The way forward in the Marvel Cinematic Universe appears to be team ups. It has been this way for a while now, with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) popping up in both Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) playing a pivotal role in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The Guardians of the Galaxy are going to be in Thor: Love and Thunder, and the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) is part of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But who can show up in the inevitable Shang-Chi sequel? The film’s fight coordinator has an idea.
Andy Cheng served as a fight coordinator on the new Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, a movie that packed audiences into theaters over its opening weekend. At the end of the movie, Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) teamed up with some Avengers -- no spoilers on who showed up -- but when asked who he’d like to see fight the martial artist in the future, Cheng told Insider:
Spider-Man would be cool, because originally Spider-Man is a student. Shang-Chi teaches Spider-Man. So that would be cool.
Shang-Chi and Spider-Man, as characters, have been around the Marvel Universe for decades. Yes, there have been storylines where the two have worked together, and Shang-Chi did train Spider-Man once after the hero lost his Spider Sense. They’ve normally been allies, however, so the idea of them needing to fight would be unusual. More likely, they would team up against an adversary, as Cheng goes on to note. The Shang-Chi fight coordinator broke down how a fight might play out, explaining:
It would be one of those where they win one round, then the second round they lose, then the third round they match, so no one person wins. But they can have a very interesting chemistry. I don't think winning is most important for the audience to see. It's more important for the audience to see the chemistry, how those weapons work, how the martial arts movements combine and make it more interesting.
Everyone wants to team up with Spider-Man. The hero (played by Tom Holland) made his debut in Captain America: Civil War, which was like a mini-Avengers movie. Iron Man and Captain America showed up in his first MCU movie, Homecoming, and like I mentioned, Doctor Strange will be in his next one.
We don’t know when or where we will see Shang-Chi again on screen, but if there is a team up, then Ant-Man seems more likely, as the kung fu master resides in San Francisco, which gives him a better shot at crossing paths with Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). Ant-Man and The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) do have a sequel coming up. I wonder if Shang-Chi will show up in it?
The next Marvel Studios will be Eternals in November, followed by Spider-Man: No Way Home in December. Use this guide to stay up to date on the release dates for all of the Upcoming Marvel Movies.
