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I recently went back for the 10 year anniversary and started rereading some tie-ins I loved, along with a few I missed the first time around.

Revisiting Master of Kung Fu completely won me over again, but more importantly, it made something very clear to me: this is the storyline Shang-Chi movie should have adapted. It already contains everything you would want from a Marvel kung fu movie. The superhero elements are present, the backbone of the story is the tournament, which gives the narrative focus, tension, and pacing. The lore introduced in this version is especially great. Multiple clans exist in a fragile balance of peace, all operating under the rule of a leader chosen through combat: the Mandarin, head of the Ten Rings. Each clan are versions of a different part of the Marvel universe like the Hand, Iron Fist, the Morlocks, Spider-themed factions, the Black Panther clan, Savage Land, Moon Knight, the Inhumans. It’s a smart and creative way to build a world that feels expansive and it makes the setting feel ancient, and alive.

What really stings is how easily this could have translated to film. The emotional core is already there: Shang-Chi as the estranged son returning to face his powerful, authoritarian father, framed within a martial arts tournament that evokes something like Mortal Kombat. The MCU could have adapted the clans as needed, even using them to work concepts like Wakanda, Iron Fist, or mutants, while still telling a focused story. The comic’s art, fights, and emotional weight only make the missed opportunity more frustrating, and while maybe this is just crying over spilled milk, it’s a thought that hit hard while rereading

Anyways, felt like talking more about this, or about other Secret Wars tie-ins that you enjoyed or think deserved more attention.