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Kevin Feige says Marvel fans “won’t have to wait very long” for a Southeast Asian superhero on Disney+ | NME

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Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has said that fans “won’t have to wait very long” to see a Southeast Asian superhero on Disney+.

Feige was speaking at a press conference today (February 2) for the streaming service’s launch in Singapore. In a Q&A segment, Feige was asked about the possibility of a a Southeast Asian superhero on Disney+, given the upcoming release of Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon, which is inspired by Southeast Asian cultures and premiering on Disney+ on March 5.

When asked if it was “high time we get a Southeast Asian Marvel superhero on Disney+”, Feige responded, “I think it is. And I think you won’t have to wait there very long at all. We’ve announced a number of shows and we’ve got more in the works.”

Alluding to a previous answer he gave, Feige added, “As I said, the world outside your window, no matter where you are, is what the Marvel world will represent.”

Feige gave no further details on a potential Southeast Asian superhero. However, Marvel’s Phase 4 does include its first Asian-led superhero film, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The movie, which wrapped filming last October, stars Simu Liu as the Chinese-born superhero Shang Chi and is scheduled for release in July 2021. Other cast members also include Awkwafina, Tony Leung, and Malaysian actors Ronny Chieng and Michelle Yeoh.

Simu Liu Shang Chi Marvel movie first Asian superhero
‘Shang-Chi’ star Simu Liu at San Diego Comic-Con 2019. Image: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

In 2019, Marvel also introduced the Filipina superhero Wave in Marvel Comics’ War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas. She was created by Asian-American writer Greg Pak, and her costume was designed by Filipino comic artist Leinil Yu. Speculative fiction author Alyssa Wong was also tapped to craft Wave’s backstory.

Later that year, Pak said that he, Wong and artist Pop Mhan would be introducing another new Filipina superhero, who would appear alongside Chinese superhero Aero in her titular series.

In August, Pak also expressed his wish that Wave would be adapted for “film or television within two years”.

In 2019, a team of Asian heroes was added to the mobile video game Marvel Future Fight, which is created by South Korean developer Netmarble Games in direct affiliation with Marvel Entertainment under Disney.

As IGN Southeast Asia reported, the four original characters in the game represent four nations, three of them from Southeast Asia: Thailand (the character War Tiger), Vietnam (Blue Dragon), Malaysia (Sun Bird) and Taiwan (Shadow Shell).

Disney+ is slated to launch in Singapore on February 23 with content from six brands: Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic and Star. Subscriptions will cost S$11.98 per month and S$119.98 per year.

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