The newest release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings is shaping up to be another hit for Marvel. And rightly so, as the movie is a splash of refreshing color to the world fans have grown to care so much about, while also introducing long-anticipated elements into the greater whole. Fans have been particularly excited about the return of the Mandarin, Iron Man’s iconic nemesis who seemed to draw the short straw with the release of Iron Man 3.
Shang-Chi has finally given The Mandarin his time to shine, and Xu Wenwu is among the few villains in the MCU that the viewers can truly empathize with. His fight is primarily motivated by the loss of his wife, and in a way, he’s a victim of the true villain of the show. But despite all that, Xu Wenwu isn’t a great parent to Shang-Chi and his sister, Xialing. Like many other parents in the MCU, he fails to prioritize his children and puts them through a great deal of pain instead.
This article contains spoilers for Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings.
8 Xu Wenwu’s Grief Over The Loss Of His Wife Turns Him Into An Abusive Father
The owner of the infamous Ten Rings, Xu Wenwu is an ancient warlord who uses his mystical weapons to build an army, topple governments, and gain control over innumerable territories. While seeking the mythical dimension of Ta Lo, Wenwu meets its guardian, Ying Li. She single-handedly defeats him in combat, and their fight turns into something unexpected: Love.
Xu Wenwu marries Ying Li and they have two children, Shang-Chi and Xialing. He attempts to leave his past behind, but his enemies refuse to let him. After the Iron Gang kills Ying Li, Xu Wenwu reembraces his former self. He trains his son to be an assassin, constantly exposing him to physically taxing and exploitative training techniques. Meanwhile, he neglects his daughter, arguing that he can’t even look at her due to her resemblance to Ying Li. Both children run away from him. Years later, when he finds them again, he does seem to have a change of heart— but he doesn’t get the chance to truly mend his relationship with his children as he is killed by the Dweller-in-Darkness.
7 Thanos Adopts Gamora & Nebula And Turns Them Into Weapons
In his quest to bring balance to the universe, Thanos attacks countless planets and kills half their populations. He adopts two children— Gamora and Nebula— from two of these planets, and the girls are raised by Thanos to be prized assassins and living weapons. Their natural skills aren’t enough, and Thanos cybernetically installs improvements on his adopted children. He pits Gamora and Nebula against each other, and whenever Nebula loses a fight against Gamora, she receives yet another cybernetic upgrade.
Thanos has no qualms about torturing Nebula in Avengers: Infinity War. He pulls her to pieces to get Gamora to cooperate, and Gamora agrees, leading him to the Soul Stone. This is what seals her fate. In a twisted way, Thanos does appear to care for her, and he sacrifices her to obtain the Soul Stone necessary for his plan.
6 Odin Raises His Children To Hate & Fight Each Other
One of the first parental figures to show up in the MCU, Odin the All-Father doesn’t really deserve his title. Through his campaign of conquest, he turns his daughter Hela into the monstrous Goddess of Death. Once she becomes impossible to control, he imprisons her in Hel, hiding the truth of her existence from the rest of his family. Even if he leaves his conquering days behind him, he doesn’t do much better with his two sons. Thor grows up to be almost as bloodthirsty as Hela, and Loki is raised in a poisonous lie. Deceived about his origins, he is taught that the members of his species are monsters. He’s always in Thor’s shadow and never given enough credit.
Odin’s behavior doesn’t improve with time. His favoritism of Thor continues when he sentences Loki to a far harsher punishment compared to that of his older son. Worst of all, he never tells them the truth about Hela, not until the last moments of his life. This leaves Asgard unprotected and helpless against Hela’s wrath.
5 Ego Uses His Children As Disposable Tools In His Expansion Quest
Ego the Living Planet is a Celestial who has a single purpose. Through the Expansion, he means to terraform every other world, obliterating all forms of life except himself. The process requires two Celestials, not just one— and to this end, he travels the universe, siring children with unknowing women. He has Yondu Udonta bring his offspring to him, and when the Celestial gene doesn’t show up, he kills them.
He does something similar to his son, Peter Quill. He seduces Peter’s mother Meredith with the sole intention of using her for the Expansion, then plants an inoperable brain tumor in her head. He hypnotizes Peter to help him, but the truth behind Meredith’s death snaps Peter out of his trance. With the help of his friends, Peter defeats his father.
4 Yondu Has A Complicated Parental Relationship With Peter Quill
Yondu decides against fulfilling his mission when he’s entrusted with Peter’s kidnapping. He raises Peter as a Ravager, although their relationship is complicated. Yondu constantly jokes about feeding Peter to his men, never showing him affection.
He threatens his life more than once throughout Guardians of the Galaxy, although in fairness, Peter does betray him by stealing the orb with the Power Stone. In the end, Yondu sacrifices himself to save Peter after Ego’s death, and Peter mourns him. Yondu did ultimately care for Peter and treated him like a son in the only way he knew how, but that doesn’t entirely make up for all the cruelty he showed Peter throughout his life and it played a large part in Peter’s selfishness as an adult.
3 Howard Stark Is Emotionally Neglectful Toward His Son Tony
Howard Stark’s appearances in the MCU are few and far in between, but even so, he’s extremely influential in the course of events. His involvement in Project Rebirth leads to the creation of Captain America. After Steve’s loss, he remains in close contact with Peggy Carter, and together with Chester Philips, they found SHIELD. All the while, he continues to develop weapons, becoming an important figure in the arms race during the Cold War.
His personal life suffers the consequences of his professional success. He loves his family, but he’s emotionally distant from his son Tony. Tony grows up believing his father considers him a disappointment. The disconnect between the two is present until the day of Howard’s death, and Tony relives their sharp bickering through his B.A.R.F. technology. Regardless, Tony is shown to have loved his father and even gets closure through the Time Heist.
2 Hank Pym Alienates His Daughter In His Quest To Find His Wife
In a way, Hank Pym is quite similar to Xu Wenwu. He loses his wife Janet in a mission for SHIELD when she goes subatomic to disable a missile. Janet seems forever lost in the Quantum Realm, but Hank refuses to give up. He spends the next ten years trying to find a way to rescue her, to the detriment of his relationship with his daughter, Hope.
He alienates her and sends her off to boarding school. Their relationship turns so sour she votes him out of his own company. The family begins to heal after they stop Darren Cross’s plans together. Hank then finally finds Janet in Ant-Man and the Wasp, but they are all killed in the Snap so any chance at rebuilding relationships and mending fences for the fractured family is cut short.
1 Scott Does His Best For Cassie But He Just Doesn’t Prioritize Her
Scott Lang is a loving father and adores his daughter, Cassie. His first thought upon being released from the Quantum Realm is her safety. Unfortunately, he often prioritizes his beliefs over his family.
As a result, he goes to prison for three years and his wife divorces him. He also jumps into helping Captain America with no regard as to the effects it will have on his loved ones. He dotes on his daughter when he can, but he’s just too reckless to be a good parent and becoming a superhero isn’t exactly going to afford him very much time to spend with her.
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