Who Is The Masked Villain In The Shang-Chi Trailer?

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The first teaser trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings teased a mysterious masked villain — here's what you need to know about the ominous Death Dealer. Also known as the Master of Kung Fu, Shang-Chi was created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin, and he debuted in 1973's Special Marvel Edition #15. In December 2018, it was announced that Destin Daniel Cretton would direct a film adaptation. Soon after, Simu Liu landed the coveted titular role among a cast that included Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Ronny Chieng, Meng'er Zhang, and Tony Leung as Wenwu (a.k.a the real Mandarin).

On the page, Shang-Chi was the son of Fu Manchu. Raised in the belief that his father was benevolent, Shang-Chi was trained extensively to aid his goals. After executing a mission, however, he learned the truth of his father's wicked ways. As a result, Shang-Chi dedicated himself to opposing his father's empire. Based on the first official trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - though it rightfully replaced Fu Manchu with The Mandarin - the MCU version retained a similar trajectory. The new footage, however, revealed that rebellion wouldn't come easy — with several villains sent to dispatch the titular hero.

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Principal among them was a masked and hooded figure. Though the trailer never deigned to offer the character's name, they're a notable comic book villain known as Death Dealer. Created by Doug Moench and Gene Day, Death Dealer debuted in 1982's Master of Kung Fu #115. Born Li Ching-Lin, he was a double agent of Fu Manchu's based in London — and, more specifically, within the ranks of MI6. Considered too brutal and dangerous, Director Fah Loh Suee tasked Dennis Nayland Smith and Shang-Chi with bringing him down. In the process, his true affiliation was unearthed. Escaping long enough to return to Fu Manchu, Li Ching-Lin was gifted the mask, costume, weaponry, and title of Death Dealer. In that guise, he clashed with Shang-Chi several more times before a fatal defeat.

The version glimpsed in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings appeared to have been greatly altered. For starters, already in possession of the attire and title, Death Dealer's affiliation with The Mandarin was depicted as no secret. Instead, he was seen by his master's side repeatedly throughout the trailer. Furthermore, he had an active hand in training Shang-Chi throughout childhood, adolescence, and, presumably, right up until he embarked on his sabbatical. That decision will no doubt increase the tension for the fight scenes when Death Dealer is inevitably tasked to deal with Shang-Chi. After all, who would be a more formidable foe than the one who taught you everything you know?

Conversely, the mystery surrounding Death Dealer will likely come from who exactly lurks behind the mask. So far, the character has no credited actor attributed to them. As such, there's every chance that the ominous assassin has an alter-ego within the film. They may have secretly been part of Shang-Chi's life when he believed he was living free and independent during the aforementioned 10 years - setting up a potentially painful betrayal. Though such as Awkwafina's character, Katy, can probably be ruled out, fans will no doubt spend the next few months theorizing in a similar fashion experienced by Black Widow's Taskmaster.

Given Death Dealer's early popularity, some fans will likely already have hope that he isn't killed off like in the comics. Should Death Dealer be ultimately dealt his own death, however, that wouldn't necessarily mean the end of the title. In the comics, it's also established that he has a son named Huo Li - who went on to seek revenge against Shang-Chi. Though not as competent as his father, that could be changed for the MCU. As such, though Death Dealer's fate will remain unknown for the time being, it could be that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings have already begun setting up conflicts and villains for future sequels.