Comics vs Movies: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Ta-Lo

The hidden magical kingdom that Shang-Chi, Katy, Xialing, Trevor, and “Morris” travel towards is a place within the Marvel Comics. And, like it shows in the movie, it contains all sorts of mythical creatures like phoenixes, dragons, giant lions, Qulin (the horse-like creatures), and DiJiangs (which is what Morris is). However, the comics take it a step further. Ta-Lo is also the equivalent of Heaven and the residence of the Xian, the name for the gods in Taoism. To put in more simple terms, Ta-Lo is basically the Xian’s Mount Olympus or Asgard.

However, the Ta-Lo in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings appears to have also borrowed elements from another hidden magical kingdom in China, K’un-Lun, particularly with how it’s only accessible at certain times. If that name sounds familiar, that’s because it is the name of the city in which Danny Rand became the “Immortal Iron Fist” as seen in the comics and on Netflix’s Iron Fist. Of course, you be forgiven if you forgot that particular show considering how awful it was. Certainly the folks at Marvel Studios would since it’s not on Disney+, along with the other (and better) of Netflix’s Marvel television series.

The Dweller-in-Darkness

One big surprise from the movie is that Wenwu isn’t the only villain, or even the main antagonist. Turns out he’s being duped by a malevolent, interdimensional entity into thinking he can bring back his dead wife, and that her soul is trapped in Ta-Lo. This entity, we learn from Shang-Chi’s aunt, Ying Nan, is only known as “The Dweller-In-Darkness.” And this should raise more than a few eyebrows among some long time Marvel Comics fans, because the Dweller-in-Darkness is a major Doctor Strange villain.

Yet just like much of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, there been some radical departures from the source material. Yes, the Dweller-In-Darkness is a creature inspired by the weird tales of H.P. Lovecraft with more than a nod towards Cthulhu. However, he looks a lot more humanoid with a cephalopod-like head in the comics as opposed to the gigantic winged beast we on the screen. Moreover, the Dweller-In-Darkness doesn’t feed on souls, but rather fear, which he does by instilling it in others. That’s key since, in the comics, he’s one of a group of demons known as the Fear Lords.

There’s perhaps several reasons why the movie made these changes. Some are more narrative driven such as raising the stakes, creating a reason for both Shang-Chi and his father to be at Ta-Lo, and have the Dweller-In-Darkness fight a Chinese Dragon, a.k.a. The Great Protector, in the climax.

But the Dweller-in-Darkness persuading Wenwu to destroy the barrier between world by pretending to be his departed wife should remind us of another Marvel Studios production. Remember the end-credits scene from the WandaVision finale, where Wanda heard the voices of her twin boys, Billy and Tommy? Seeing as how that was also a stinger for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it could very well be that we haven’t seen the last of these “Soul Eaters.”

As for Shang-Chi’s future? It sure looks as though we’ll be seeing more of him and the Ten Rings during Phase 4. Whether he appears in another solo film or a fifth Avengers movie – and how close either one of those might be to the comics – is another matter.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is currently playing in theaters, and will be released on Disney+ in October 2021.