Jessica Henwick Was Eyed For Xialing Role In SHANG-CHI; Reveals How Long [SPOILER] Knew About MCU Debut

We recently learned that The Matrix Resurrections star Jessica Henwick was eyed for a role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, prompting fans to wonder about the possibility of Colleen Wing making her MCU debut. However, further emphasising that Marvel Television shows aren't canon is the reveal that Henwick was actually eyed for a different character altogether: Shang-Chi's sister, Xialing.

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, the Iron Fist alum explained that she was reluctant to play the new leader of the Ten Rings because she didn't want to close the door on Colleen just yet. 

"That definitely did come up in the discussion. If I did [Shang-Chi], I would effectively be putting Colleen to bed. It wasn’t the main factor, but it definitely came up in conversation," Henwick explains. "I love Colleen. She changed my life. Of course, if I was given the opportunity to revisit her, I would, but I just don’t know how likely that is. Charlie knew about that opportunity years ago. He already knew it was happening. I think I would have heard by now if there were any plans with Colleen."

That's an interesting piece of intel about Charlie Cox's Spider-Man: No Way Home return, and Marvel Studios has clearly had big plans to reboot his Daredevil for the MCU for some time now. 

As for whether she could play Colleen again down the line, Henwick doesn't sound optimistic. "That would be cool! If it was the right moment, the right project, for sure. I love Colleen. But we’ll see. I gave her a happy ending. She’s happily living in New York with Misty [Simone Missick]. They’re running their own business together. So she’s good where she is as well."

Moving forward, it appears we could see a mix of the same actors playing these characters and new actors taking on the roles. The Marvel Television shows are still part of the MCU Multiverse, but chances are nothing that happened in them is going to have any sort of impact on what we see from Marvel Studios. In a lot of cases - Deathlok's portrayal in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. springs to mind - that's a good thing!

Do you think Henwick should signed up to play Xialing in Shang-Chi?