There have been rumours of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings featuring some sort of fight tournament for a long time, and that was seemingly confirmed by the latest trailer for the movie.
In the new teaser, we got to see Shang-Chi in action, but the big surprise was Wong taking on The Incredible Hulk villain, Abomination. Something tells us we'll see more familiar faces square off for whatever the big prize is here (Wenwu's Ten Rings, perhaps?), and that's got us thinking about cameos.
Marvel Studios has the unique opportunity to throw in some familiar faces from both the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe and the comic books. Shang-Chi can use this chance to set the stage for future stories and reintroduce us to characters who are long overdue a role in this shared world.
There are some bold predictions here, and a few we're convinced will happen. To see who makes the cut, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button down below!
8. Elektra
Look, we're well aware this is a case of wishful thinking, but how awesome would it be to introduce a character like Elektra in Shang-Chi?
We're not sure whether Elodie Yung could or should be brought back to take on this role, though we'd definitely be open to it (especially if Charlie Cox really is set to return as Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home). Either way, her classic comic book costume would be instantly recognisable to fans and would be every bit as major as that Abomination reveal.
Whether a cameo like this would do Elektra justice is up for debate, but there are worse ways she could be reintroduced to audiences as being part of the MCU!
7. Orson Randall
The vast majority of fans don't want Finn Jones to return as Iron Fist, and with all due respect to the actor, it's not hard to see why. Unlike many of the other Marvel characters who appeared on Netflix's version of the MCU, he was so poorly written that Jones' interpretation is beyond saving.
There's also an argument that can be made for casting an Asian actor as Danny Rand, but it's not actually that character we're talking about here today.
Instead, it's Orson Randall, another Immortal Iron Fist who continued tapping into that power long after World War I and during Danny's tenure. A cameo like this would be a smart way to tease the character's history, introduce some cool visuals, and open the door to Marvel Studios reintroducing Danny (and possibly bring Orson back) when they see fit.
6. U.S. Agent
Moving from Netflix to Disney+, there's another character who debuted on a streaming service we think would be perfect for Shang-Chi's mysterious tournament: John Walker.
Fans are convinced they've spotted a shield that looks a lot like Captain America's in the movie's trailers. If so, this could be the perfect place for John to make use of that Super Soldier Serum flowing through his veins after Valentina Allegra de Fontaine sends him on a mission to infiltrate this tournament as her U.S. Agent.
It would be a fun cameo, and a nice way to better establish the events of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier as being an important part of what comes next for the MCU.
5. Ronin
We don't know when exactly the events of Shang-Chi take place, but if Marvel Studios decides to fill in some of the gaps between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, it would be a great idea to have Jeremy Renner show up in his Ronin persona from the latter!
A tournament like this might be the very place he'd have chosen to come to let off steam after losing his family, while it's every bit as possible the hero could appear (undercover) in the present day in order to set the stage for the Hawkeye series coming to Disney+.
There's been a lot of speculation that Maya Lopez/Echo will become the new Ronin when she targets Clint Barton for the murder of her criminal father. If so, this movie could be a great way to introduce her, making us believe we're seeing Hawkeye in action, only to have her unmask.
4. A Black Widow
You'll notice we said a Black Widow, and that's because we're obviously not anticipating seeing the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. It's also a little too soon to make use of Yelena Belova, especially as she's been confirmed for a role in Hawkeye (we'd rather her new place in the MCU be established there properly before any further cameos).
This Black Widow could be an escapee from the Red Room - or someone sent there to fight - tying nicely into the movie that's released next month, all while showing what these women are capable of.
The concept of there being other Widows will be fully explored in the upcoming solo movie starring Scarlett Johansson, but Shang-Chi can elaborate further. This is probably one of the most likely suggestions here and is actually something we've seen rumoured for a while.
3. Mister X
Mister X is a wealthy businessman with a killing addiction who cuts a scar into his body for every life he takes. Wolverine actually encountered him when the two came face to face in a tournament Logan had been forced to take part in (sounds familiar, right?) and after initially being overpowered by X, the X-Man soon realises that he too is a mutant.
You see, this villain has the ability to psychically predict the next movement of his opponents, and with much of his history rooted in Madripoor, we could be looking at another tie-in to The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
No one would have to explicitly state he's a mutant, but this could be a fun use of a relatively obscure comic book character. Plus, he's someone Marvel Studios could choose to revisit and elaborate on down the line.
2. Psylocke
Psylocke is a complicated character, and there are a few ways Marvel Studios could handle her possible introduction in Shang-Chi. The first would be to have Betsy Braddock compete, though we find it unlikely Kevin Feige would ever explore the idea of a white woman taking over the body of an Asian one (there are a myriad of issues with that and it's simply the wrong time for it).
This Betsy could be Asian, of course, but we'd actually be far more excited to see the Kwannon version of the character take centre stage, leaving Betsy as part of that Captain Britain world.
Raised from birth to be a killer, Kwannon becomes one of Japan's top assassins, but later abandoned The Hand and gave being a hero a try. Her showing up in this movie would be a cool way to introduce this mutant, though just like with Mister X, that wouldn't have to be directly referenced in any way if it's still a little too soon!
1. Super-Skrull
The MCU has expanded massively in recent years, and if Abomination can compete in this tournament, why can't a character from outer space?
It's unclear whether this version of the Ten Rings will have an alien origin, but we reckon the Skrulls stand a good chance of showing up in this and many other movies as we near Secret Invasion. After all, the groundwork for that series has to be laid somehow, so why not have a suped-up Skrull take part in this tournament?
He wouldn't have to be the Super-Skrull, but perhaps an earlier prototype who has been experimented on in an effort to see how these shape-shifters can be enhanced. That opens the door to the real deal eventually showing up, all while making it clear that some Skrulls are, in fact, villains!