Shang-Chi star Meng'er Zhang compares her muscle to Razor Fist actor Florian Munteanu's in a funny behind-the-scenes image. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings released over Labor Day weekend to critical acclaim and instant financial success. Zhang plays Xu Xialing, Shang-Chi's sister, in this latest film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Despite being siblings, Xialing has had no contact with her brother for ten years at the start of Shang-Chi, the result of Shang-Chi fleeing after his first mission rather than return to their father and Ten Rings leader, Wenwu. Zhang's character, who was close to Shang-Chi, took the abandonment personally, and her lingering resentment is clear in the film. Xialing is played as serious and deadly, a skilled fighter who has had to make her own way in the world and was left hardened by the experience. While her relationship with her brother improves over the course of the film, and Xialing learns to reconnect with her roots in the same way he does, her personal growth does little to change her disposition.
So, seeing Zhang and the rest of the cast having fun in behind-the-scenes Shang-Chi images she shared on Instagram is a nice contrast. One of the photos is of her and Munteanu, a former heavyweight boxer, comparing biceps, while another plays up the obvious height difference between her and the 6'4" German-Romanian actor. Check out Zhang's post below:
Zhang's other three photos show her with the legendary Michelle Yeoh, who plays Ying Nan, former Bruce Lee stunt double Yuen Wah, who plays Guang Bo, and Andy Le, who plays the Ten Rings assassin Death Dealer. Zhang includes captions for each with fun facts about her Shang-Chi castmates, including that Munteanu is afraid of cockroaches and Le gets seasick. She also shares that Yeoh, though seemingly serious given her on-screen history, is actually a "complete goofball."
With Marvel's reputation as a blockbuster machine, it's always nice to see the people who make the films having fun with it, especially when they play a character as dour as Zhang's. Shang-Chi's lead, Simu Liu, has so far shown a talent for building this kind of online presence, getting fans invested in him as a star as well as in the superhero he plays. Viewers who liked Xialing should relish this chance to see her smile off-camera, though - Xialing's Shang-Chi end scene doesn't suggest she will be any more upbeat in the sequel.
Source: Meng'er Zhang
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