From Marvel to George Mason: Meet the new modern and classical languages chair

When Liang Luo steps into a classroom-or works on a film, for that matter-she brings with her a rare blend of scholarship, creativity, and cultural sensitivity. This fall, Luo begins her role as chair of George Mason University's Department of Modern and Classical Languages, a position that recognizes her academic leadership as well as her global perspective. 

But it's often another of her accomplishments that sparks the most curiosity: her work as a language and culture consultant for Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. 

Luo, who grew up in Chongqing, China, and later earned a degree in East Asian languages and civilizations from Harvard University, was tapped by Marvel for her expertise on Chinese folklore and mythology, especially the legend of the White Snake-a story that inspired many elements of the film. While advising the studio, she was also completing her second book, The Global White Snake(University of Michigan Press, 2021). 

"I really had to educate myself when I was assigned this consulting job," Luo recalled. She traveled to Burbank, California, to deliver presentations to Marvel's creative team, advocating strongly for two elements: Mandarin dialogue and dynamic female characters, such as Awkwafina's Katy and Michelle Yeoh's Ying Nan. 

For Luo, cultural consultation is about more than authenticity-it's about amplifying voices that might otherwise be left out.  

"There's a lot of controversy surrounding cultural appropriation, but my view is that cultures are always appropriated," she said. "If you think you have ownership toward a culture and other people are appropriating it, I don't think that's a very healthy starting point for dynamic cultural changes and transformations." 

Her curiosity has always fueled her work. "Discovering new languages leads to a different worldview that's not available to you as a monolingual person," Luo said. "That's really the foundation of my passion." 

Luo's expertise has since led her to another consulting project, this time for Netflix's animated film Over the Moon, which reimagines the Mid-Autumn Festival while exploring mother-daughter bonds. 

At George Mason, she is eager to spotlight the breadth and depth of the department she now leads. "Our faculty are amazing-multi-talented, multilingual, and exceptional researchers and teachers winning international fellowships," she said. "I'm very excited to get to know more of them." 

Ann Ardis, dean of Mason's College of Humanities and Social Sciences, praised Luo's arrival. 

"Her scholarship and creative work in global Asian studies and on transhistorical and cross-cultural translations and interpretations of Chinese folklore and mythology, together with her interests in capaciously cross-disciplinary collaborations in both teaching and research, will elevate our George Mason faculty and students," Ardis said. 

As Luo takes on her new role, she sees accessibility and support as central to her leadership. "It's very important for me as a new chair to be really accessible and to support my faculty so they can excel in their job to serve our students," she said. 

Whether guiding students through the complexities of language and literature or shaping global narratives for the big screen, Luo continues to bridge worlds-academic, cultural, and creative.