Is Shang-Chi 2 Still Happening, Or Will Marvel Keep Delaying It Forever?
In the years since "Avengers: Endgame" brought a close to the "Infinity Saga" (the preferred nomenclature for the 20+ films that made up Phases 1, 2, and 3 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), the superhero studio quickly pivoted to replacing its original line-up with a host of new and relatively lesser-known figures. 2021's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" led the charge of fresh faces that also included the ensemble cast of "Eternals," Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova in "Black Widow," Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," and the team-up between Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) with Brie Larson's Carol Danvers in "The Marvels." Are these characters meant to ring in the next generation of Avengers (or, in Yelena's case, Thunderbolts)? That appears to be the plan, but with the next couple of major crossover movies already spoken for (hint: these include "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" and "Avengers: Secret Wars"), Kevin Feige will be hard-pressed to find room for his new stable of superheroes.
That quest likely begins with a sequel to "Shang-Chi," with star Simu Liu reprising his role as Shang-Chi and filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton returning to the director's chair. Curiously, however, there have been little to no updates on the production for quite some time in the two years since it was announced. Considering that the upcoming slate of Marvel projects have been set in stone through May of 2027 and Liu's own comments pointing to some behind-the-scenes indecision, all signs seem to be pointing to a lengthy wait for fans of the martial arts movie. Here's what we know about the status of "Shang-Chi 2."
Why hasn't Shang-Chi 2 happened yet?
It's the question on many a Marvel fan's mind: What's the hold-up on "Shang-Chi 2"? After the original movie became the first Marvel film in the pandemic era to return to an exclusively theatrical release, the production ultimately earned over $400 million worldwide. Although somewhat slight compared to the studio's lofty standards, a sequel was quickly announced along with Marvel's intentions to stay in business with director Destin Daniel Cretton on future projects. But officially, that's pretty much been the only solid update we've received on the prospective follow-up.
In July of 2023, Liu took to social media to provide an explanation of sorts. In a Q&A, the "Shang-Chi" star admitted that Marvel had kept pushing back the sequel in its release calendar. "Was told it would follow 'Avengers' but that keeps pushing back due to circumstances beyond my control," Liu explained. "[Hope] to have more concrete news to share soon." He was likely referring to "Avengers: Secret Wars," currently the furthest scheduled MCU movie, but his comments would seem to indicate that this is no longer in the cards. For a character that audiences really responded to, it feels like a misstep to wait over six years to put a sequel into gear ... but, given the franchise's jam-packed schedule, it's tough to imagine where it could slot in any earlier.
For now, it appears "Shang-Chi 2" is on the backburner, though there's no telling what Feige and his creative team are cooking up behind closed doors.
Everything Destin Daniel Cretton has said about Shang-Chi 2
Marvel clearly must've enjoyed collaborating with "Short Term 12," "The Glass Castle," and "Just Mercy" director Destin Daniel Cretton on "Shang-Chi" — particularly since they went ahead and gave him the reins on the "Shang-Chi" sequel, an unknown Disney+ series, and put him in charge of directing "Avengers: Kang Dynasty." How's that for a glowing performance review? While his work on the upcoming "Avengers" movie is currently somewhat clouded by the criminal allegations surrounding Kang actor Jonathan Majors (who most recently appeared in "Loki" season 2), Cretton's future on "Shang-Chi 2" remains just as murky. As previously mentioned, Marvel has gone radio silent on any current developments on the sequel, but that wasn't the case back when the first film was still fresh in the minds of moviegoers everywhere.
Soon after the news first dropped about his involvement in the sequel, /Film reported on Cretton himself commenting on his dream casting for the next stage of the story. Having introduced a stunt-heavy, martial-arts focus with "Shang-Chi," it makes perfect sense that Cretton would want to recruit one of the icons of the industry. Here's what he had to say about the sequel:
"I mean, if we could ever get Jackie [Chan] into a movie, that would be a lifelong dream of mine."
Obviously, this is more wishful thinking than a concrete hint of what's to come next, but we can't blame the man for trying!
What could happen in Shang-Chi 2
As we're currently out of official "Shang-Chi 2" news, may we interest you in some educated guesses, instead? Whatever the production timeline ends up being, it feels like a safe assumption that Marvel will move forward with the sequel at some point. The big question that remains, then, is what the actual story will end up looking like. Luckily, the first movie provided at least a hint or two to suggest where Cretton and his creative team may take things next.
At the end of "Shang-Chi," it was revealed in a post-credits scene that Xu Xialing (Meng'er Zhang), Shang-Chi's sister, had stepped up after the death of their father and the real Mandarin Xu Wenwu (played by the legendary Tony Leung) to become the new leader of the Ten Rings organization — despite her promises to disband the criminal syndicate completely. This appeared to set her up as a quasi-antagonist moving forward, but there are countless ways that a sequel could further deepen this fascinating dynamic between the siblings. Meanwhile, Shang-Chi finally seemed to get the attention of the Avengers themselves ... or some of them, at least. The film ends with the Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong) interrupting Shang-Chi in San Francisco and urging him to come to Kamar-Taj, the training ground for sorcerers as seen in "Doctor Strange." Nothing has yet come of this, but it certainly feels like the next step for Shang-Chi would be a team-up with the wider world of the MCU superheroes. With the Ten Rings still out there and who knows what other enemies, Shang-Chi is certain to have his hands full.
Who will the stars of Shang-Chi 2 be?
Nobody can do it alone. A superhero is nothing without their supporting cast, as proven by practically every major character throughout the MCU. Tony Stark had his best friend Rhodey, Steve Rogers basically ripped the Avengers apart for the sake of Bucky Barnes, Thor's clashes with his estranged brother Loki are the stuff of legend, and even Natasha Romanoff passed the torch to Yelena before her untimely death in "Avengers: Endgame." So, naturally, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" followed a similar tradition with its main trio of protagonists. Originally, Shang-Chi and Katy found themselves swept up in a much larger adventure than they could've ever anticipated, but they were eventually joined by Shang-Chi's long-lost sister Xialing. Together, they all brought unique skills to the table in their war against the Ten Rings, ultimately saving the day.
With the story specifics of "Shang-Chi 2" still up in the air, Feige and Cretton have an endless amount of possibilities at their fingertips. Of course, the MCU in 2027 (and beyond) will undoubtedly be a very different MCU than the one we're familiar with now. In the aftermath of whatever chaos Kang wreaks on the universe, who knows what the new status quo will be when Shang-Chi returns. In any event, we can safely expect Liu to reprise his role as Shang-Chi along with Meng'er Zhang as Xialing and Awkwafina as Katy. Beyond that, we'll have to wait and see what Marvel has up its sleeve for "Shang-Chi 2."