What is the controversy surrounding Shang-Chi's Ten Rings logo? Read to find out

The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings logo controversy has now completed a full circle. It's worth noting that foreshadowing for the upcoming film's "Ten Rings" had begun with the first film in the Marvel Comic Universe (MCU), Iron Man. While the ten rings are actual rings worn by the antagonist, The Mandarin, in the comics, in the MCU it's a terrorist organization. Here's what the controversy is all about - 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings releases on September 3, 2021

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings logo controversy

Graphic designer, Dianne Chadwick, created the logo for the mysterious Ten Rings organization for the film, Iron Man, 14 years ago. Fourteen years later, the logo is now a part of a central MCU film and is much more than just an easter egg from the comics. When the logo was showcased in Iron Man 3, Marvel had received a letter of complaint from the Mongolian government taking offence to the use of the symbols in the logo. 

They expressed concerns about the symbols being linked to a terrorist organization in the film. Chadwick’s original red and black insignia, featuring two crossed swords enclosed by 10 interlocking circles, was inscribed with the names of ancient Mongolian tribes in the traditional vertical script. It became one of the franchise’s first Easter eggs, later appearing in Iron Man 3, Marvel One-Shot's All Hail the King, and a deleted scene in Ant-Man.

In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the logo for the Ten Rings organization now features Chinese instead of Mongolian alphabets. Now, a new black and white version of the logo swaps out the Mongolian for 10 inoffensive Chinese characters written in ancient seal script, all synonyms for strength or power. When the design had upset Mongolian fans, Chadwick had said: 

Of course we tried very hard not to offend anyone; we are creating for a worldwide audience.

However, here's how the controversy completes a full circle. Oyungerel Tsedevdamba, Mongolia’s minister of culture, sports and tourism at the time, had penned the complaint to Marvel. However, she now seemingly is taking back her words. She said: 

My complaint was the kind that a happy child makes about just having bread but not cake on the table. When even the bread disappears, everything looks good, even a terrorist logo. I wish Marvel had stood firm on its use of Mongolian script. I want the world to use it — any movie, in any way.

According to the former minister, the concerns expressed at the time by the Mongolian government were not as important and neither was the letter she wrote to Marvel. In today's time, the historic script shown above has almost been wiped out in Mongolia by now, with only a fraction of people knowing how to make those symbols. However, Shang-Chi would've put those symbols everywhere in the world. 

While speaking about the symbol now, Tsedevdamba said: 

I gave them a bad excuse for the change; if they asked me now, I’d tell them to change it back.

(Image: Shang Chi/Instagram