The Marvel Cinematic Universe Has been expanding at an unprecedented year. This Universe just had one of its busiest years gets yet in 2021 and yet it still has more content left to pump out. The studio has been putting out so much that is hard to keep track but Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings made an impression on audiences across the globe. We think that Shang-Chi Is Similar To Thor. In fact, we even made a list pointing out their similarities, take a look:
Sibling Issues
Just like Thor Shang-Chi was also the favorite of his father. This meant that he was made into a mighty warrior while a sibling was neglected and had to grow up in the shadows. Both these stories have an anti-hero twist to them. Loki and Xialing are cut from the same cloth and made into similar stories. Not that surprising when you consider their role concerning the protagonist.
When you think about it both Thor and Shang-Chi loved their siblings. It was the siblings who couldn’t love them back. This made for a competitive rivalry in both movies. We know where the Loki story went but the question is where would the Xialing story go?
Thor and Shang-Chi both belong to Mystical Realms
Asgard and Ta Lo may not have a lot of similarities. But the setting is familiar. Even though Asgard’s magic is explained away as science, the audience still sees Gods not advanced aliens. Similarly, when Shang-Chi talks about a separate dimension (realm), MCU again circles back to explaining magic away as science. This is a little suspect if you ask us.
We can probably draw more similarities but we think that MCU will do better to use the supernatural to their advantage. In Dr. Strange, they leaned into the mystical and it paid off really well. They should try to use surreal explanations more often than inherently empirical ones. MCU has a habit of teetering on the edge of the supernatural.
Mjolnir and the Ten Rings
Both Shang-Chi and thor inherited powerful weapons from an elder family member. Only in Thor’s case, Hela was revealed much later than Wenwu in Shang-Chi. In fact, the ten rings have been a presence in the MCU ever since its inception. However, both serve the same purpose in their respective movies. A powerful means by which the hero can control his power.
Moreover the moral of the inclusion of these weapons is also clear in both movies. Neither Shang-Chi nor Thor needs the weapon to be heroes. Marvel is repeating patterns and we are onto them. But we have to admit that their formula works, moreover, look at what these awesome weapons can do. The ten rings will gain the same status as the Mjolnir soo. Legendary.
Unique Cultures
Thor explores the realm of the Norse Gods. The mythology of the Scandinavian Pagans is rich and cryptic. But the world that came out of it embodied their spirits. The Viking culture, the outlandish beards, and the bellowing warriors came together to make for an interesting setting. Similarly, Shang-Chi and The Legend Of The Ten Rings took us to the mythological land of Ta Lo.
It brought us dragons and soul-sucking demons. This created a beautiful setting that gave us an amazing third act. One that was both emotionally compelling and visually pleasing. Marvel’s CGI has always been on point and these two films do a lot to hammer that point home. Even the culture of the places comes through fully even in the short span of one feature film. We especially love the shifting forest that guards Ta Lo.
Father Issues
Both Thor and Shang-Chi have a tenuous relationship with their fathers, to say the least. This is because of several reasons but mostly because of the expectations their fathers have of them. Thor never wanted to be king, and Shang-Chi never wanted to run the empire of the ten rings. So things became tense in the family. But both of these heroes reconcile with their fathers by the end of their respective movies.
These are all the ways in which Shang-Chi Is Similar To Thor. Do you think we are right? Does our analysis make sense? Let us know in the comments below and keep watching this space for everything Marvel, DC, and Hollywood. Excelsior!!!
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