According to The Cosmic Circus, Disney has registered a new production company in the UK - named "Atlas Hall" - for an upcoming Marvel Studios movie.
They speculate that this could be for an Agents of Atlas-related project or even Thor 5 seeing as Thor: Love and Thunder ended by setting the stage for the God of Thunder to battle Hercules (in Greek mythology, Atlas was condemned by Zeus to hold up the heavens for eternity).
We'll see if more is revealed in the coming months but the site has also shed new light on Shang-Chi's future...and he might just be tied to the mysterious production company mentioned above.
The character, played by Simu Liu, hasn't been seen since 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. A sequel, tentatively titled Shang-Chi and the Wreckage of Time, was expected to tie into Kang's story but was never officially announced.
The site has heard that Liu will reprise the role in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars after being "called upon to join the fight by the current Sorcerer Supreme, Wong."
From there, Shang-Chi will get another solo movie featuring the Atlas Foundation as its potential villain. The stage would then be set for the Agents of Atlas to be formed.
In the comics, the Atlas Foundation was a secret organisation formed by the descendants of Genghis Khan. Their goal was to continue the Mongol Empire's legacy by conquering the world and they did so by creating a complex criminal organization.
Jimmy Woo was destined to join their ranks but his parents took him to safety in America. He ultimately defeated the group and took over, using their network to form the heroic Agents of Atlas.
This report explains, "One of the themes that sources told us about was how the film would approach the impact of Wenwu's death following the events of the first film ... His sacrifice, as well as the change in the chain of command in the organization, with Xialing taking over, would send ripples across criminal organizations worldwide. Still, none would be more interested than the Atlas Foundation."
"According to what sources inform us, the Ten Rings has developed quite a rivalry with the Atlas Foundation, dating back as early as the 13th century when Genghis Khan rose to power and the Mongol Empire began their conquest of China and India. Wenwu and Khan would have been mortal enemies, and their armies would have waged war for decades," it continues.
Led by the mysterious Mr. Lao, it sounds like the remains of the MCU's Atlas Foundation have gone underground after Wenwu laid waste to them. The Mandarin's death means they can step out of the shadows, with "The Golden Horde (Atlas Foundation's Warriors) [attacking] the Ten Rings headquarters and potentially [trying] to take out Xialing."
That would bring Shang-Chi into the story alongside Jimmy Woo as he investigates the "mysterious Golden Claw." Early plans called for Loa to be tied to Ms. Marvel's Clandestines, though that ultimately failed to pan out.
As for who will make up the MCU's Agents of Atlas, the site has heard names like Amadeus Cho, Iron Fist (Lin Lie), and Luna Snow.
This is all little more than a rumour right now so we'd advise taking it all with a pinch of salt. Still, Shang-Chi's future in the MCU is starting to look brighter than it has for some time...