How Shang-Chi Could Set Up the Future of Iron Fist...or Destroy It

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has arrived and is on pace for a major haul at the box office over an extended holiday weekend. The Simu Liu-starring feature unfurled another corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe we had yet to visit and in the process, may have either set up a fan-favorite Marvel character — or destroyed any chance we'll ever see him in live-action again. That's right, we're talking about the Immortal Iron Fist.

Major spoilers up ahead for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Proceed with caution if you've yet to see the latest feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

After watching through Shang-Chi, one thing is immediately apparent to fans of Danny Rand — the mythos introduced in the movie is nearly identical to that of Iron Fist's in the Marvel source material. The Destin Daniel Cretton film introduces the mystical Ta-Lo, an ancient city in the Marvel lore that exists only adjacent to this reality. In the movie, you can only get to it once per year if you know the right path. Interestingly enough, Iron Fist's K'un-Lun is a similar city, an interdimensional location that can only be accessed once every blue moon.

On top of all that, those that live in Ta Lo are able to harness the power from the "Heart of the Dragon," or the red and white Great Protector dragon that lives near the city. To become the Iron Fist, you have to harness the power of Shou-Lao by plunging your fist through its heart.

Starting to see the similarities?

Then there were tidbits dropped along the way that could hint at a potential Iron Fist inclusion at one point or another. Ying Nan, played by the great Michelle Yeoh, was responsible for giving audiences some exposition for Ta Lo and its rich history. During a walk-along tour of the village, the martial arts master explained there are multiple mystical cities that joined together to fight the Dweller-in-Darkness and lock it away behind the gate.

Could K'un-Lun be one of those mystical cities? With the in-universe rules now laid out in Shang-Chi, we know people can absorb the power of dragons within the franchise's continuity. Because of that, could Iron Fist be soon on the way, or is it too redundant now that Shang-Chi is running away at the box office?

Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and produced by Kevin Feige and Jonathan Schwartz, with Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Charles Newirth serving as executive producers. David Callaham & Destin Daniel Cretton & Andrew Lanham wrote the screenplay for the film, which is now in theaters.

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