Jet Li portrays the live-action version of The Emperor in Mulan 2020? Directed by Niki Caro, the modern update of the 1998 animated film includes new characters and a tweaked storyline, but stays true to the spirit of the original source material, Ballad of Mulan. Yifei Liu replaces Ming-Na Wen in the lead role, and martial arts icon Li replaces the late Pat Morita as The Emperor of China.
In Mulan 2020, The Emperor character mostly stays the same, at least in relation to the primary storyline. What changes, however, is the focal threat. The animated feature includes the villain Shan Yu (voiced by Miguel Ferrer), who views the construction of the Great Wall as a personal challenge. For Disney’s 2020 version of Mulan, Shan Yu is replaced by the Rouran warrior Bori Khan (Jason Scott Lee), who essentially has the same goals: to defeat The Emperor’s military units and to assume control. In both films, Mulan disguises herself as a man and takes her ailing father’s place in the Imperial Army, which sets up the inevitable gender reveal and the title character’s face-to-face meting with The Emperor.
As The Emperor in Mulan 2020, Li has a significantly different look than in past roles. The character wears heavy amounts of clothing to match his regal status, and also wears a thick Fu Manchu mustache and goatee. When Li transitioned from Chinese cinema to mainstream Hollywood movies during the late ’90s and early 2000s, he had a clean-cut look in films such as Lethal Weapon 4, Romeo Must Die, and Cradle to the Grave. Similarly, Li displayed a clean-shaven appearance in other films of the time like Hero and The One, though his haircut is more culturally specific in Fearless, a 2006 martial arts film.
In April 2018, Li was 55 years old when he was cast for Mulan 2020. The actor’s output had slowed down during the 2010s, though he did portray Yin Yang in The Expendables trilogy with other high-profile action stars such as Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jason Statham (to name a few). However, Li’s last leading role in a Hollywood blockbuster was all the way back in 2007 for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, portraying Emperor Han opposite Brendan Fraser’s Rick O’Connell. With Mulan, Li shows more range as a powerful figure who imparts wisdom to the title character and acknowledges her bravery in battle. There’s a weariness to Li’s face as The Emperor that makes the Mulan 2020 character feel both authentic and authoritative during the film’s most heart-warming moments.
Li initially turned down a role in Mulan 2020. The actor changed his mind, however, after reconsidering the bigger picture and what the film could accomplish for Chinese culture. During a recent interview (via Yahoo News), Li revealed that his 15-year-old daughter asked him three key questions about the role. She wanted to know if her father was proud of Chinese culture, if he needed money, and if Disney was invested in telling a Chinese story. Li then realized that he was passing up on a unique opportunity, and decided to accept The Emperor role after being “shocked” by his daughter’s perceptive assessment of Disney’s intentions for Mulan 2020.
