Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings arrived in 2021 to critical and financial acclaim. The film, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, earned over $430 million worldwide—an impressive amount considering that, at the time of its release, many were still not fully comfortable with going back into theaters. A few months after its release, it was announced that a sequel was in development, written and directed by Cretton.
In the time since the announcement, however, the director was hired to helm 2025's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. That, combined with Cretton's Wonder Man series for Disney+, put into question how long it would be until Shang-Chi 2 arrived in theaters. The sequel was not given a release date at Marvel Studios' SDCC 2022 panel or at D23, but a new rumor purports to have revealed when Shang-Chi 2 will come out and, if accurate, it means the movie is still quite a long way off.
The moderators at MarvelStudiosSpoilers on Reddit put together a list of MCU-related information they received. It was split into two sections: “Trusted Sources” and “Unverified Sources.” Under the former, it was stated that Shang-Chi 2 is slated to release on February 14, 2025, which would mean the film will come out three years and five months after its predecessor.
That is one of Marvel Studios’ mystery dates revealed at SDCC (via Collider), and is one of four dates planted by the House of Ideas for 2025. The other offerings scheduled for that year are The Kang Dynasty (May 2), an untitled project (July 25) and Avengers: Secret Wars (November 7).
While this is currently a rumor, Charles Murphy, from the website Murphy's Multiverse, backed up the information, tweeting: "If you haven't noticed, this is something I've talked about for quite a while now and I would concur with this source."
Furthermore, Shang-Chi 2 coming out in February 2025 makes sense, given that it appears Marvel Studios announced all the projects it's scheduled to release from now through 2024 at SDCC 2022.
What Could This Rumored Release Date Mean For Shang-Chi?
If the rumored release date is true, it would mean Shang-Chi 2 will arrive shortly before the concluding chapters of the Multiverse Saga. This is interesting, because it could hint at Shang-Chi’s post-credits scene having been an early breadcrumb for the upcoming Avengers films. The sequence showed Shang-Chi discussing his rings with Wong, Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers. Wong informed the hero that the weapons were acting as a beacon, having sent a message to an undisclosed location.
The tease seemed to have major implications not only for Shang-Chi, but also for the MCU as a whole—specifically, as mentioned, for the next Avengers-level event. Should the sequel's rumored release date be accurate, Shang-Chi 2 coming out shortly before the Multiverse Saga’s climax could give validity to the idea that the Ten Rings have something to do with either The Kang Dynasty and/or Secret Wars.
For now, though, there is little to go on regarding what the sequel will be dealing with. And judging by how far away the film seems to be, it could be a while until a better picture for Shang-Chi's next adventure is able to be formed.
It’s important to note that, though the movie is rumored to be relatively far-off, it doesn’t necessarily mean audiences won’t see Simu Liu's character in the next two years. Marvel Studios has made a habit of having long gaps between franchise installments, shown by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (it released over five years after Doctor Strange), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (six years after Vol. 2), Thor: Love and Thunder (over four years after Ragnarok) and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (four years after Ant-Man and the Wasp).
Despite the long wait between sequels, the films’ protagonists tend to show up in other projects in between. Thor and the Guardians, for example, were featured in Infinity War and Endgame; Ant-Man and Wasp also appeared in Endgame, while Doctor Strange had roles in Ragnarok, Infinity War, Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home prior to Multiverse of Madness.
Taking that background into consideration, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Shang-Chi appear in another MCU project (or projects) prior to the release of his sequel.