Simu Liu made his MCU debut as Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The film arrived right as the MCU began to experience a decline in popularity, but broke though the noise and became arguably one of the most memorable installments in the franchise. Surprisingly, given the film's critical success, the hero has not received a sequel.
This has put Liu in an interesting position, as he's been attached to the role for quite a few years, but has only had one appearance under his mantle. Shang-Chi is set to return to in Avengers: Doomsday, but the question remains of when the character will get the spotlight on his own once again. Now, Simu Liu has chimed in on potential Shang-Chi sequels, and how long he'd like to continue playing the character.
During an interview with Comicbook.com, Liu was asked how many Shang-Chi sequels he'd like to see get made. The actor stated he'd like to continue on as the character as long as he's physically capable of doing so: "I would keep doing [Shang-Chi sequels] as long as I physically could."
His is a fairly standard response from an actor in a superhero role. However, in Liu's case, he has previously expressed his desire to make a Shang-Chi follow-up. During a 2025 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, for example, Liu was asked about a Shang-Chi sequel, to which he replied:
"I understand the overwhelming fan enthusiasm and sentiment for the movie and the character, and the sequels. And we are so excited at the prospect of bringing that character back, and using him more. [...] I love writing sequels in my head, and all the different storylines, so I get it."
The actor also hasn't been shy about his apparent frustration with the time it's taken to get a sequel off the ground. When James Gunn announced his Superman follow-up, Man of Tomorrow, for example, a fan replied to his tweet by stating they could not remember the last time a superhero sequel would arrive so soon after a first installment. Liu responded to that tweet with a telling emoji:
Going back to his interview with Comicbook.com, Liu also discussed dealing with perfectionism and impostor syndrome as a performer. Offering an insightful response, the actor opened up about his experience working with veteran Marvel actors who have inhabited their roles for so many years:
"I was just in quite a large Marvel movie with a lot of these actors—some of whom have been playing the same role for, like, over 20 years. And it's just, like, I'm stepping into their world. I'm stepping into their characters, who they've owned, and honed, and developed for so long. And it's everything I can do just to stop myself from shaking, you know? But I guess... the thought that kind of powers me is, 'You’ve gotta show up, and you gotta try your best.' You gotta try your best to get something usable in there, and get out of your own way."
There have been multiple rumors and reports concerning a Shang-Chi sequel over the years. One of the most recent updates came from Murthy's Multiverse Charles Murphy, who stated on X that Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton had gotten a lot of work done for a Shang-Chi prior to helming Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Though nothing seems to be set in stone yet, Avengers: Doomsday could give Simu Liu and his character a popularity boost, thus increasing the chances of a stand-alone sequel for him.
Avengers: Dooomsday will hit theaters on December 18, 2026.
Are you excited to get more Shang-Chi in the MCU? Would you like to see a Shang-Chi sequel?