It’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been trying to find its footing following the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame. Endgame was essentially the culmination of everything that had come before in the MCU, and while there were various storylines that the movie’s ending set up (and Spider-Man: Far From Home was already set to be released a few months later), there were concerns that the franchise would never be the same. Some might argue that this has ultimately been proven true, although it really feels like too soon to say, even now.
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Among other upcoming movies and shows, the MCU’s first Avengers installment since Endgame, Avengers: Doomsday, is right around the corner, and it’s possible that this new movie will put the franchise on more stable footing. While fans anxiously wait to see whether that’s the case, though, there is an unfortunate truth to grapple with. Namely, as the MCU has moved forward after Endgame, several new characters seemed like they had very bright futures—unfortunately, that’s only really become the reality for one of them so far.
We Already Should Have Gotten Shang-Chi 2
Shang-Chi is arguably one of the single most underrated MCU movies overall, and that unfortunately might have a lot to do with when it was released. With Endgame hitting theaters in 2019, MCU movies and shows in general saw a dip in audience engagement and excitement—although there were some standouts, such as WandaVision, that defied those norms—which lasted for at least a few years. In part, this was by nature of the aforementioned role Endgame had played in the larger MCU, which left things feeling a little aimless when it was over.
Of course, it would be silly to ignore yet another reason movies in 2020, 2021, and even 2022 struggled to hit the numbers one might expect of a massive franchise like Marvel, and that’s the COVID-19 pandemic. While it was certainly no longer the height of the pandemic when Shang-Chi was released in 2021, things were still far from ‘normal,’ and a pandemic that completely changed the movie industry, at least for a period of time, understandably had an impact on movies more broadly.
This is obviously a shame for much graver reasons, but it’s also disappointing for Shang-Chi, as this was a movie that deserved so much more hype. In fact, it’s shocking that, in the nearly five years since Shang-Chi came out, very little progress has seemingly been made on the sequel. Shang-Chi 2 is confirmed to be in development, and there have been some promising updates lately, but this is a movie that deserved a quicker turnaround for its sequel—and, as so many franchises have proven before, the longer the gap is, the harder it is to keep audiences excited.
Beyond just Shang-Chi 2, though, the titular lead, Shang-Chi, is a character who has so much potential, and he’s been wildly underutilized by the MCU so far. Yes, he is confirmed to be returning in Doomsday, and that’s exciting. However, Shang-Chi made it clear that he deserves his own time to shine, and for several years now, Marvel has inexplicably denied him that.
Kate Bishop and Ms. Marvel Both Deserve Better
Like Shang-Chi, characters Ms. Marvel (a.k.a. Kamala Khan) and Kate Bishop were introduced after Endgame in the MCU, and both had incredible promise. Kate first appeared in Hawkeye as a spunky young woman who formed an unlikely bond with Hawkeye/Clint Barton, and Ms. Marvel had her MCU debut in her own show, which shares her name. Neither project was perfect, it’s true, and the reception for both was mixed for myriad reasons. Regardless, these characters were solid additions, and the expectation was that they would play larger roles moving forward.
Granted, both Ms. Marvel and Kate Bishop have returned in the MCU since their respective shows. The 2023 movie The Marvels heavily featured Ms. Marvel as one of the main trio of heroes, alongside Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau, and Kate had a cameo in that movie as well. However, The Marvels was met with significant backlash, and the MCU has been fairly quiet about both characters’ futures in the years since.
Presumably, they will have important roles in the future, with many still suspecting they will eventually team up with other young heroes, but as it stands, they haven’t nearly reached their full potentials.
Only Yelena’s Potential Has Truly Been Realized
In light of Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, and Kate Bishop all being underutilized since their introductions, the one MCU introduction following Endgame that has truly paid off is that of Yelena Belova, Natasha/Black Widow’s younger sister (sort of). Yelena had her debut in Black Widow, and she was immediately a fan favorite because of her sense of humor and depth. Perhaps for that reason, she has since appeared in multiple projects, including a cameo in Hawkeye and, much more substantially, a leading role in Thunderbolts*. It’s also apparent that the MCU will continue to center her moving forward.
To be clear, Yelena absolutely deserves this attention and significance. In addition to the character being absolutely brilliant, as has been proven throughout her various appearances, Florence Pugh is also excellent in the role. However, ideally, this would only prove to Disney that characters who were introduced post-Endgame can absolutely be successful and should be given a fair chance, as that obviously hasn’t happened with everyone.
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