How to pronounce Shang-Chi the official Marvel way

Features
By
published

Finally, someone says the name Shang-Chi out loud. It may have sounded different in your head

Shang-Chi and Legend of the Ten Rings
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Shang-Chi and Legend of the Ten Rings, Marvel Studios' next theatrical MCU entry opening September 3 has now released two full-length trailers and a newer shorter trailer and for the first time in the new spot, the lead character's name is actually said out loud…

...and its pronunciation may take some Marvel followers by surprise. 

Because up until his name is finally voiced at the very end of the trailer, a lot of people might have been pronouncing it in their head incorrectly. 

I know I did… for many, many years, in fact. 

A comics fan since the '70s, I've been aware of Marvel's Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu since his first appearance at the height of the Bruce Lee-driven kung fu craze in 1973's Special Marvel Edition #15. 

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Did you know the character exists because Marvel tried to get the comic book rights to the David Carradine Kung Fu TV show but failed?

You can read all of that in our Shang-Chi explainer, but nearly 50 years of publishing history and a big-budget Marvel Studios film for what was arguably a fallback option of a failed publishing rights acquisition. 

Not bad. 

But I digress. 

For well over 40-plus years I assumed the name was pronounced 'shang' (as in rhymes with the 'shang' of Shanghai), meaning with a 'long A' 'ang' sound, like 'bang' or 'gang'... along with a '-chee.'

And I used to work for Marvel Comics on its main editorial floor! (true story)

But no, I had been wrong all this time. That isn't how Marvel pronounces it. At least that isn't how it officially pronounces it now. 

As finally voiced in the new trailer, the 'chee' (as in 'cheese') is right, of course, but as the folks at Marvel Comics told us a few weeks back, Shang is pronounced 'shong.'

The folks at Disney corroborated the Marvel pronunciation but expressed it a little differently, telling us the 'a' is pronounced with 'aah' sound or 'shaahng.'

And a couple of months back the star of Shang-Chi and Legend of the Ten Rings Simu Liu corroborated the Marvel Comics pronunciation (with emphasis on the first syllable) along with helping fans out with his own name.

But all that is out in the wide-open now. 

So 'SHONG' or 'Shaahng-chee.'

So on September 3 when you're on a line buying tickets to see Shang-Chi and Legend of the Ten Rings and you hear the people in front of you pronounce it 'shang-chee' when they ask for tickets, feel free to gently give them the correct information. 

The More You Know...

Did you know Shang-Chi was one of the original ten comic book properties Marvel Studios was founded/funded on?

Michael Doran

I'm not just the Newsarama founder and editor-in-chief, I'm also a reader. And that reference is just a little bit older than the beginning of my Newsarama journey. I founded what would become the comic book news site in 1996, and except for a brief sojourn at Marvel Comics as its marketing and communications manager in 2003, I've been writing about new comic book titles, creative changes, and occasionally offering my perspective on important industry events and developments for the 25 years since. Despite many changes to Newsarama, my passion for the medium of comic books and the characters makes the last quarter-century (it's crazy to see that in writing) time spent doing what I love most.

See comments