Shang-Chi is returning to the MCU, just not in the way we’d hope
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was perhaps one of Marvel’s more successful films after the huge success of Avengers: Endgame. Introducing Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, a warrior with real daddy issues, the film was released in 2021, and since then we have all been desperate for more.
It feels like we have been waiting to hear more news about Shang-chi forever. His introductory film was well-loved by Marvel fans, and it gave us the appropriate cliffhanger ending that hinted at bigger things to come for the hero. The last we saw of him, he and Katy had been summoned by Wong to a meeting regarding the origin of his rings. They, along with Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner, discovered that the rings were emitting a signal, but to whom, we do not know.
Since then, we haven’t seen much of Shang-Chi, despite fans begging for any info they can offer regarding a sequel. Many were hoping for more information at the D23 event that took place in Anaheim, California, over the last weekend. They were left somewhat disappointed.
Still no sequel, but …
Sorry, folks, but we still don’t have any more updates regarding a sequel. However, all is not lost. Three years after his first solo movie, Shang-Chi is returning to the MCU in the Marvel animated series Marvel Zombies. The animation panel showed off many of the upcoming animated projects they have in store such as Eyes of Wakanda, X-Men ’97, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, alongside the upcoming Marvel Zombies.
The latter, which will serve as a four-episode TV-MA series, will be one of the MCU’s more mature projects, inspired by the zombies found in the What If…? series and appearing to focus on Shang-Chi, Katy, and Agent Jimmy, with the live-action actors providing voiceovers for their animated characters.
Is a sequel coming?
In a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, Liu confirmed that a sequel film is coming, saying that it’s “definitely happening.” He added, “I think I speak for myself and Destin [Daniel Cretton], our returning director, when I say that we’re so beyond excited to jump back in.” Awkwafina, who plays Katy, recently admitted that she has heard nothing new about it, which could indicate that any progress on the sequel has been stalled—not the most encouraging news, then.
We will see Shang-Chi in animated form twice before he returns in a live action, in both Marvel Zombies and in the third season of What If…? It may not be the same as getting to see him kicking ass in real life (or as real life as movies can get), but it’s something, at least for now.
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