Culture

Fans outraged as bisexual Disney icon ‘removed’ from new Mulan film

Apr 18 2018
Written by Josh Jackman

(Disney and Twitter)

Bisexual icon Li Shang has seemingly been removed from Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan – and fans are outraged.

Shang won over bi fans everywhere in the original 1998 animated film, with many adoring Disney’s apparently unintentional creation of a character who is clearly attracted to both Mulan and her male alter-ego, Ping.

As one person has put it, “shang is giving mulan the exact same look even when he thought she was a man THIS BISEXUAL TEA.”

(Twitter/cecedizzy)

But according to a casting call unearthed by Twitter account nerdyasians, Disney has engaged in literal bi-erasure, eliminating the subject of so many young viewers’ crushes from the new film, which is due to be released in 2020.

Instead, Mulan will reportedly serve under Commander Tung, played by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story actor Donnie Yen, on their mission to defeat the Huns, while her love interest will be rival soldier Chen Honghui.

Our hero’s paramour will apparently be “strapping, cocky and handsome… and determined to be the best soldier in human history.”

saddened to report it’s basically been confirmed that li shang will not be in the live-action mulan.

the mulan casting call has been confirmed to be accurate. donnie yen was cast as “commander tung,” who is in the description for “chen honghui.”

rest in peace bisexual icon. pic.twitter.com/7El8TDhJg5

— nerdy (@nerdyasians) April 16, 2018

“Full of himself, with a mean, bullying streak to him, he quickly realises that Mulan is his chief rival, but he does not realise that she is a woman,” the description says.

The description explains that “after learning that his rival is a woman, his intense feelings of rivalry turn into something very different, something like love.”

(Disney)

So instead of a bisexual icon, Mulan viewers will seemingly be treated to a bullying jock who is full of himself.

Fans were not happy.

One wrote: “ExCUSE ME????? THIS is illEGAL I’m calling the queer cops “.

(Twitter/forbala_)

“Li ‘You fight good’ Shang and Fa ‘tf is gender roles anyway’ Mulan are the queer couple we all deserve.”

Another simply asked: “WHAT IS MULAN WITHOUT OUR BI ICON LI SHANG.”

(Twitter/cachipeco)

One person posed an important question, writing: “so do boycott the new mulan movie and demand our savior bi li shang be in it or go to the movie to see how bad it will be without our savior bi li shang.”

(Twitter/telelance)

And another fan brought some excellent shade, tweeting: “Disney: We’re so LGBT friendly”.

“Also Disney: *totally delete the bi icon Li Shang of the Mulan live action to put totally straight character in replacement just to be sure*.”

(Twitter/feltonewt)

Along these same lines, one person – who brilliantly changed their username to reflect their feelings – wrote: “Disney: accidentally creates a bi character.”

“Disney: covers their ass by replacing iconic, beloved bi character with a brutish, cocky character who bullies female lead until he realises she’s a woman and therefore not a threat to his precious manhood anymore.”

(Twitter/pensvsswords)

Another threw some GIF-fuelled shade, saying: “disney when they realized they accidentally made li shang bisexual by having him fall in love with mulan while he thought she was a boy and that there’s nothing they can say now to deny it or change that fact.”

disney when they realized they accidentally made li shang bisexual by having him fall in love with mulan while he thought she was a boy and that there’s nothing they can say now to deny it or change that fact pic.twitter.com/FZWIYqDY8v
— gabi (@harleivy) April 12, 2018

One person wrote: “We get it @Disney, you low key hate gay folks. You proved it by ruining Mulan by getting rid of any plot point that could even slightly point to Shang being bi ‍♀️.”