 

Hailee Steinfeld, left, and the character Kate Bishop, aka Hawkeye.

At any rate, a social media campaign arose asking Marvel to emphasized and confirm Kate Bishop's mixed racial heritage.

All this debate was going on for a year and Steinfeld still had not signed on the dotted line, but this week, sharp-eyed comicbook fans recorded the filming of the Young Avengers being done in New York. Indeed, Steinfeld was seen carrying a bow -- Kate Bishop's signature weapon -- and she was wearing a purple outfit, just like Kate Bishop.

Now that Steinfeld's casting has been confirmed, Marvel should seriously consider allowing the hopeful speculation about her race become a reality. As a comicbook character, Kate Bishop is so ... so, white bread bland. It would be so much more interesting in her character development open the door to identity questions if she was part Asian. 

Some have pointed out that in the comics, Bishop has blue eyes. Filipinos with blue eyes are rare, but they do exist. so eye colors shouldn't be the reason to not be racially halo halo. (Hint: Google "Filipinos," "Blue eyes")

Steinfeld has never played a Filipino in the movies because Hollywood casting directors don't see her as a white woman. Certainly, she has reached point in her still-growing career that she can add depth to the characters that she plays by adding a bit of herself into the role.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.

'Ms. Marvel' finds fresh face to play Pakistani American Muslim superhero

Iman Vellani will get her big break as Ms. Marvel.

A teenaged Pakistani American Muslim superhero. Sounds like a hit, right?

The long search for an actress to play the popular comics character, Kamala Khan, whose alter ego is Ms. Marvel, is over. Newcomer Iman Vellani will star in the upcoming series that will debut on the streaming network Disney+.

“Speechless and excited! Wish me luck,” the 18-year-old Vellani said on her Instagram account Wednesday. 

The comicbook character has been a fan favorite since she was first introduced into the Marvel universe in 2014 and breaks the mold for superheroes in so many ways. Kamala Khan, a Pakistani American teen based in New Jersey. Her superpower is an ability to extend her limbs, alter her appearance, and shift her shape and size,

Besides dealing with typical teenage angst and securities, Kamala works tirelessly to make the world a better place.

Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has said that in addition to appearing on the small screen, Kamala Khan will be included in future Marvel films.

Ms. Marvel iwill be the second series to feature a South Asian coming-of-age theme. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, 18 debuted in the Mindy Kaling sitcom, Never Have I Ever, as its lead character Devi Vishwakumar.

The Asian Canadian Vellani got a taste of moviedom at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival where she offered her expertise to the TIFF Next Wave Committee. As one of 12 teens tasked with selecting films relevant to a younger, more progressive audience, Vellani chose Minhal Baig’s Hala as her pick—the story of an American Muslim teen trying to balance the pulls between her two often conflicting cultures.

“We want stories from different genders and different countries and different people,” said Vellani at the time. “I think [it]’s a really important film to see when you want to take a good look at a young member of society who’s just trying to fit in to the best of both worlds.”

Sunday Read: Marvel introduces a trio of Filipino superheroes

Art by Whilce Portacio.

This cover featuring Red Feather, Sea Hunter and Wave is available only in the Philippines.

Sometimes, I wonder how I would have turned out if I had Filipino superheroes to cheer for and pretend to be when I was a youngster. Would I be more assertive and more daring? Would I grow up without white envy and crippling self-doubt?

I loved comics when I was a kid. Comics and their fictional characters were an escape valve from the real-life pressures, everyday racial slights and micro-aggressions that weighed in on young POC children, even if we were too young to have names for them.

Every week I'd walk to the nearest corner grocery about five blocks away, (a long trek through rivals' territory) just to read the latest issue of Aquaman, Batman and Superman, when DC Comics reigned supreme and Stan Lee was still struggling to establish his stable of heroes, artists and writers.

The Italian American store owner was cool. We came to recognize each other. He'd let me read the comics for free as long as I didn't fold or mutilate them. After reading, I'd dutifully return the comics to the rack, good as new. Occasionally, we would acknowledge each other with a small smile or a nod, nary a word exchanged between us.

Fortunately, today's Asian American kids who dive into comics have comic book heroes who look like them.

Marvel introduced Wave, in "War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas" in May, where Asian superheroes from Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines team up to defeat alien beings trying to take over the world. Led by the the Korean Hulk, Amadeus Cho.

Wave, whose real name is Pearl Pangan, is a Filipina of Visayan heritage. Her powers include controlling the sea, creating powerful waves, and other water-based abilities, indicating that she could be part-Atlantean. She also wields turquoise blades and has retractable blade fins.

Greg Pak, Wave's creator, will be introducing Sea Hunter, the new Filipina superhero with award-winning writer Alyssa Wong and artist Pop Mhan.

Pak didn’t give much away, but we know the new superhero will be appearing alongside the Chinese superhero Aero in issue No. 3 of her comic book series, and Pak assures fans she will be “awesome.”

Wong is half-Filipina and was recently tasked by Marvel Comics to write the backstory for Wave. She is mainly a science-fiction writer who has won a Nebula Award, a World Fantasy Award and a Locus Award for her works.

"I'm also so excited for Wave and the fact that we have a Filipina Super Hero who's taking center stage. I never got to see Filipino characters when I was growing up, so it's so, so cool to write Wave now! She's strong because of her water manipulation powers, but she also draws strength from her community and her lolo. And that feels emotionally true, to me, for a Filipino Super Hero," said Wong in a Marvel interview.

Making a surprise appearance that might be a hint of what's in store, is Red Feather, the leader of a group of Filipino heroes called the Triumph Division, which predated Wave amd tje Agents of Atlas.

Following the death of the previous generation of the familiar Filipino superhero group the Triumph Division at the hands of suicide bombers during a ceremony in Manila, the next member in each of the deceased members' bloodlines succeeded them, following the team's centuries-old tradition. This included the appointment of a new Red Feather.

The subsequent fate of this female Red Feather is unknown. When Tony Stark (Ironman)  became a prisoner of the Mandarin, his allies Pepper Potts and Bethany Cabe set up a meeting in international waters with the Triumph Division and the Chinese superhero team the Dynasty, and the Filipino superheroes were being led by a different Red Feather.

Wave, Marvel's first Filipina superhero is being promoted for more exposure (hopefully, for a cinematic debut). She steals all the attention in a promotional video  below) released by Marvel last week. The video is for Marvel's popular mobile game, Marvel Future Fight, a role-playing game (RPG) that uses over 200 Marvel characters.

Wave's appearance in the clip may signify Marvel's intention of turning Wave into a major character in the Marvel Universe. She appears as the main character in the video and the poster at the end of the clip! She's also joined by the Silver Surfer, one of the most iconic Marvel superheroes, and Namor, the King of Atlantis.

The three superheroes are being introduced in the game in celebration of Marvel's 80th Anniversary.

It's a different world today than when I was growing up in suburban California. America is more diverse but as a country we're still struggling to decide what our values are, who we are and what the future of our country will be like.

Superheroes out of the pages of comic books are fictional, but they help to provide guideposts as we go through this sometimes uncomfortable debate, a conversation in which we must speak out.

But I always think of the individual kid, who may be a loner but loves to read and use his imagination, sitting near a magazine rack, reading the comics. Don't underestimate the influence of comic book heroes. His or her horizons are expanded and the world is brighter and more inclusive because of the latest iteration of diverse superheroes. Thank goodness.

CORRECTION: Earlier versions of this post incorrectly misidentified the ethnicity of Amadeus Cho. He is from South Korea.

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Gemma Chan cast in major role in Marvel's 'The Eternals'

Sersi, left, as depicted by Marvel Comics, is Gemma Chan's character in upcoming movie, The Eternals.

As Marvel launches it's next phalanx of superheroes for Disney Studios, Crazy Rich Asians co-star Gemma Chan joins the cast of The Eternals, as Sersi. The announcement was made during Disney's D23 Expo when the studio revealed details about their upcoming projects.

It is the second Marvel character played by the Chinese Brit. Chan played the blue-skinned villain, Minn-Erva, in Captain Marvel.

She joins a star-laden cast, including A-listers Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden and Salma Hayek. Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) who will play Kingo, one of the Eternals, a race of powerful beings are thousands of years old and who have influenced the course of human history.

On its webpage, Marvel describes the character Sersi:

Sersi is a member of the Eternals, a species diverted from humanity by experiments conducted by the Celestials one million years ago. She is at least 5,000 years old and became legendary around 1,300 B.C., when the Greek hero Odysseus and his crew, fresh from the Trojan War, came to her island Aeaea. Sersi transformed Odysseus' crewmen into pigs for attempting to menace her. Odysseus, however, managed to ward her off with the aid of the goddess Athena, and Sersi turned his men back to normal. Odysseus spent a year on Aeaea; she also encountered Odysseus' son Telemachus when he came following his father's path. Centuries later, Sersi still considered Telemachus to be the love of her life.

Over the centuries Sersi often interacted with humans, visiting Rome during the reign of Nero, helping Merlin expose an impostor (Merlin Demonspawn) in Camelot, visiting France during the French Revolution, and befriending the English poet Thomas Chatterton.

In recent years, the Celestials returned to Earth to judge humanity, the Eternals, and their other creation, the Deviants. Sersi became involved in the struggle, enjoying the adventure, but caring little for combat. By this time, Sersi had become a famous entertainer in New York, hosting parties at her loft for film stars, super heroes and other influential people. She often entertained with her powers, which her normal human guests believed to be stage magic. Sersi's super-hero friendships eventually led her to join the Avengers in search of adventure and romance, first pursuing Captain America and later the Black Knight. Sersi was a sublime yet powerful teammate until she was driven insane by Proctor, an alternate-reality Black Knight whose Earth had been destroyed by his world's Sersi. Sersi eventually slew Proctor and left the Avengers, operating in the extra-dimensional Ultraverse for a time before returning home and regaining her sanity. She continues to live in New York, occasionally aiding the Avengers and her people against their foes, but preferring her life as a socialite.

The Black Knight mentioned prominently in Sersi's bio is being played by none other than Kit Harrington, fresh off Game of Thrones, so expect sparks to fly between those too.

Sersi's role iis central n the storyline. The Hollywood Reporter reports that "one aspect to the story involves the love story between Ikaris, a man fueled by cosmic energy, and Sersi, who relishes moving amongst humans." 

The Eternals will be directed Asian American Chloe Zhao, whose previous movies have been indies, The Rider and Songs My Brother Taught Me. The superhero movie is set to hit the screens in November, 2020.

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Marvel surprises at ComicCon; Canadian actor will play Shang-Chi in first film with an AsAm superhero

Chinese Canadian Simi Liu will play the role of Shang-Chi.

Marvel made a series of huge announcements at 2019 San Diego ComicCon laying out the future of Marvel films after the Avengers: Endgame completed one chapter of the comic book franchises' universe.

One of the biggest reveals was the actor who will play Shang-Chi.who will become the first Asian superhero with a film of his own. Marvel picked Canadian actor Simu Liu, best known for his role in the Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience.

Also joining the movie will be Crazy Rich Asians and The Farewell star Awkwafina and veteran actor Tony Leung.

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige said the movie's full title would be Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and would be hitting theaters in Feb. 12, 2021.

Marvel conducted "a really in-depth search to find someone that will capture all the dimensions that he deserves," noted director Destin Daniel Cretton just before announcing and bringing Liu onto the stage.

"I was cast on Tuesday," Liu said the lightning fast process that brought him to Hall H. "I screen-tested on Sunday in New York. This is the the craziest, craziest dream." He also said that his parents came to Canada 25 years ago with almost nothing but a hope to build a life for their family and "all I've ever wanted was to make them proud."

Hopefully, having an Asian American director will help correct some of the stereotypes that the comic book depended on for Shang-Chi. 

Created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin in 1973, the writers depended on all the mystical stereotypes in vogue at time, the midst of the cheaply made chop-socky movies and the TV series Kung Fu for all the lore and backstory for Shang-Chi. 

The martial arts master was supposedly trained by his father ... uh, ... Fu Manchu, the ultimate in stereotypes.

The upcoming movie, expected to premiere on  Feb. 12, 2021, offers the opportunity for Marvel and Cretton to bring the character up to date. To hell with the fanboys who cling to the stereotypes of the original pulp hero.

Feige also laid what the ComicCon attendees can expect in the next few years from Marvel, one of the richest source materials and box office treasure chest for Hollywood.

• Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johanssen, will be released May 1, 2020.

• Mahershala Ali would be joining the MCU as Blade, the vampire hunter that was played by Wesley Snipes in three movies previously.

• The Eternals will follow on Nov. 6, 2020. The audience roared is approval as the cast came on stage including Angelina Jolie as Thena, Richard Madden as Ikarus, as well as Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek as Ajax, Lia McHugh and Don Lee as Gilgamesh. Asian American Chloé Zhao is directing the film.

• Natalie Portman will portray a female Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder, and will debut Nov. 5, 2021 helmed by Maori filmmaker Taika Waititi.

• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will hit theaters May 7, 2022.

• In addition, Disney+, the studio's new streaming channel, will debut later this year and will feature several series starring Marvel's seemingly endless rollcall of superheroes, aliens and gods.

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Wave, Marvel's Filipina superhero, debuts at SXSW

Here she is: Marvel's newest Filipino superhero, Wave.

She was introduced at SXSW, happening in Austin, texas this week. Coincidentally (or perhaps on purpose) it was International Womens Day.

Greg Pak, a film director and a writer for Marvel tweeted out her image Friday (March 8).

We're not sure what her super powers are except, based on the drawing by Gang-Hyuk Lim, she can breathe underwater, perhaps has control over some of the ocean's creatures and fights with two swords with the techniques used by Filipino martial arts, kali and arnis.

Asked by fans for more details, Pak responded, "you'll find out" in "War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas" that will come out in May. Agents of Atlas is a team of superheros from Asia who are asked to join the better known Marvel heros -- Ironman, Thor, Hulk, Black Panther etc  to fight a new villain who are trying to -- what else? -- take over the world.

From the Marvel website:

"Earth becomes a battlefield as Malekith's forces lay siege upon our planet in WAR OF THE REALMS—the most all-encompassing, Universe-shaking event to hit the mighty Marvel Multiverse in years! 

"After a shock-and-awe invasion, the Accursed splits the globe into provinces set to be ruled by his dark and damned collaborators. As Sindr, Immortal Queen of Muspelheim, and her legions of Fire Demons march on Asia, a new band of heroes must unite to protect the Pacific Rim. 

"Introducing the NEW AGENTS OF ATLAS!"

"Written by Greg Pak with art by Gang-Hyuk Lim and a cover by Billy Tan, WAR OF THE REALMS: NEW AGENTS OF ATLAS #1 unites new and classic heroes to kick off the four-issue WAR OF THE REALMS tie-in series this May!"

There was general excitement in the Philippines with the revival of Marvel's connection to the Philippines through this new Marvel hero. 

In the past, Marvel has introduced other Asian characters to its universe: Amadeus Cho (the Chinese Hulk), Ms Marvel, Silk, Sunfire, Itsu, Surge, Silver Samurai, Opal Tanaka, Jubilee, and more. (If you're interested, Google their names along with "Marvel.")

There was even a league of Filipino superheroes called the Triumph Division which got wiped out by treachery. Iron Man attended their funeral.

However, the rest of the world -- or at least unfamiliar with Marvel's historic ties to the PHilippines, is asking about Wave:  "Why Filipino?" 

To which, I say, "Why not?" 

UPDATED March 10 1 p.m. to incude Marvel context.

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Mysterious Filipina super hero to debut in Marvel universe

The Asian superheroes as the Agents of Atlas. 

Marvel plans to introduce a new set of Asian superheros in an upcoming storyline.The War of the Realms.

While characters like Crescent, Luna Snow, Aero, and Sword Master are making their first appearance in a comic, they’ve previously premiered on other platforms. They will be joined by Wave, a mysterious new hero from the Philippines. Marvel has been on her character so her abilities are still unknown but fans speculate -- because of her name -- her powers involves water.

Debuting in May 2019 is a new host of Asian heroes prepared to defend the world against (yet another) alien invasion, according to a press release.

Amadeus Cho, the Chinese Hulk, rallies his band of Asian heroes into the new Agents of Atlas -- including Shang-Chi, Silk, Jimmy Woo along with new heroes Crescent, Io, and Luna Snow -- to defend the Pacific Rim against the intergalactic threat.

Wave “is sure to play a pivotal role in the new team’s desperate bid to defend Asia from Malekith’s fiery allies,” according to CBR.com. Hopefully, all this mystery surrounding her character only means there will be a lot of in-universe build-up to her character.

The publisher teases that when the titular War of the Realms begins, "no corner of the Marvel Universe will be untouched" and that "all hell will break loose" involving War of the Realms will see not only Asgard, but also Alfheim, Heven, Jotunheim, Muspelheim, Niffleheim, Nidavellir, Svartalfheim and Vanaheim all fall to Malekith the Accursed and his army. Eventually, Malekith turns his attention to Earth.

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Netflix apologizes and corrects credit slight to Mulan voice actress

COMICBOOK.COM

Ming-Na Wen provided the voice for the animated version of Mulan.

NETFLIX corrected its oversight when it didn't give credit to the Asian Americans who provided voices to the animated version of Mulan, including Ming-Na Wen, who gave the voice to the lead character.

A day after Ming-Na Wen called on Mulan fans to complain to Netflix for its mistake, the streaming service responded with this:

The gross mistake was first noticed by Twitter user Dave Sanchez, or @kroqkom, after watching the Disney classic on Netflix.

Netflix only gave voice credit to Miguel Ferrer (Shan-Yu), Harvey Fierstein (Yao) and June Foray (Grandmother Fa) as the main cast in its summary of the film. Sanchez tweeted out a screen capture of Netflix's summary  demanded the streaming service give credit to the leading actress of the film. 

Ming-Na Wen saw his Tweet and noted that BD Wong, who voiced Mulan's love interest, was also not credited. In fact, the streaming service failed to credit any actor of color. She urged fans of the 1998 film to complain to Netflix.

Now if you click on Mulan on Netflix Ming Na We  it has corrected its oversight and more. It credits the film's main cast Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong and Eddie Murphy, who gave voice to Mushu the dragon. Netflix also gave credit to George Takei, even though he voiced a minor character First Ancestor.

Ming-Na Wen can be seen on her regular gig on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as bad-ass Melinda May.  The Marvel series' 6th season will premiere this summer and has already been approved for its 7th season.

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Asian American woman tabbed to direct Marvel's 'The Eternals'

SCREEN CAPTURE / GOLDEN GLOBES

Chloe Zhao tabbed do helm a Marvel blockbuster.

ASAM NEWS

AN UP AND COMING Asian American director has landed in the big time.
Marvel Studios has hired Chloe Zhao to direct The Eternals, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The big-budget Marvel film is a departure from the independent films Zhao has built her reputation on. Zhao is best known for directing two award-winning independent films. Her latest, The Rider, won the Directors’ Fortnight Award at the Cannes Film Festival. Her debut film, Songs My Brothers Taught Me, received three nominations from the 2016 Independent Spirit Awards.

Sources told Variety that Marvel was so enthralled with Zhao that the studio moved quickly to nab her before she landed another job.

Her rise comes at a time much attention has been made about the lack of women directors in Hollywood.

“I want to make sure the people who work with me want to work with me-not to fill a quota,” Zhao told AsAm News earlier this year. “I understand each woman has to be an individual.”

The Eternals is considered Marvel’s next potential franchise. It has hired Matthew and Ryan Firpo to write the script. The Eternals takes place a million years ago. Genetic experiments on humans are being conducted by the Celestials. The story will include a love story between Ikaris, who has cosmic energy, and Sersi, who hangs with the humans, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

A part of Disney-owned Marvel's intention to have half of its future projects helmed by women, Zhao is the third woman to helm a Marvel project based on its comic book superhero characters. The upcoming Captain Marvel starring Brie Larson is being directed by Anna Boden (who directs with Ryan Fleck) and Cate Shortland directs Avengers star Scarlett Johansson in the Black Widow solo movie currently under development.

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.
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Marvel's white editor apologizes for his fake persona as a Japanese author

MARVEL'S new editor-in-chief issued a statement last weekend in The Atlantic apologizing for pretending to be a comics author of Japanese descent and playing that character off as real.

After two weeks when his indiscretion was exposed, the controversy hasn't died down prompting C.B. Cebulski to issue an apology for using the pseudonym Akira Yoshida for in 2005 to sell stories to Marvel comics.

Cebulski is off to a rough start in his new position as Marvel's new editor-in-chief after it was revealed that he had been writing under the Japanese pseudonym Akira Yoshida. 

As Yoshida, he was praised for his ability to write for American audiences. 

C.B. Cebulski

“I stopped writing under the pseudonym Akira Yoshida after about a year,” Cebulski told Bleeding Cool, that broke the story on Nov. 28

The response from Asian and Asian/American writers was as it could be expected saying that the reason Marvel editors liked Yoshida's stories was because he "exoticized" his Asian characters by writing them as what white people expect Asians to be.

It should be noted that Cebulski admires Japanese culture, speaks the language and gathered his knowledge of samurais and ninjas by watching Akira Kurosawa movies.

In 2015, The New Yorker’s Hua Hsu observed that the poet Michael Derrick Hudson, who was criticized for publishing under the pseudonym Yi-Fen Chou, had engaged in the practice of “Orientalist profiteering.” 

“When it comes to such hoaxes,” Hsu wrote, “it seems somehow easier to fake Asia, a land still distant and inscrutable to many Americans; while other hoaxes work because of their thoroughness and care, the Asian-themed sort often get by with only a few details, as long as those details seem just ‘Asian’ enough.”

Although there are a couple of Asian/American writers in the business, most AAPI are employed as artists. Apparently, it is easier to draw characters of whatever color than to have stories with Asian themes.

Marvel is particularly sensitive to this with their Dr. Strange and Iron Fist as examples of white characters extracting freely from Asian cultures. Marvel has also created an alternative universe with a pantheon of superheroes of color in the lead roles including Kamala Khan, a Pakistani/American Muslim girl and the new Ms. Marvel; the queer Asian/American heroine Cindy Moon, who has the powers of Spiderman; or Ta-Nehisi Coates/Brian Stelfreeze’s Black Panther.

While the characters may be diverse racially and genderwise, the stories come from white authors with attitudes towards racial issues what they "think" a person of color would act or say.

And that's the crux of the anger directed towards Marvel and Cebulski. They might talk a good game about diversity, but they don't put it into practice.

Marvel hasn't issued an statement about the new editor-in-chief's insensitive impersonation. Cebulski issued this statement:

I’m truly sorry for the pain, anger, and disappointment I caused over my poor choice of pseudonym. That was never my intention. Throughout my career in anime, manga, and comics, I’ve made it a point to listen and learn from my mistakes, which is exactly what I’ve been trying to do with this misstep. Building honest relationships with creators has always been important to me, and I’ve continued to do that in my new position. I’ve spoken with talent close to this issue, and have had candid and productive conversations about how we can improve the industry and build better stories, while being mindful of the voices behind them. My passion has always been about bringing the best talent from across the world to work on the best stories in the world, and I’m hopeful that fans and creators alike will join us in that continued mission.

Nice words.  But those words are meaningless until Marvel lives up to its ideals in the real world.

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