Fans of the original Mulan animated classic were shouting 'Dishonour!' when they realised Li Shang would not be featuring in the live-action remake, but don't worry, there's a perfectly sensible reason for it.
As well as leading one of Mulan's – nay, Disney's – best songs, 'I'll Make a Man Out of You', Li Shang has long been a fan-favourite for his ambiguous sexuality. Over the years, many fans have hailed the character as an LGBTQ+ icon, suggesting that Li Shang is bisexual after showing an interest in both Mulan as male soldier Ping and the 'real' Mulan.
Instead, Niki Caro's update has decided to substitute Li Shang with two new characters: Commander Tung and Cheng Honghui. Commander Tung will act as Mulan's leader and trainer, while Cheng Honghui will be a fellow soldier and close friend of Mulan's.
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Speaking to CinemaBlend, the movie's producer Jason Reed revealed that the #MeToo movement had inspired writers to move away from the character, who is not just Mulan's love interest, but also in a position of power.
"I think particularly in the time of the Me Too movement, having a commanding officer that is also the sexual love interest was very uncomfortable and we didn't think it was appropriate," Reed explained.
"And we thought that in a lot of ways that it was sort of justifying behaviour that we're doing everything we can to get out of our industry."
Related: Mulan remake doesn't have any songs for a very good reason
Revealing the dynamic between Li Shang's 'replacements' and the movie's star, Reed explained that while Commander Tung will act as Mulan's "surrogate father and mentor", Honghui will be presented as an almost-love interest.
"There is no power dynamic between [Honghui and Mulan], but there is the same dynamic that was in the original movie with Li Shang which is like, 'Hey, I really respect you, and why do I like this dude so much and what does this say about me?'," he said.
"And we have that same dynamic. And I think, in this movie, it plays in a little more sophisticated way."
Mulan will be released in cinemas on March 27, 2020.
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