The Martial Arts Style You Didn't Know Shang-Chi Created

Shang-Chi and some of his biggest allies are entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a bang when "Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings" hits theaters on September 3. Simu Liu stars as the MCU's soon-to-be resident martial arts ultra-expert, and though many aspects of the character's role in the grand scheme of things remain mysterious, he seems destined to become a major player in the years to come. Perhaps at some point down the line, he'll even join the Avengers. 

Before Shang-Chi was announced as one of the fresh new faces of the MCU, the character toiled in relative obscurity as far as Marvel comics are concerned. Still, though he's hardly ever been an A-lister (yet), Shang-Chi had plenty of impact in Marvel's comic book universe. For instance, did you know that he once crafted a very specific fighting style, which ended up seeing some pretty high-profile use? Let's take a look at the martial arts style you may not have known Shang-Chi created.

Trouble is never far away from Peter Parker (played in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Tom Holland), but his spidery set of superpowers generally makes sure that he can handle even the toughest opponents. However, on occasion, Spider-Man has lost some of his powers — and when he has to operate without his all-important Spider-Sense during the "Spider Island" comic book event, things get even more dangerous than usual.

Fortunately, Shang-Chi is able to come up with a solution to the dilemma. The two heroes join forces to figure out a way Spidey can fight effectively without his Spider-Sense, and their solution is to create a brand-new martial art called Way of the Spider — or "Spider-Fu," as it's more affectionately known. The system merges Spider-Man's own creepy-crawly fighting skills with Shang-Chi's martial arts expertise, and the end result is precisely as effective as you'd assume. 

So, will we one day see the MCU version of Shang-Chi mentoring Spider-Man in this way? It might seem far-fetched, but then again, so did the concept of a movie starring Shang-Chi just a few short years ago. Considering how strong and agile Spidey already is, it would certainly be interesting to see him incorporate the lessons of the world's finest martial artist into his impressive combat array. Besides, that would mean the viewers get to see the two sparring — just imagine how cool that would be.