Simu Liu Confirms Whether Marvel's Shang-Chi 2 Is Happening
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had some major misses, especially in the last few years. However, one standout that received a ton of praise was 2021's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." Given the acclaim, some may find it odd that the MCU didn't strike while the iron was hot and try to get a sequel out right away. At the very least, they could've brought Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) into some other project as part of a team-up. Rest assured, "Shang-Chi 2" is still on the way ... eventually.
Liu assured fans it is in the works when responding to a Threads user frustrated with the lack of progress for another Shang-Chi movie. The actor wrote, "I proooomiss it's happening." This lines up with speculation that Marvel is interested in a sequel; one recent "Shang-Chi 2" rumor suggests production will begin in 2025 and could feature the big-screen debut of a Netflix Marvel hero. Of course, there are many other things we'd like to see in "Shang-Chi 2," such as checking out what Xu Xialing (Meng'er Zhang) does next now that she's leading the Ten Rings organization. But if filming doesn't start until 2025, the sequel probably won't premiere until 2026 at the earliest, so regardless, it'll be a long wait.
Destin Daniel Cretton is still expected to direct Shang-Chi 2
Rumors suggest "Eternals 2" is dead in the water, which makes sense considering how divisive that film was upon release. "Shang-Chi" was far more of a hit, still managing to gross $432 million worldwide amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. "Shang-Chi 2" seems like a no-brainer, especially with Simu Liu wanting to return as the titular hero. And by all accounts, director Destin Daniel Cretton should be back for the follow-up.
A Deadline report from November 2023 suggested that Cretton left "Avengers 5" to focus on other Marvel projects, including "Shang-Chi 2" and the "Wonder Man" series for Disney+. "Avengers 5" was supposed to be called "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty," but the movie's plot is now in question given Jonathan Majors' legal troubles. It's unclear what the film will entail or who will direct it, but Cretton has other things to attend to.
"Wonder Man" began filming in 2023 but suspended production during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The project resumed in January, so Cretton should be ready to move onto "Shang-Chi 2" once that's fully in the rearview mirror. Plus, Shang-Chi could still have a role in other projects like the aforementioned "Avengers 5" and "Avengers: Secret Wars." It may be a while before audiences see Shang-Chi again, but hopefully, he'll get more attention throughout Marvel's Phase 6 and beyond.