The Path to Iron Fist's MCU Return Is Clear

Colleen Wing should be the new Iron Fist. Now that Netflix's Iron Fist series is officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the powers of the Immortal Weapon and mythos of K'un-Lun are alive and well within the franchise. In fact, Colleen Wing is technically already the MCU's Immortal Iron Fist.

For the uninitiated, think back to the days of Iron Fist Season Two. During the events of the series, the powers of the Iron Fist were being passed from one character to the next. Eventually, those powers landed with Wing (Jessica Henwick), who was able to use them to summon her chi into her signature katana. Then, along with the rest of the DefendersVerse, Iron Fist was cancelled.

According to Disney+'s new timeline order, Iron Fist takes place short before Captain America: Civil War, meaning the events of Season Two happened around 2016. That's nearly an entire decade prior to where the timeline rests now given Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 are both thought to take place in 2026.

That gives Wing 10 years to perfect her powers and hone her craft. By the time she returns to the MCU, she can be a professional with no origin story or explainer needed. Furthermore, Henwick previously told us she's hoping to get to play the role again someday.

"Look, the way we left Iron Fist, spoiler alert, Colleen has the power and she's in a really good place," Henwick told ComicBook.com. "I would love to revisit her. That character meant a lot to me and really changed my life. And I would love to revisit her one day, but it would really have to be the right place, and the right time, and the right script, but never say never."

Either way, it's possible Henwick could return as Wing/Iron Fist in the sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings given she was initially offered a role in the first film, one she'd ultimately turn down to appear in The Matrix 4. That means Henwick could pick up the pieces right where they were put down and bring Colleen Wing back to the MCU.

Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now available on Disney+, all major digital platforms, and wherever physical movies are sold while the first two seasons of Iron Fist are streaming on Disney+. Shang-Chi 2 doesn't have a release window yet.