Shang-Chi's Big Bad Is One of Doctor Strange's Most Obscure Villains

When it comes to the comic source material, Shang-Chi isn't necessarily a character that lends himself to a deep library. Compared to the likes of Spider-Man, Wolverine, or the Fantastic Four, Shang-Chi has had significantly fewer villains finding themselves as part of his rogue's gallery. Then there's the racially charged portion of the character's history with characters like Fu Manchu that Marvel is all but burying deep into the ground. That's why it makes a significant amount of sense Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had to borrow a different character's nemesis to serve as the big bad in the franchise's debut film.

Significant spoilers up ahead for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Proceed with caution if you've yet to see the film.

As revealed halfway through the film's second act, the citizens of Ta Lo are responsible for keeping a mysterious force locked behind the Dark Gate. The force, of course, was soon revealed to be the Dweller-in-Darkness, a longtime nemesis of Doctor Strange in the Marvel source material. Though the two iterations of the character look vastly different from one another, they do share some similarities.

In both the comics and Shang-Chi, they're interdimensional beings that kill people. On top of that, they both have Lovecraftian-inspired designs with tentacles, wings, and general ickiness.

Other than that, the characters are pretty far apart. In the comics, the Dweller-in-Darkness is considered a Fear Lord, a loose "family" of characters who gain powers from making people afraid. In addition to the Dweller, other Fear Lords include Nightmare, D'Spayre, Nox, and Kkallakku.

Considering the Lovecraftian inspiration behind the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness name, we had previously hypothesized Dweller could be a character showing up in the highly anticipated Strange sequel. Because he's already arrived in the MCU — and been killed, for that matter — perhaps some of his family will be looking to get some payback come next year.

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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