Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi was reportedly set to be one of the leads in Avengers 5. It has been three years since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opened in theaters, and fans are still waiting for Simu Liu to return as the character. While news of a Shang-Chi sequel is slow, it appears the character was set to have a significant role in the fifth Avengers movie, previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, before the movie was renamed Avengers: Doomsday.
In a piece published by Inverse, the website confirmed that Shang-Chi would have been one of the main leads in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. So far, this has not been confirmed by either the studio, or the star himself, so is all still considered a rumor at this point. No additional details were provided by the article, but it is likely that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty would have paid off Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings mid-credit scene that teased the Ten Rings being a beacon. In theory, this could still apply to Doomsday, with the beacon being connected to Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom rather than Kang the Conqueror.
Shang Chi Will Return…But When?
There certainly is a great amount of evidence to suggest that Shang-Chi was going to be a major character in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. The movie was set to be directed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton after Marvel announced the title for the Avengers movie at San Diego Comic-Con in 2022. The director dropped out of the project in November 2023, one month before Jonathan Majors was fired from Marvel Studios. Cretton was said to be working on a Shang-Chi sequel and the Wonder Man series.
There is also the fact that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was big hit for Marvel Studios during their Multiverse Saga. Shang-Chi was the first new character launch since Captain Marvel back in 2019, and at a time when audiences were still hesitant to return to the theaters following the COVID-19 pandemic, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings earned $224 million domestic and $432 million worldwide. It also was a big hit with fans and critics, with a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite some fans thinking Marvel might have lost their touch following Avengers: Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings proves that Marvel Studios still had what it took to launch a successful film.
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There are many reasons why news of a Shang-Chi sequel has not been forthcoming. With so many sub-franchises now in play, Marvel Studios has to work out exactly which characters they prioritize depending on their place in the story. Also, it has only been three years since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was released – in Marvel terms, that is not particularly a long time. Doctor Strange made his debut in 2016, and fans had to wait six years for his next solo outing in Multiverse of Madness. In the end, it is certain that Shang-Chi will return, and fans just need to patiently wait to see exactly when and where.
