Wenwu is one of four MCU figures released in April 2021 as part of the wider Marvel Legends Mr. Hyde BAF wave. He is packed in the usual Marvel Legends box with illustrated side panels for the character, with the same image repeated on the reverse of the box alongside a very brief, and minimal spoilery, text overview of Wenwu - which references the MCU and the role of The Ten Rings across the whole MCU saga to date.
"Shang-Chi's father Wenwu is the feared leader of the Ten Rings Organization, which has lurked in the shadows of the MCU since the very beginning"
The figure presents one of the best likenesses amongst the Shang-Chi figures, with an excellent likeness to actor Tony Leung, utilising face print tech to very good effect.
The costume is also well executed with a black textured suit overlaid with a blue shoulder sash and pauldron and a skirt section with a blue geometric printed pattern. Each forearm features 5 ringed sections, each painted in bronze - there are a couple of issues here with paint where the bronze has not covered the base skin colour fully.
Wenwu is armed with a Hook Sword that is cast in a metallic silver colour with a painted black handle. The piece is nicely detailed and arrives straight and un-warped. It fits into a pair of gripping hands provided with Wenwu. The fit on these is quite tight so will need a bit of teasing to get the weapon situated. You also receive also an alternative pair of clenched fist hands and a third set that represents a tiger strike pose.
Wenwu is articulated with 19 points of articulation, as is standard on male Marvel Legend bodies. He does miss out on the T-joint torso & rotating waist, instead of relying on a single torso ball joint for upper body movement. This is actually sufficient and gives plenty of scope for action posing.
I notice that the two-part neck joint we see on the Star Wars Black Series has been used on Wenwu with a joint at both the base of the neck and where it meets the head. Elbows and knees remain double-jointed with the knees pinless which helps aesthetics. The skirt section does restrict the lower leg posing a little but all-in-all, Wenwu is a very dynamic figure with lots of posing options.
Wenwu is probably my favourite figure from the Shang-Chi figures released to date. While the other figures are great, Wenwu exceeds in all areas. The figure delivers with a fantastic sculpt, and a layered and detailed outfit that benefits from the onscreen design vs the plainer look of Shang-Chi himself. Wenwu is armed with a wicked-looking weapon, has a good selection of alternative hands, and articulation that makes the most of his martial arts background.
I wonder how popular this one will be after the film debuts and as we learn more about Wenwu as a character within the MCU.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, marvel, legends, shang-chi, legend of the ten rings, hasbro, wenwu