Honestly, it’s hard to believe it’s been nearly five years since Simu Liu first traded his valet vest for those glowing mystical armbands. When Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings dropped back in late 2021, the world was in a weird spot. Movie theaters were just starting to breathe again, and Marvel was trying to prove it could still launch a new hero without a "Captain" or "Iron" in their name.
Most people remember it as "the one with the great bus fight." You know the one—the San Francisco 1-California line where a guy with a machete for an arm gets absolutely schooled. But looking back at it now, especially as we gear up for the massive Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars cycle, this movie did a lot more heavy lifting for the MCU than it gets credit for. It wasn’t just a "martial arts movie." It was a massive course correction for a decade of questionable character choices and a masterclass in how to handle a villain.
The Mandarin Problem: What the Movie Finally Fixed
If you were a Marvel fan back in 2013, you probably remember the collective groan when Iron Man 3 turned the Mandarin into a bumbling actor named Trevor Slattery. It was a gutsy twist, sure, but it felt like a slap in the face to anyone who wanted to see the actual, terrifying sorcerer-warlord from the comics.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings basically said, "Okay, we hear you, let’s fix this."
By introducing Wenwu, played by the legendary Tony Leung, Marvel didn't just give us a villain; they gave us arguably the best antagonist in the entire franchise. Wenwu isn't interested in world domination or some "save the universe by killing half of it" philosophy. He’s just a grieving, immortal father who’s been around for a thousand years and wants his wife back.
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Leung brings this "smoldering romantic" energy to the role that makes you almost root for him, even when he's ordering his son's execution. It’s a level of nuance that usually gets lost in big-budget superhero flicks. Plus, bringing Ben Kingsley back as Trevor Slattery was a stroke of genius—turning a past mistake into the most lovable comic relief in the movie. It’s rare for a sequel (or a spin-off) to acknowledge a previous failure so gracefully.
Martial Arts That Actually Looked Real (Mostly)
Let’s talk about the fighting.
For a long time, the MCU relied on "superhero punches"—lots of quick cuts and CGI explosions. But for this film, director Destin Daniel Cretton brought in the heavy hitters. We’re talking about the late Brad Allan and members of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. They didn't just choreograph fights; they told stories through them.
- The Forest Dance: That opening fight between Wenwu and Jiang Li? It’s basically a courtship. It uses Tai Chi influences—fluid, circular motions—to show how Jiang Li deflects Wenwu’s aggression.
- The Bus Brawl: This is pure Jackie Chan homage. It’s tight, it’s funny, and it uses the environment (those jacket sleeves!) to make the action feel tactile and clever.
- The Scaffolding Fight: A dizzying tribute to the verticality of Hong Kong action cinema.
While the final act does eventually devolve into the "giant CGI monster battle" that Marvel loves a bit too much, the hand-to-hand stuff in the first two acts remains some of the best ever put on film in the Western world.
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Why Shang-Chi 2 is Taking So Long
If you’re wondering where the sequel is, you’re not alone. We’re sitting here in 2026, and we still don't have a firm release date.
Simu Liu has been pretty vocal lately, especially at New York Comic Con. He’s basically had to spend the last two years telling people, "I promise it’s happening!" The delay is mostly a logistical nightmare. Destin Daniel Cretton got tapped to direct the new Spider-Man flick, and the whole MCU schedule shifted to accommodate the return of Robert Downey Jr. in the Avengers movies.
The good news? Simu Liu has confirmed he’s in both Avengers: Doomsday (coming later this year) and Secret Wars. So, while Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings might not be getting a direct follow-up until 2028, the character is becoming a central pillar of the new Avengers roster.
The Cultural Impact Nobody Talks About
It’s easy to look at the $432 million box office and think it was "just a hit," but for a movie released during a global pandemic with zero name recognition for the lead character, those numbers were massive. It shattered Labor Day weekend records that had stood for decades.
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Beyond the money, it was the first time we saw an Asian-led superhero story that didn't feel like a caricature. It dealt with the specific weirdness of being a "diaspora kid"—that feeling of belonging to both the East and the West but also to neither. The scenes of Shang-Chi (or "Shaun") and Katy singing karaoke to "Hotel California" or eating congee for breakfast felt like real life for millions of people.
It wasn't a "foreign" movie; it was a movie about the modern Asian-American experience that just happened to have dragons and magical rings in it.
Things You Might Have Missed
Even if you’ve seen it ten times, there are tiny details that tie this thing into the larger universe:
- The Abomination's Evolution: Seeing Tim Roth's Abomination fighting Wong in an underground club was the first hint that the character was no longer the mindless beast from 2008. This directly set up his more "zen" appearance in the She-Hulk series.
- Extremis Lives: In that same fight club, look closely at the background. There’s a fighter clearly glowing with the Extremis virus from Iron Man 3.
- The Black Widow Connection: One of the fighters is Helen, a former Widow who was freed from the Red Room.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to keep up with the character before he shows up in Avengers: Doomsday, here is what you should do:
- Watch the Disney+ Documentary: Search for Assembled: The Making of Shang-Chi. It shows how Simu Liu did most of his own stunts and the insane amount of training involved.
- Read the Gene Luen Yang Run: If you want more of the character, pick up the 2020 comic run by Gene Luen Yang. It’s the closest vibe to the movie and fleshes out his complicated relationship with his sisters and father.
- Track the 2026 Production Updates: Keep an eye on trade publications like Deadline or The Hollywood Reporter. With the Avengers filming now, we’re likely to see the first on-set photos of Shang-Chi’s new suit any day now.
The movie wasn't just a "one-off experiment," despite what some executives might have called it at the time. It was a bridge between the old MCU and the new, more diverse one we’re living in today.