Disney's live-action remake of Mulan will hit theatres later this month, but it won't feature one of the main characters from the original.
Producers decided to remove Li Shang, arguing that the character and his relationship with Mulan is "inappropriate" in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
In the original animated version, Li Shang is a general in China's imperial army. Mulan joins the army in her father's place, disguised as a man named Ping, and they develop a bond — eventually going for dinner after Mulan's identity is revealed.
"I think particularly in the time of the #MeToo movement, having a commanding officer that is also the sexual love interest was very uncomfortable and we didn't think it was appropriate," producer Jason Reed told Collider.
As such, they divided the character of Li Shang into two different characters — Commander Tung as a father figure, and Honghui as an equal in the army.
Despite making moves to prevent criticism, Disney is being critiqued by some fans of the original film, who claim that leaving Li Shang in the film could have been a beneficial teaching moment — not to mention he's also become somewhat of an icon in the bisexual community.
Producers decided to remove Li Shang, arguing that the character and his relationship with Mulan is "inappropriate" in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
In the original animated version, Li Shang is a general in China's imperial army. Mulan joins the army in her father's place, disguised as a man named Ping, and they develop a bond — eventually going for dinner after Mulan's identity is revealed.
"I think particularly in the time of the #MeToo movement, having a commanding officer that is also the sexual love interest was very uncomfortable and we didn't think it was appropriate," producer Jason Reed told Collider.
As such, they divided the character of Li Shang into two different characters — Commander Tung as a father figure, and Honghui as an equal in the army.
Despite making moves to prevent criticism, Disney is being critiqued by some fans of the original film, who claim that leaving Li Shang in the film could have been a beneficial teaching moment — not to mention he's also become somewhat of an icon in the bisexual community.
Nevertheless, the new Li Shang-less version of Mulan will hit theatres on March 27.
