Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was one of the first films Marvel Studios released during Phase Four, introducing audiences to the titular character in an exciting and entertaining origin story. For years, fans have wondered when Shang-Chi would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and now they know when they’ll see him again. Shang-Chi star Simu Liu is one of the officially confirmed cast members for Avengers: Doomsday, which hits theaters next summer. As fans learn more about Doomsday‘s massive ensemble, Liu has humorously shared his thoughts on the Shang-Chi reveal, reacting to the development on social media.
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On his official X account, Liu quote-tweeted the announcement of his involvement in Avengers: Doomsday. The actor didn’t have much to say about the development, just jokingly writing, “*pokes head out of karaoke booth.” Check out his post in the space below:
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was released in September 2021. Buoyed by positive reviews, the film grossed $432.2 million worldwide against a production budget of in the range of $150-200 million. It was considered a success, given that it debuted at a time when theaters were still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Marvel announced a sequel just a few months after Shang-Chi premiered, but that follow-up has not come to fruition yet. It isn’t even on Marvel’s release schedule.
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As Liu gears up for his Avengers debut, Shang-Chi 2 remains in development. Though director Destin Daniel Cretton is currently working on Spider-Man 4 (also due in theaters next summer), Liu has assured fans that nothing has been “impacted” on Shang-Chi 2 and he remains in contact with Cretton about the sequel.
While fans still have to wait a bit for Shang-Chi 2, it’s nice to see the character’s story will continue in Avengers: Doomsday. Back when that film was known as The Kang Dynasty, word was that Shang-Chi was going to have a lead role. Obviously, Marvel pivoted to Doomsday following the Jonathan Majors verdict, significantly retooling the film. It remains to be seen how large a part Shang-Chi has to play in Doomsday, but it’s great that he hasn’t been sidelined after the shift away from The Kang Dynasty. The character was one of the best additions to the MCU following his solo movie, and fans have been eager to see him come back. Hopefully, Doomsday will lay some of the foundation for Shang-Chi 2.
A post-credits scene in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings seemed to tease a big future for Shang-Chi moving forward, as he and his friend Katy were introduced to Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers. It’ll be interesting to see how or if Avengers: Doomsday picks up this thread. Shang-Chi could easily be part of a new Avengers team assembled by Sam Wilson, as he possesses notable powers and abilities that would make him a valuable asset to Earth’s Mightiest. Even if Shang-Chi isn’t one of the principal players in this version of Avengers 5, he will ideally have a key role to play. It wouldn’t be surprising if Marvel attempted to evoke memories of the bus fight scene by giving Shang-Chi a chance to showcase his martial arts skills.
