Despite kicking its way into theaters when moviegoers were still wary about heading to multiplexes, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings grossed an impressive $432.2 million in 2021.
Nearly four years later, we're still waiting to see Shang-Chi in action again. Fortunately, Simu Liu has been confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday, but there was a time when it looked like the character would be a central focus of the Multiverse Saga.
Shang-Chi was reportedly being lined up to take centre stage in Shang-Chi and the Wreckage of Time (a movie we expected Marvel Studios to announce at 2022's San Diego Comic-Con) and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Plans changed, and Shang-Chi's Ten Rings likely no longer have ties to Kang. Still, that's an easy "retcon" when they hail from Kakaranthara (the home of Fin Fang Foom) in the comics.
For the time being, work on the sequel appears to have completely stalled, especially with filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton busy shooting Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Reacting to a post about Superman follow-up, Man of Tomorrow, Liu cheekily referenced his frustrations with Shang-Chi 2 taking such a long time to materialise, courtesy of a well-chosen emoji.
Based on how much time has passed and the fact that moviegoers will only turn up for superhero movies that are event-level epics, the odds of a Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings follow-up are slim. The character should easily find a place in other team-up projects—he may even briefly team up with Spidey next summer if the rumblings we've heard are accurate—but another solo outing isn't a sure thing.
Asked about a Spider-Man: Brand New Day cameo earlier this year, Liu said, "Oh, I’m not even - I’m not even going near that one," the actor laughed. "I haven’t heard anything. I love people who love those movies, and I also love those movies."
Before that, he'd addressed concerns about his sequel being shelved now that Cretton (who was once in line to helm Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) has shifted focus to the web-slinger.
"I don’t think anything’s been impacted," he said. "I think we’re all...I speak to Destin often and there’s nothing coming out of both of us but excitement to make this film."
Superman was released this past July, and Man of Tomorrow looks set to follow less than two years later. That's a quick turnaround for a sequel, but one that fans have responded positively to in an age where it's not uncommon to be left waiting for anywhere up to five years.
Stay tuned for updates on Shang-Chi's MCU future as we have them.