Disney fans have taken to social media to express their disappointment after it became apparent that the rumoured bisexual character of Li Shang would be excluded from the upcoming live-action remake of Mulan.
In the 1998 animated film, Li Shang plays Mulan's love interest - appearing to fall in love with her even before she's revealed to be a woman.
According to a leaked casting call, Li Shang has been replaced entirely by a character named Chen Honghui, who joins the army alongside Mulan (AKA 'Ping').
It is believed the new film's narrative involves Honghui overcoming competitiveness and an all-too-common “bullying streak” before falling in love with Mulan, but not before she reveals herself as a woman.
While some fans questioned the strength of claims that Li Shang was bisexual to begin with, others insisted the problem was bigger than that.
"They're not making him explicitly straight, they're replacing him with a character who hates and bullies and has no respect for Mulan until he finds out she's a girl. Sheng aside, Mulan deserves better than that." One user wrote in a tweet.
Mulan is expected to be released in 2020 and stars actress Yifei Liu in the titular role.
