The Marvel Cinematic Universe post-Endgame, whatever you think of it from a character or storytelling perspective, certainly isn’t riding the same high it once was. Phase 4 of the MCU introduced a lot of new characters to us, but while some have at least had the occasional cameo in other projects, one who has been conspicuous by his absence is Shang-Chi. We haven’t seen him since his debut movie, and there has been little good news about the promised sequel, but Simu Liu promises the project is still happening.
A fan on Threads was lamenting the severe lack of Shang-Chi since the character debuted, the fact that not only has there been no visible movement on the sequel, but the character has yet to even cameo elsewhere, despite other characters who appeared around the same time, like Florence Pugh’s Yelena or Iman Velani’s Ms. Marvel, getting multiple opportunities to be part of the franchise. Even though it looks like the MCU might have forgotten about Shang-Chi in any upcoming Marvel movies, Simu Liu promised the fans the sequel is coming, saying…
I proooomiss it’s happening.
This is, all things considered, great news. Because up till now, it’s been far from a sure thing that Shang-Chi 2 was still happening. When asked about the sequel previously, Liu has indicated that it keeps getting pushed back, and as recently as February he said he didn’t know anything about it. On top of that, Disney chief Bob Iger has said that the studio has quietly canceled several projects, so fans were concerned that this could have been one of them. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings certainly wasn’t a massive hit, though that had as much to do with a global pandemic as anything.
While anything can still happen, Simu Liu is certain enough at this moment that the sequel is happening to say so, which is good news for fans who are waiting for it. Liu previously indicated that the movie was expected to arrive following the next Avengers movie, which may explain part of the problem. While officially Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is still happening, there are a lot of questions about the film since Marvel Studios has parted ways with Jonathan Majors following an assault conviction. Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton was supposed to direct the Avengers film, but he stepped away, likely because what that film even is, now is a significant question.
Simu Liu hasn’t been afraid to say when he doesn’t know what’s up, so the fact that he’s promising the sequel here seems to indicate he’s confident in it. Perhaps we’ll learn more at Disney’s D23 event in August when we expect that at least some of those “Untitled Marvel” films listed among the upcoming Disney movies will get names and dates.
