The MCU’s Most Underrated Movie Hit Theaters 5 Years Ago & Its Sequel Might Finally Be Happening

Avengers: Secret Wars is the upcoming finale to everything that the MCU has released since Endgame, but it is far from the final movie that the franchise will release. After all, Marvel Studios has already announced several projects that are set to release after Secret Wars, those being X-Men on May 5, 2028, Ghost Rider on July 28, 2028, and Black Panther 3 on December 15, 2028.

The fact that Marvel Studios is releasing three movies the year after Endgame proves that they are confident that the franchise will be going strong even after the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, and that they have major plans going forward. Interestingly, another film has been added to Marvel Studios’ slate, although we don’t yet know what it is. According to Variety, the untitled film will release on November 9, 2029, and we have a solid guess as to what it could be.

Marvel Is Releasing A Movie On November 9, 2029, & It Could Be Shang-Chi 2

Marvel has several announced feature films that could take this slot, such as the ever-in-development Armor Wars film and the recently announced Nova movie. However, if I had to take a guess as to what the movie could be, I’d bet that it is Shang-Chi 2. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was the second film in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, with it releasing five years ago on September 3, 2021. The film was the franchise’s first solo movie based on a new superhero since Endgame, and it was a hit, getting positive reviews and making $432.2 million against a budget of $200 million.

While Shang-Chi‘s box office performance wasn’t as high as previous MCU films, it came out very soon after the COVID-19 Pandemic decimated the theater industry. This, combined with the MCU losing momentum after Endgame‘s release means that the deck was stacked against Shang-Chi. However, it did better than the MCU films that it was sandwiched between, those being Black Widow and Eternals. Shang-Chi was a genuine look forward at what the MCU could be, and with the two post-credits setting up the future of the series, the future looked bright.

Five years later, and Shang-Chi still hasn’t returned in live-action. While he has had some animated appearances, Avengers: Doomsday will be the first time that Shang-Chi has appeared in live-action since his debut film. This is shocking, considering that a sequel was in development in late 2021, with Destin Daniel Cretton returning to direct. The project stalled, most likely due to Cretton’s commitment to directing Avengers: The Kang Dyansty. However, when Cretton dropped out of the film, things looked positive for Shang-Chi 2. That is, until development of Wonder Man and Spider-Man: Brand New Day got in the way.

With all of Cretton’s MCU’s hits behind him, now is the time for Shang-Chi 2 to finally happen. In June 2026, Cretton confirmed that Shang-Chi 2 is still in development, giving hopes to fans of the characters. Wonder Man season 2 isn’t happening, Spider-Man: Brand New Day just released, and Cretton isn’t attached to Avengers, meaning that his next project very likely is Shang-Chi 2. If development properly started this year, it makes sense for the film to release in a few years, making the November 2029 date an ideal time. Focusing on one of the Multiverse Saga’s most underutilized characters immediately after Secret Wars is a great idea, proving to fans that the MCU could right the wrongs of the early 2020s.

Out Of All The Multiverse Saga’s New Heroes, Shang-Chi Deserves A Sequel The Most

The Multiverse Saga had a shocking lack of solo superhero movies that introduced new characters, with Shang-Chi being the only real one. Movies like Eternals, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps focused on new superhero teams, movies Black Widow and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness focused on heroes who existed before the Multiverse Saga, and movies like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Captain America: Brave New World continued preexisting solo superhero movie series with new superheroes in the main role.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the only Multiverse Saga movie that introduced a new solo hero and started a new film series, which is why its shocking that the film hasn’t been followed up on. The first three phases of the MCU were full of original heroes getting their own solo movies, like Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and more. Following the first three phases up with a bunch of sequels and team-up movies shifted away from the MCU’s bread and butter, partially explaining why it failed at points.

So, Shang-Chi 2 needs to happen. The MCU needs to give the Multiverse Saga’s biggest new solo hero the spotlight that he deserves, and hopefully Shang-Chi finally gets a second film before the end of the 2020s.

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