Although plenty of familiar faces have been present during the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four, the past year has also seen a number of prominent superheroes jump into action in this franchise for the first time. In September 2021, we were introduced Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, who inherited the Ten Rings from his father, Xu Wenwu (a.k.a. The Mandarin), right before he was killed by the Dweller-in-Darkness. Then this past June, Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan entered the picture, with this version of Ms. Marvel, who is the MCU’s first mutant, obtaining a bangle that unlocked her ability to create hard light constructs. These weapons are pretty cool, but a rumor has surfaced claiming that they’re even more important to the MCU’s future than has been indicated so far.
According to The Illuminerdi, Shang-Chi’s Ten Rings and Ms. Marvel’s bangle were left on Earth long ago by the same aliens, although the outlet wasn’t clued in on the identity of the species. That being said, the cosmic weapons are reportedly filling the same kind of role that the Infinity Stones did in The Infinity Saga, and as such will be especially key to the wider narrative of The Multiverse Saga, i.e. the Marvel movies and Marvel TV shows comprising Phases 4 through 6. Assuming this information is accurate, it’s unclear if any other weapons we’ve seen in Phase 4 or will end up seeing in Phases 5 and 6 will be directly tied to the Rings and bangle, although the Ebony Blade introduced in Eternals would be a logical candidate.
You’ll recall that in the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings mid-credits scene, the title protagonist and his friend Katy learned from Wong, Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers that the Ten Rings were doubling some kind of beacon. Also, although Xu Wenwu discovered the Rings a millennia ago, they were much older than that. Given that Shang-Chi 2 has been greenlit, there was already a good chance we’d learn more these weapons in the sequel, but now I’m wondering if the recipient of that beacon’s signal in a different Marvel project.
Moving to Ms. Marvel’s bangle, although the Disney+ show revealed that Kamala Khan’s great-grandmother Aisha, the original owner of the bangle, was one of the Clandestines, a group of Djinns who were exiled to Earth from the Noor dimension. However, the origins of the bangle itself were never explored, prompting fans to speculate that it could be the MCU’s take on the Kree Nega-Bands or Quasar’s Quantum Bands from the comics. As of right now, Ms. Marvel hasn’t been renewed for a second season, but Kamala will return next year in The Marvels, so don’t be surprised if some light is shed on the bangle there.
It’s worth mentioning that a connection has already been established between Ms. Marvel’s bangle and the Ten Rings, although in this case I’m referring to Xu Wenwu’s terrorist organization. In the Ms. Marvel episode “Destined,” Aisha was seen retrieving the bangle from a temple in British India in 1942, and on the floor of the temple was the symbol of the Ten Rings. Not only that, but the bangle was found around the arm of a dead, blue-skinned individual. Was this a Kree or someone from a different alien species? Also, what happened to the other bangle? There are so many questions to ponder!
The Multiverse Saga was already shaping up to be a wild ride thanks to Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror filling the main antagonist role Thanos once occupied. However, provided this rumor is true, now the exploration of other realities is strengthened by the cosmic mysteries surrounding the Ten Rings and the bangle. There’s no word yet on when Shang-Chi 2 will premiere in theaters, but The Marvels arrives on July 28, 2023.
