Back in October, Marvel Studios head and Marvel chief creative officer Kevin Feige sat down for Q&A session with the New York Film Academy.

While talking about the origin of the shawarma button scene in the original Avengers film, revealed that Shang-Chi hasn’t started filming and that filming begins in a few months (from October).

FEIGE: “I went to my then assistant Jonathan Schwartz, who is now in Australia producing Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings that goes into production in a few months.” 

Kevin also recognizes that Shang-Chi is going to be seen as a kung-fu action film, but is much more than that.

FEIGE: “Shang-Chi is going to be so much more than a kung-fu movie, but it has elements of that which we’re excited about.”

I think there will be a James Bond/spy element to the character as he did have involvement with MI6 and the private outfit Freelance Restorations (expected to have characters from that group in the film).

However, there is a good chance that Shang-Chi might not begin shooting this month and may hold off a start until after the awards season/Oscars is over. Considering that Destin Daniel Cretton’s film Just Mercy is an awards contender and Shang-Chi lead actress Awkwafina is also likely in the running for a Best Actress nomination for The Farewell (recently won a Golden Globe).

There is also a heap of wildfires ongoing in New South Wales, Australia where Fox Studios Australia is located, the main sound stage facility that will be used on Shang-Chi and the fourth Thor installment (aiming for August start) from director Taika Waititi.

Marvel might want to give the authorities and local crew a little breathing room due to those events.

I wouldn’t be shocked if it doesn’t begin filming until February/March as the Oscars will take place on February 9th.

HN Entertainment exclusively first revealed that the working title of Shang-Chi during production will be Steamboat, a direct nod to Asian-American professional wrestler Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat.

Speaking of director Destin Daniel Cretton, he recently spoke with TheHollywoodReporter and revealed what interested him in the Marvel project, giving his son a superhero to look up to.

CRETTON: “I grew up without a superhero to look up to. I gravitated to Spider-Man when I was a kid, primarily because he had a mask covering his face and I could imagine myself under that mask. I would love to give my son a superhero to look up to. I feel very privileged to be a part of telling that story.”

Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings is set for an official release date of February 12th, 2021.

SOURCE: NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY & THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER