Li Shang Will NOT Be In Disney’s Live Action Remake Of Mulan

There’s a strong rumor that Disney‘s 2020 live action remake of “Mulan” will completely remove the character of Captain Li Shang.

 

In the 1998 hit animated musical, Li Shang is Mulan‘s superior in the army and tasked with training the new recruits. He’s best known for the song “I’ll Make A Man Out of You.”

At the beginning of the movie, Li Shang despises Mulan for her incompetence, but when she works hard he begins to respect and even care for her.

 

He’s been theorized to be bisexual since the character begins to fall for Mulan, who is disguised as Ping, before he realizes that she is a woman. A relationship is hinted between the two at the end of the movie.

Fans believe the way Li Shang looks at Ping and the way he looks at Mulan is pretty much identical.

 

Last year, when the live-action remake of Mulan was announced, fans were sure there would be no way to replace Li Shang since he’s such a beloved character.

♡ how captain li shang, bisexual legend, has become so iconic disney won't be able to replace him in the mulan movie pic.twitter.com/zvyUNsrxMl

— nerdy (@nerdyasians) June 19, 2017

 

However, the upcoming movie’s casting call says otherwise. Disney created a new character called “Chen Honghui” in Li Shang’s place.

 

The new character sees Mulan as his “rival”, since Mulan is magically able to “out-maneuver” him. He hates her until the moment he finds out she is a woman. After which, the feelings turn into “something like love”.

 

It’s more than likely that Li Shang will not be making his long-awaited appearance. Donnie Yen has been said to be cast as “Commander Tung”, who is the same character as “Chen Honghui” in the casting description.

saddened to report it’s basically been confirmed that li shang will not be in the live-action mulan.

the mulan casting call has been confirmed to be accurate. donnie yen was cast as “commander tung,” who is in the description for “chen honghui.”

rest in peace bisexual icon. pic.twitter.com/7El8TDhJg5

— nerdy (@nerdyasians) April 16, 2018

 

And fans are furious, especially after previous reports of changes to the storyline and a lack of American-Chinese representation in the cast.

disney when they realized they accidentally made li shang bisexual by having him fall in love with mulan while he thought she was a boy and that there's nothing they can say now to deny it or change that fact pic.twitter.com/FZWIYqDY8v

— gabi (@harleivy) April 12, 2018

First they removed the music and now this??? Waiii?

— Gwen V (@GwenVoon) April 16, 2018

 

Netizens are criticizing Disney’s lack of purposeful LGBT representation.

i’m disgusted. disney is obviously still mad they accidentally made li shang bisexual, so they’re REMOVING ANY POSSIBILITY that “chen” is seen as bisexual. they make it clear he HATES mulan the whole time she’s presenting male. he bullies her up until he finds out she’s a woman. https://t.co/vsj5B9uDGp

— princess mizzy 🌹 (@hellomizzyy) April 16, 2018

amazing how disney is TOTALLY FINE with beastiality and stockholm syndrome and sexism but BISEXUALITY? imAGINE THE HORRORS. pic.twitter.com/NFYn1jRnGi

— anna (@bigm00dmyd00d) April 17, 2018

bisexual general li shang fought for our rights when nobody wouldn't pic.twitter.com/Lr0JlYB0ZD

— eleanor (@youresteve) April 16, 2018

 

And have taken to listing all the things wrong with the planned remake.

so in the live action mulan film, there's a witch, a sister, no music, and no li shang…. pic.twitter.com/w3PuYMc5pV

— eleanor (@youresteve) April 16, 2018

Mulan has a mysterious power. So we are gonna just take away the fact that she earned her spot in the army with ingenuity and hard-work.

Chen is a typical bully who suddenly isn’t a bully when Mulan, his victim, is revealed to be a woman.

Rename this movie. It’s not Mulan. pic.twitter.com/5eW4z2uLbp

— ferdosa (@atomicwick) April 16, 2018

everything wrong with the new mulan live action:

no music
no li shang
no mushu or cricky
a witch is the villain
mulan has a sister?
storyline changes

everything was perfect in the first movie. why is there a need for these many changes?

— kat (@katlibra) April 16, 2018

 

Some fans revealed that they are even strongly boycotting it.

As if I'm going to see live-action Mulan if there's no Li Shang in it. As if. pic.twitter.com/kllzcguu6J

— Melinda Salisbury (@MESalisbury) April 16, 2018

LET'S BOYCOTT MULAN EVERYONE.

— Sara 🌻 (@aliens_exist44) April 17, 2018

 

There’s no denying that Li Shang will definitely be missed!