TheJet Liscience fiction movie from 2001 where the famed martial artist played nine different characters accurately predicted a big franchise trend in the 2020s.Jet Li’s best movieshighlight his legendary abilities within the action genre, with many titles such asHeroandFearlessshowcasing both his physical prowess and his strong acting skills.However, the action genre was not the only one to experience Jet Li’s talents, especially in the early 2000s as he branched out into telling other kinds of stories.
Jet Li, during that time frame, tried to establish himself in the science fiction genrethrough his starring role in the 2001 filmThe One.While that film ended up being one of his less popular additions, it did allowJet Li’s wushu fighting styleto be displayed in new ways and let the film experiment with certain concepts. Some of those concepts ended up becoming popular later, allowing Jet Li’s film to be at the forefront of tropes that are used heavily today in the superhero sphere.
Jet Li’s The One Included Multiverse Tropes Currently Used By Marvel & Other Franchises
The Story Follows Jet Li’s Character As He Infiltrates Other Universes
Jet Li’sThe Oneused several concepts that Marvel and other superhero franchises are using today, including many tropes connected to multiverses.The film follows Jet Li’s character Gabriel Yulaw, an agent of the Multiverse Authority or MVA who is determined to become a being known as The One, which can only be achieved by murdering one’s variants. As he goes on this multiversal killing spree, he is hunted by MVA agents and one of his own variants, who is fighting for survival and to sustain his normal life.
Jackie Chan & Jet Li Played 1 Kung Fu Movie Character A Combined 7 Times
One kung fu movie character has been played by two of the biggest names in the genre - Jackie Chan and Jet Li - a combined seven times.
Many aspects of Jet Li’s film mirror those ofthe MCU’s multiverse timeline. Yulaw’s multiverse hopping mirrors that of the secondDoctor Strangefilm.The use of variants and a time authority was used later in both seasons ofLoki, with each protagonist having specific abilities to use against the group and survive their prison dimension. Jet Li’s battles with himself have been seen several times since in the MCU and in other franchises likeThe Umbrella Academy.Even so,The Onedid not really play into those tropes the same way, denying audiences the nuances of this premise.
The One Didn’t Do Its Clever Multiverse Concept Justice
The Film Ignored The Tropes' Bigger Implications
The One’s fascinating concepts went largely unexplored, leaving Jet Li’s one foray into science fiction to feel like less of a shift for the action film star.The Oneused its premise to create newfight scenes for Jet Li, utilizing aspects such as zero gravity and mirrored fighting styles to add to the stakes of the narrative.That being said, the actual logistics of the multiverse were ignored, leaving parts of the film’s world-building and the now-established themes of the trope to fall flat.
The multiverse trope has also allowed the larger genre to further the complexity of their world-building, creating new limits for the characters to overcome as they try to keep the multiverse together.
Multiverses have, as their use becomes more popular, adopted themes of identity, fate, and individuality, creating nuanced situations for characters to explore their inner selves and what they desire. The multiverse trope has also allowed the larger genre to further the complexity of their world-building, creating new limits for the characters to overcome as they try to keep the multiverse together.The Onedid not really touch upon these despite the fact that it used this trope, leaving theJet Lifilm to be a great action movie but not a proper exploration of this staple.
The One
Cast
The One is a science fiction action film directed by James Wong. Released in 2001, it stars Jet Li as Gabriel Yulaw, a rogue Multiverse agent who travels between parallel universes to become the strongest and most powerful by eliminating alternate versions of himself. The film also features performances by Carla Gugino and Delroy Lindo, who aid in the relentless pursuit to stop Yulaw’s destructive path.
