New 'Shang-Chi' TV Spot Gives A Closer Look At The Abomination
The release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is less than a month away, which means we're only getting antsier about seeing this new hero in action. Until then, we have nothing but speculation on our side. Well, that and all the latest TV spots giving us more footage and even more clues.
In this latest clip from Marvel Studios, we get a closer look at the hulking, mutated figure of the Abomination. He's not the prettiest Marvel villain around, but you might want to take a look for yourself.
Check out the newest teaser for Shang-Chi below.
A Blast From The Past
The appearance of the Abomination was previously confirmed by MCU head honcho Kevin Feige, but this latest clip gives us a lot more than a quick glimpse. Now, we can see the giant, Hulk-like beast is going head-to-head with Wong (Benedict Wong), the Doctor Strange sorcerer. If you're wondering why the Abomination's appearance raises so many questions, let us turn your attention to The Incredible Hulk.
Confusion is fair — it's been a hot minute since The Incredible Hulk came out, and since then about 20 other MCU films have been stacked on top of it. Whether or not it even counts as part of the cinematic universe is occasionally a topic of debate. The role of Bruce Banner, once filled by Edward Norton, is now Mark Ruffalo's to tout. But other than that minor change, plot points from Hulk have since been referenced, and the Abomination isn't the first face to reappear. That honor goes to Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt), the military man who gets involved in Banner's experiment and later, brings the Sokovia Accords to the Avengers.
A Closer Look at The Abomination
In The Incredible Hulk, the Abomination begins as Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), a Russian-born British Royal Marine. After learning of the Hulk's capabilities, he demands to be injected with Banner's Gamma-radiated blood, which mutates him into the hideous, bloodthirsty monster you see above. Spoiler alert for The Incredible Hulk, but you can probably guess what happens next: Banner is forced to transform into Hulk, to beat the abomination, and successfully save New York.
Notably, the Abomination survives the encounter and is taken away by Ross. So after a decade-long wait, Feige finally dug him out of the depths of the MCU character shuffle. Now, we get to reunite with the Abomination via this little cage match. Yay.
More than a few questions remain: where is this happening? Why are they fighting? And is Shang-Chi about to go head to head with the winner?
Simon Liu's Shang-Chi might be able to hold his own — he's a trained assassin and martial arts master, after all. The film sees him drawn back into his family's mysterious Ten Rings organization and presumably, the journey brings him to this intense cage match. Hopefully, he won't be crushed by the Abomination — or flung across the ring like Wong. We'll just have to wait and see.Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings releases in theaters on September 3, 2021.