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Real talk, folks – before I was obsessed with anime and the cinematic juggernaut that is the MCU, I absolutely loved martial arts movies. The genre got its hooks into me from an early age; one of my first memories was sitting down to watch Rumble in the Bronx with my family and marveling that someone could look so cool swinging a ladder around. So, I cannot tell you the intense joy that I felt watching Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings for the first time. Or, rather, I can and I will - because that's what this week's Marvel-ous is all about.

Shang-Chi isn’t just the best MCU martial arts entry (though the competition is mainly limited to Iron Fist so… no competition at all, really) but it is an elaborate love letter to one of the greatest film genres out there. Each of the big set pieces not only delivers big action and impact but serves as an extended homage to key figures in the martial arts genre.

I mentioned Jackie Chan’s Rumble in the Bronx earlier not just because it was a foundational moment in my love for kung fu movies but because it is a great segue into one of my favorite scenes in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. When Shang-Chi is assaulted by his father’s agents on a bus, the ensuing fight has every hallmark of some of Jackie Chan’s greatest hits. The creative use of the environment. The “I’m just a nice guy why is this happening to me?” expression on Simu Liu’s face at the start. The subtle humor mixed throughout to underscore the tension.

This scene was the most obvious example of Jackie Chan’s influence on Shang-Chi, but you can see the martial arts legend’s fingerprints throughout. The fight coordinator for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was Andy Cheng, who served as a member of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team for years and even doubled for Chan on occasion. Stunt coordinator Brad Allan was also a member of the same team. Marvel Studios had clearly learned their lesson from the poor reception to Iron Fist and ensured everyone involved in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings knew their stuff and it shows. Even the cast is steeped in martial arts film legends. Tony Leung, Yuen Wah, the legendary Michelle Yeoh are all here to ensure that we know exactly what kind of movie we're getting.

However, if it was just Jackie Chan who got the Marvel treatment in Shang-Chi, the movie wouldn’t have felt whole and it certainly wouldn't have reflected the huge variety in the martial arts film genre. The opening sequence between Fala Chen and Tony Leung is pure fantasy martial arts cheese, with weightless, mystical battles that defy physics and logic. But the thing that made this scene a love letter to films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero wasn’t the visual style - the wire-fighting and mystical use of internal energy - on display; it was the conversation that the two characters have through fighting. They’re not just trading blows; they’re communicating without words and director Destin Daniel Cretton nails that.

 While Cretton isn’t generally known as a martial arts film guy (look, another segue!), he cites Kung Fu Hustle as one of his favorite entries in the genre – which is probably why the fight scene on the side of a Macau skyscraper feels like it is full of frantic, chaotic energy of Stephen Chow’s hit film combined with the confined nature of The Raid. Keen-eyed fans will even spot the Kung Fu Hustle poster on the wall of Shang-Chi’s bedroom, marking the most overt reference to this landmark film in the martial arts genre.

Even without understanding all these references and influences, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings would have been one of my favorite MCU films. Being the martial arts film fanatic that I am just made me appreciate it a little bit more. This isn’t just a great introduction to one of Marvel’s martial arts masters – it is a great love letter to an entire film genre that remains one of the most popular in the world that had me pulling a Steve Rogers the whole time by pointing at the screen and saying, “I understood that reference.” What’s not to love?

Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:

• All the upcoming MCU movies, TV series, and specials on the horizon
• How to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe in release or chronological order
• The best Marvel Comics stories of all time
• All the MCU movies ranked from best to worst