Four years ago, on September 3, 2021, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings arrived in theaters, introducing a formidable new hero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was a critical success, praised for its stunning action sequences and heartfelt exploration of Asian culture, which set it apart from other MCU entries. Furthermore, Shang-Chi performed admirably at the box office, grossing over $432 million worldwide while the world still reeled from the pandemic, and firmly established Simu Liu as a charismatic new star for the franchise. However, despite this triumphant debut and the film ending with a direct link to the wider universe, plans for a Shang-Chi sequel have yet to materialize.
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Shang-Chi’s complete disappearance from the Multiverse Saga stands as one of Marvel Studios’ most baffling creative decisions. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, which saw most of the original Avengers either killed, retired, or sidelined, the MCU desperately needed new faces to carry the story forward. Shang-Chi was perfectly positioned to become a central figure, an anchor for the next generation of heroes. Instead, he has been left in narrative limbo. The situation is made worse by the fact that the film’s mid-credits scene presented a compelling mystery that directly involved the Avengers, leaving audiences with a tantalizing cliffhanger that remains frustratingly unresolved four years later.
The Avengers and the Beacon of the Ten Rings
The mid-credits scene of Shang-Chi provided the character with a formal introduction to the MCU’s superhero community while simultaneously planting the seeds for a much larger cosmic story. The sequence begins with Shang-Chi and Katy (Awkwafina) recounting their adventure to friends when Wong (Benedict Wong) appears through a portal, asking them to accompany him. He brings them to a Sanctum library where they are joined by holograms of Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), no longer in his Smart Hulk form, and Carol Danvers (Brie Larson). The purpose of the meeting is to analyze the Ten Rings, which Shang-Chi now wields.
The assembled heroes quickly determine that the rings are unlike anything they have ever encountered. Banner confirms they are not made of Vibranium, and Danvers states they are not Chitauri technology or any other alien tech she recognizes. Wong adds that the rings do not match any artifact in the archives of Kamar-Taj. A scan also reveals that while Shang-Chi’s father possessed them for a thousand years, the rings are vastly older. The most critical discovery comes when Wong explains that Shang-Chi’s use of the rings during the final battle activated them, causing them to emit a mysterious beacon. The team concludes the rings are sending a message, but none of them know to whom or where, leaving a massive question mark at the center of Shang-Chi’s future.
Avengers: Doomsday Must Solve the Mystery of the Ten Rings
When Shang-Chi was in development, the MCU was building its narrative toward Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) as the next saga-level threat. This context led to numerous fan theories suggesting the Ten Rings were connected to the villain’s advanced time-traveling technology or originated from another dimension, such as the Quantum Realm. However, Marvel Studios has since pivoted away from that storyline, with the franchise now building toward a conflict with Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.). With Simu Liu confirmed to return in Avengers: Doomsday, the film becomes the logical and necessary place to finally provide an answer to the mystery of the rings.
For starters, the unresolved beacon is the very plot device that ties Shang-Chi to the Avengers. His inclusion in Doomsday implies that he has remained in contact with the other heroes and that they have likely spent the intervening years studying the rings. For the crossover to feel earned, the film must address what they have learned. On the contrary, ignoring the mystery would render the original post-credits scene pointless and undermine Shang-Chi’s connection to the broader universe.
Doomsday has an opportunity to cleverly repurpose the setup, perhaps revealing the rings are ancient artifacts of magical or cosmic origin that Doctor Doom now seeks to control. Or perhaps their unique beacon has a connection to other realities, playing a vital part in the multiversal war that is to come. Whatever their origins turn out to be, by providing a definitive explanation for the beacon, Marvel can finally resolve a four-year-old cliffhanger and solidify Shang-Chi’s importance to the overarching narrative of the MCU.
Avengers: Doomsday will open in theaters on December 18, 2026.
What do you believe is the true origin of the Ten Rings, and how do you think it will connect to Doctor Doom?
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