Marvel’s Best New Hero of the 2020s Should Change Everything for His Sequel

The 2020s have been a strange time for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After releasing the biggest hit in superhero movie history in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios has struggled to find its footing. The streaming boom led to a Disney+ takeover, and while there were a few standout projects, the experiment failed in the grand scheme of things. Movies didn’t fare much better, as films like Eternals failed to connect with audiences, forcing the powers that be to scrap a property they had big plans for. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom, with a couple of heroes navigating the mess with ease and setting up exciting futures.

Spider-Man, of course, had two very successful films post-Endgame. A third one is already on the way, helmed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Daniel Destin Cretton. It’s no surprise that Cretton landed the job because his first MCU project was a shining light in a very dark tunnel. When it comes time for the Shang-Chi sequel, though, a few things need to change if Kevin Feige and Co. want to do the titular character justice.

Avengers: Doomsday Will Be More of the Same for Shang-Chi

Simu Liu’s hero doesn’t seem like much when he makes his MCU debut, working as a valet in San Francisco. Of course, there’s always more to comic book characters than meets the eye, so when the Ten Rings come looking for him, he shows off his incredible martial arts skills. After being thrown into the action, Shang-Chi learns that his father is searching for a way to enter Ta Lo, a village in another reality that he believes is where his dead wife is being held captive. To get what he wants, the Mandarin plans to kill everyone and everything in his way, which doesn’t sit right with his son. Shang-Chi gains the courage to face off with the Mandarin, and while he’s outmatched, his father learns the error of his ways and hands over the magical Ten Rings before his death. The weapons open Shang-Chi’s eyes to the complicated world he lives in, and they’re sure to play a part in the character’s next MCU appearance.

After meeting Bruce Banner, Carol Danvers, and Wong, Shang-Chi is now one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Someone will come knocking during Avengers: Doomsday to recruit him for the fight against Doctor Doom, which shouldn’t be a problem for the martial artist. After all, the Ten Rings make him much more than someone who just kicks and punches. While it remains to be seen whether Shang-Chi will survive his run-in with Robert Downey Jr.’s villain, it’s safe to assume the living aren’t done with him yet because a sequel to his solo film is in the works. The MCU clearly made a mistake waiting this long to get the ball rolling on Shang-Chi 2, but it can make things right by taking the character back to his comic book roots and to a genre that has been good to the franchise.

Read Next

There’s Only 1 Way Jon Bernthal’s Punisher Will Be Strong Enough to Fight Spider-Man & Hulk

The Second Shang-Chi Movie Should Be a Spy Thriller

Shang-Chi’s comic book life begins just like his live-action one. He’s trained by his father to be a killer, and one of his missions sends him to London. While trying to kill a doctor, Shang-Chi runs into MI-6 agents and gets pretty chummy with them. It doesn’t take long for the martial artist to begin acting as a spy, infiltrating organizations and bringing them down from the inside. Jimmy Woo eventually catches wind of Shang-Chi’s actions and offers him a spot on the Agents of Atlas. Working with a team helps the hero learn more about what life is like away from his father, which should also be his goal in the MCU.

The MCU is at its best when it brings a couple of heroes together to fight a common enemy, such as in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which features Steve Rogers, Black Widow, and Falcon. What that movie also has going for it is that it’s a spy thriller that pushes the boundaries of what a comic book movie can be. Shang-Chi 2 can take the same route by having the titular hero run around with a couple of spies and bringing Woo into the fold. With that sort of support behind him, Shang-Chi will be well on his way to becoming one of the franchise’s most important heroes.

Would you like to see Shang-Chi 2 be a spy movie? What else would you change for the sequel? Let us know in the comments below!