Shang-Chi: The Master of Kung Fu

So, it all started way back in 1973 when the incredible duo of Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin decided to give us a little gem called Shang-Chi in Special Marvel Edition #15. And guess what? They slapped on the epic title of Master of Kung Fu! Fast forward fifty years, and not only has Shang-Chi carved out his spot in the Marvel Universe, but he’s also mixed it up with some of the biggest names out there and even teamed up with The Avengers. Oh, and let’s not forget his dazzling MCU debut in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which is undoubtedly one of the freshest entries post-Endgame!

Simu Liu’s Wish List

Now, here comes the delightful Simu Liu, who plays Shang-Chi himself. The guy’s got some feels about Marvel characters not really getting the limelight they deserve. During a panel at NYCC, when he was grilled about which character he’d love to see rock the MCU, Liu didn’t miss a beat: “Amadeus Cho.” And honestly, who doesn’t know this guy? Amadeus Cho, everyone! He burst onto the scene in 2005 in Amazing Fantasy #15, strutting in as a witty, super-smart teenager created by Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa.

Who Even is Amadeus Cho?

Amadeus quickly became an essential part of Pak’s legendary run on The Incredible Hulk, and let’s face it, he totally slayed in the iconic World War Hulk arc and while being the charming sidekick to Hercules in The Incredible Hercules. Seriously, Cho’s got some cool vibes!

The Next Generation Sidekick

Now, you might be wondering what makes Cho tick. Well, he’s basically like the modern remix of Rick Jones, that classic Marvel character who accidentally got Bruce Banner all radiated because he was just too busy being dumb in the wrong place at the wrong time. Remember Rick? He drove a jeep onto a bomb testing site back in Incredible Hulk #1. Classic! But Amadeus? He’s not about that bumbling life. He’s actually hailed as the seventh-smartest person on the planet—and he’s not shy about it, let me tell you!

Brains, Brawn, and Bad Decisions

Amadeus isn’t just brainy; he’s got brawn too! When he gains his own Hulk powers, he becomes the Totally Awesome Hulk which is just as epic as it sounds. And when Bruce Banner comes back, he ditches the Hulk name for Brawn. Because why not have both brains and muscles, right? But just like any good teenager, this genius still messes things up—leading to some hilariously epic tales!

A Rise to Fame in the Marvel Universe

This guy’s so essential to the Marvel Universe, you’d think he’s bound to pop up in the MCU! Fun fact: Claudia Kim played Dr. Helen Cho in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Yep, she was the genius behind creating the artificial skin for Vision and was originally supposed to be Amadeus’s mom. Back in the animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Aleks Le lent his voice to Cho as a sassy colleague of Peter Parker. Just some nifty little shout-outs!

It’s Time for Amadeus to Shine!

But let’s be real; all these cute little nods are great, but Liu’s totally right—we need the real deal! “He’s a new generation Hulk, Korean-American. Very cool,” Liu said at NYCC, and I couldn’t agree more! Plus, let’s hope we can sprinkle in a bit more Shang-Chi sauce in the MCU while we’re at it!