Thanos’ Gauntlet And Classic Kung Fu Film Inspired Shang-Chi’s Ten Rings

Marvel’s next theatrical release, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings , is almost here and it bears some similarities with the Mad Titan.

Remember when Thanos was snapping fingers in Infinity War and Endgame? He was able to harness the power of the Infinity stones because he had the Infinity Gauntlet made by Eitri.

Same is the case with the Ten Rings. Whoever bears it, he harnesses the rings’ various powers (given that he’s skilled and strong enough for them). But that’s not all, the Gauntlet was also a source of inspiration when the creators wanted to redesign the Ten Rings for the movie.

The trailers show Wenwu wielding the Ten Rings, and they look like bracelets. Now, if you’re a comic nerd, you know that in the comics, the rings are actual rings worn around the fingers and not wrists. Some fans were understandably disappointed as this was too big of a change.

While talking to The Direct, Shang-Chi’s producer Jonathan Schwartz talked about why the change was necessary and how the Ten Rings Infinity-Stones-like different powers might’ve inspired the redesign,

You know, it may have been a little bit of that, but I think it may just be, there was a little bit of, we sort of felt like the finger rings were going to look a little goofy in practice. And a little bit of leaning into the genre elements. How do we make that come together?

Schwartz also recounted watching The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and being inspired by the film for the Rings’ design,

And so, one day we were watching a movie in the writer’s room, me, Destin, and Dave, called The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, which starts with a kung fu training montage, using many weapons, one of which had these Hung Gar Iron Rings, which are a traditional Kung Fu weapon.

You may remember them from Kung Fu Hustle, where they’re very prominent. Destin looked at those rings and said, ‘we should just do that for the Rings.’ And he was 100% right, and it was unique and so cool, it just felt like sort of the right thing to snap the movie into focus.

The fans who are still not convinced about the redesign might get a chance to change their minds when they see the film when it comes out this Friday.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will release in cinemas on September 3, 2021.

About Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten rings is an upcoming American superhero film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. It is based on the Marvel Comics character Shang-Chi.

Cast members include Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, and Ronny Chieng.

When Shang-Chi is drawn into the clandestine Ten Rings organization, he is forced to confront the past he thought he left behind. Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the movie will be a part of its ongoing Phase Four.