The MCU’s Mandarin Twist, Explained

by

The new Disney+ series looks to be unlike anything Disney+ has done since WandaVision. It centers on an aspiring actor, Simon Williams. Based on what’s been shown in the trailers, you might not even know it exists in the same universe as movies like Avengers: Endgame – the only superhero appears to be the one Simon is trying to portray.

The new series will still tie into the existing Marvel Cinematic Universe, most notably through the return of Ben Kingsley as his character Trevor Slattery. This will be Slattery’s fourth appearance in the MCU, after first appearing in the 2013 film Iron Man 3. He was a somewhat divisive character with fans when he debuted, as he played a key role in a major plot twist involving the true identity of the Mandarin.

The Mandarin is Iron Man’s Greatest Enemy in the Comics

The promotion for Iron Man 3 led audiences to believe that Ben Kingsley’s character, the Mandarin, would be the film’s primary villain. The Mandarin originated in Marvel comics with his first appearance in Tales of Suspense #50 back in 1963. He’s a Chinese criminal genius who claims to be a descendant of Genghis Khan, and his real name remains a mystery.

I’ve been a fan of the Mandarin for years, and honestly, his backstory is a little confusing! He’s told different versions of how he got started, but one thing always stays the same: how he got his incredible power. Apparently, he found a crashed spaceship – it belonged to these dragon-like aliens called the Makluans. Inside were ten rings, and they weren’t just any rings! Each one gave him a different ability, like controlling the elements or even messing with people’s minds. It’s those rings that really make him the Mandarin we all know!

The Mandarin gained immense power and became a ruthless leader through the use of alien rings. Because this occurred during the Cold War, the United States worried about him and asked Iron Man to intervene. What started as a political issue between Tony Stark and the Mandarin quickly escalated into a long-lasting and personal rivalry, continuing even after the Cold War ended.

The Mandarin Fooled Everyone in Iron Man 3

Okay, so in the Marvel movies, they did something really interesting with the Mandarin. Instead of the comic book version, they made him this mysterious head of the Ten Rings – remember, they’re the group that originally captured Tony Stark way back in the first Iron Man? This Mandarin basically took over the TV to announce he was behind a bunch of bombings in the US, and one of them almost took out Happy Hogan, which really ticked Tony off. Tony publicly called him out, and the Ten Rings responded by straight-up attacking his house in Malibu. It was a total escalation!

Tony Stark barely escaped with his life after the attack, fleeing in his partially built Iron Man suit. His investigation led him to Miami, where he discovered the person claiming responsibility for the bombings was just an actor. The real mastermind was Aldrich Killian, the head of Advanced Idea Mechanics, who had hired the actor, Trevor, to create a false narrative for the explosions – which were actually caused by Killian’s own technology.

Trevor was down on his luck, so he gladly accepted a generous offer from Killian. A.I.M. provided the struggling actor with everything he wanted – a new home, a speedboat, cosmetic surgery, and plenty of drugs. Trevor said he was shocked to learn that Killian was harming others, but considering his history, it was probably another falsehood.

In the final battle of Iron Man 3, Killian surprised Tony Stark by revealing Chinese dragon tattoos and declaring himself the true Mandarin. He exclaimed, “No more pretending! You wanted the Mandarin? You’re looking at him. It’s always been me, Tony!” Shortly after, Trevor was arrested, but wouldn’t stay in prison for long.

Iron Man 3 Was Not the End of the Mandarin in the MCU

The reveal of the Mandarin’s true identity in Iron Man 3 was a surprise, but many fans were let down that such a major villain was portrayed as a joke. While other heroes got to battle their classic enemies as fans knew them, Iron Man’s villain turned out to be a fake. Luckily, the story had more surprises in store.

A year after the release of Iron Man 3, Disney created a short film called Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King. It was included as an extra feature on the Thor: The Dark World DVD. The film tells the story of a journalist who goes to Seagate Penitentiary to interview Trevor about how he pretended to be the Mandarin. Trevor had become popular with the other prisoners, and this went to his head, making him think he was above the rules.

The short film was generally funny, but it became serious when the interviewer unexpectedly revealed he worked for the Ten Rings. He used a hidden gun to kill the guards and free Trevor, though not to help him. Instead, he explained he was taking Trevor to the actual Mandarin, who planned to slowly and painfully punish him for pretending to be him.

For years, fans hadn’t heard anything new about the Mandarin, leading many to believe his rival wouldn’t appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, that changed with the 2021 release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which centered around the Mandarin and his organization.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Finally Introduced the MCU’s Real Mandarin

The Shang-Chi character in Marvel comics has a different origin story than the one shown in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In the comics, he’s the son of the villain Fu Manchu, a character whose name was later changed to Zheng Zu. However, the MCU reimagined Shang-Chi’s father as Xu Wenwu, who is presented as the true Mandarin. Wenwu is a powerful Chinese warlord who, like the original Mandarin from the comics, gained his power from ten mystical rings.

The rings in the series were different from those in the comics; they were worn on the forearms instead of the fingers, taking inspiration from iron rings used in Chinese martial arts training. Unlike the comic version where each ring had a unique power, these Ten Rings all granted the same abilities: immortality, increased strength, and the power to project energy blasts. These changes were made, in part, to distinguish the rings from the Infinity Stones, which were central to the film Endgame released just a few years earlier.

In Shang-Chi, Wenwu never called himself the Mandarin. He told Katy that an American terrorist once needed a villain to scare the country. This terrorist stole Wenwu’s Ten Rings but didn’t know his real name, so he made up a title: The Mandarin. He named this figurehead after a chicken dish, and surprisingly, it worked – America became afraid of this ‘orange’ persona.

While searching Wenwu’s base, Shang-Chi and Katy unexpectedly found Trevor, who hadn’t been killed despite the Ten Rings’ claims. Wenwu and his followers had been amused by Trevor’s Shakespearean acting and spared his life – Katy jokingly compared him to a court jester. Trevor proved to be a key player in the story, as he’d become friends with a magical creature named Morris, who could help Shang-Chi on his journey.

Similar to Killian, Wenwu only appeared in one movie, but his death was more heroic. He willingly gave up his soul to save his son from the Dweller-in-Darkness, and Shang-Chi then defeated the creature using his father’s Ten Rings. Fans generally preferred how the Mandarin was portrayed in Shang-Chi. The biggest regret for some was that Tony Stark wasn’t around to face off against Wenwu.

What is Next For Trevor Slattery in the MCU?

At the end of Shang-Chi, Trevor chose to stay in Ta Lo with Morris, but he didn’t stay there for long. He reappeared as a friend of Simon in Wonder Man. Considering the new movie’s setting within the film industry, bringing back an actor from within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, like Trevor, makes a lot of sense. The Wonder Man trailer hinted at Trevor’s past as the impersonator of the Mandarin when a casting director offhandedly mentioned he “used to be a terrorist.”

Marvel’s YouTube channel released a promotional video for a fake acting class taught by Trevor Slattery, hinting at his return in the upcoming series Wonder Man. This is a big change from how the character was handled just ten years ago. Introducing Wenwu in Shang-Chi helped make the twist involving Trevor in Iron Man 3 more palatable. Since Wonder Man appears to be a lighter story, it’s likely Trevor Slattery will survive and potentially reappear in future Marvel Cinematic Universe projects.

Read More

2025-12-05 03:11