It’s safe to say that Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a little hit or miss for fans, but Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a definite highlight for me. The conclusion of the movie seemed to set up Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) as a major player in the future of the MCU and Destin Daniel Cretton even signed a deal to write and direct Shang-Chi 2.
Despite the success of the first movie, there’s been no word on when the sequel will arrive, or even when we might see Shang-Chi again. While talking with fans on Threads, Simu Liu revealed that Shang-Chi 2 was originally meant to drop after one of the upcoming Avengers movies. “[I] was told it would follow avengers but that keeps pushing back due to circumstances beyond my control,” Liu said. “[I] hope to have more concrete news to share soon.“
The first Shang-Chi movie hinted that the titular Ten Rings were even more mysterious as they appeared to be emitting a signal across the Multiverse. The significance of that reveal hasn’t yet been followed up on, but Marvel does seem to be building to something.
“Destin is an amazing collaborator who brought a unique perspective and skill to Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings,” said Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige when the Shang-Chi sequel was first announced. “We had a fantastic time working together on the film and he has so many intriguing ideas for stories to bring to life on Disney+, so we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with him and can’t wait to get started.” In addition to directing the Shang-Chi sequel, Destin Daniel Cretton has also been tapped to helm Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
The Kang Dynasty, as well as many other Marvel movies, had their release dates pushed back just last month. The film was pushed back a full year and will now hit theaters on May 1, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars following on May 7, 2027. If Shang-Chi 2 is still expected to arrive after those movies, it could be a good five years before we see Simu Liu return for the sequel.