The New Shang-Chi Trailer Teases The Return Of A Classic MCU Villain
It's been a while, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe is finally on track to return to movie theaters this year, introducing a new generation of flawed-but-lovable, highly marketable, distinctively color-coded heroes to filmgoers around the world. Among the most anticipated upcoming additions to the shared universe: Shang-Chi, Marvel's Master of Kung Fu, headed to the big screen in September of 2021.
Bringing a fresh superheroic face into the world's biggest film series is no easy task — backstory and motivation have to be established, but more importantly, so does a character's place on the narratively crucial pecking order of who could beat up who. Thanks to a new trailer, we now know that "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is set to establish its protagonist as a formidable force for kick-punchery, utilizing that noblest of superhero traditions: the humble cage fight.
What's more, Shang-Chi is briefly seen getting ready to throw down with a classic MCU villain that fans have been eager to see more of since he debuted in 2008's "The Incredible Hulk."
Will fans get Shang-Chi vs. the Abomination?
You guys remember Emil Blonsky, right? Played by Tim Roth, he's been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since back when Bruce Banner still refused to talk about fight club. The obsessive marine with a taste for power went and got Super Soldier Serum peanut butter on Banner's Gamma Irradiated Blood chocolate, resulting in a striking transformation. He became the Abomination, the first big-screen antagonist to go toe-to-toe with the Hulk in a visually compelling fashion.
Since his third-act beat down in "The Incredible Hulk," Blonsky has been suspiciously absent. Occasional references have been made to his incarceration, but the alarmingly vascular villain hasn't appeared on screen since his 2008 debut. Now, it appears that somebody has sprung him from the hoosegow, pitting him against other super-beings — specifically, a sorcerer who looks suspiciously like Wong — in an underground fight pit. Excitingly, the Abomination appears to have transformed further since the last time we saw him, developing the ear fins and more prominent dorsal spinedies that he's traditionally rocked in the comics.
There's no word yet as to who is portraying Blonsky in "Shang-Chi," or how big a role we can expect him to play. That said, this won't be the last we see of the Abomination, as Marvel announced back in December that Roth would return to the role for the upcoming Disney+ series "She-Hulk" (via Deadline).
"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" will hit theaters on September 3.