Shang-Chi star Simu Liu landed a dry shade over Marvel Studios and Disney's decision to omit Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in Disney+'s suggested watchlist for Avengers: Doomsday. It is standard practice for Marvel Studios to curate recommended viewing lists that highlight key Multiverse Saga titles ahead of major releases, helping audiences catch up without rewatching the entire MCU. The same approach is being used for Avengers: Doomsday, with a promotional page on Disney+ featuring a selection of "suggested" titles under the film's banner.
In a post from Threads, Marvel Studios and Disney+'s suggested watchlist for Avengers: Doomsday was highlighted, and visible on that list are the likes of the following MCU projects:
- Avengers: Endgame (which directly connects to Avengers: Doomsday)
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Thunderbolts*
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Thor: Love and Thunder
- X-Men
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
Notably absent, however, are both Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Deadpool & Wolverine, an omission that quickly drew attention online. This prompted Simu Liu to bluntly reply with "typical."
Despite Liu's frustrations with Marvel Studios for disregarding his solo franchise, the actor still remains high on the MCU. The Shang-Chi star said it was a "dream come true" to work on Doomsday, especially alongside "so many legendary actors" (via LRMOnline):
"Just a dream come true. I bought a ticket to see 'Endgame' as a fan; I had nothing to do with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I was absolutely blown away, and I had no idea that a few months after that, I would be announced right here at Hall H at Comic-Con as part of it. And to be here seven years after that with a movie in the can, it is an absolute dream come true. I have gotten the opportunity to work with so many legendary actors, many of whom I literally grew up watching. It is a dream and I have to pinch myself every day just to remind myself that it's real."
He hyped up Shang-Chi as "the greatest fighter in the [Marvel] universe" and that he will offer stiff competition for Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom and Channing Tatum's Gambit, who he was spotted fighting in the trailer.
"Well, I think Shang-Chi is, if you read the comic books, he is the greatest fighter in the [Marvel] universe, which means he's gotta be down for a fight, he's gotta be ready to protect, to attack, and to do whatever's necessary. And also, whoever stands in his way, whether it's Gambit or it's Doom, that's gonna be a tough match-up because Shang-Chi's gonna bring it."
Liu told Marvel that he and Tatum are "two people who don't like to let the stunt doubles do it" and were both committed to "owning that physicality:"
"We had a lot of days of fight choreography, fight rehearsal. He's just down. I knew he moved well, but then I saw him on the first day of our fight rehearsal, and I was like, 'Oh, he really moves well.' He forced me to bring my A-game. And also, I think we're two people who don't like to let the stunt doubles do it - not every actor is like that. But I think when you have two actors who are deeply committed to kind of owning that physicality, that bodes well for the fight scenes."
Liu also addressed the lack of Shang-Chi 2 news with ScreenRant at SDCC, expressing how he "will crawl through broken glass to do it," but "there are things that are outside of [his] control" that have caused the hold-up:
"I'm going to take the high road here and say it's really incredible how much the fans continue to show up and continue to express their enthusiasm. People still come up to me and tell me how much they appreciate it. I can't wait to do more. I will be there. I will crawl through broken glass to do it if I have to. Unfortunately, there are things that are outside of my control. But I'm ready and waiting."
Discussing the experience of returning for Doomsday, Liu pointed out that some time has passed in the MCU (over four years), allowing Shang-Chi to "come into his own." Sadly, the actor indicated that fans won't "necessarily know what he's been up to" between Shang-Chi and Doomsday, but noted that he has continued training and perhaps could have been "saving the day off in different places:"
"It's really incredible to step into this character again, and for it to have been a period of time that's passed, so that now I feel like he's gonna come into his own. We don't necessarily know what he's been up to, but presumably he hasn't just been sitting around. He's been training. He's been maybe saving the day off in different places. But he's ready."
Speaking with The Wrap, the actor teased that Shang-Chi hasn't been "on the bench" for the last four years in-universe, even if he has been as far as the MCU slate is concerned, as he has "been doing a lot of work off camera:"
"I wouldn't say on the bench, I would just say that he's been doing a lot of work off camera. My man has not been sitting idly by waiting. If I know my character, he's been somewhere training, or he's been diffusing situations and saving the day in ways that we haven't seen yet, but very much happen.
The Chinese-Canadian actor promised that Doomsday will offer a "more mature version" of Shang-Chi, who has "become more familiar" with his talents and mastery of the ancient Ten Rings since he last appeared:
"Because I think when you meet him in ['Doomsday'], he's a lot more confident, and he's a more mature version of who he was when we last saw him... Work has been done, and he's really matured and come into his own and become more familiar with the abilities and the rings and all of it. It's been a minute, but it's damn good to be back."
Liu has addressed Marvel Studios' underutilization of Shang-Chi on Threads with the same dry skepticism, stating that he simply wanted "[Shang-Chi's] existence to be acknowledged" in early July.
Whether the watchlist omission was a deliberate choice from Marvel Studios or Disney or a simple oversight, Liu's one-word reply turned a minor promotional detail into a brief but widely noted moment of quiet commentary on Shang-Chi's place in the larger MCU machine.
Despite Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' strong box-office performance and widespread critical acclaim, Shang-Chi has remained largely sidelined in live-action MCU storytelling until his confirmed appearance in Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday. Shang-Chi did appear, however, in Marvel Zombies in a prominent role, but it was within another universe and the animated space.
Why Simu Liu's Avengers: Doomsday's Return as Shang-Chi Is His Reckoning
Simu Liu's long-awaited Shang-Chi return in Avengers: Doomsday marks a pivotal MCU reckoning for both the actor and the Ten Rings hero after years of limited screen time in the Multiverse Saga.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings clearly established Simu Liu as a breakout Marvel Studios lead capable of carrying martial-arts spectacle, emotional family drama, and large-scale superhero action. However, the MCU hero's long absence left many fans to question Marvel's long-term commitment to expanding the Shang-Chi mythology.
Shang-Chi's MCU comeback in the fight against Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom positions him alongside the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. This elevated platform offers Liu a golden opportunity to redefine Shang-Chi's power scaling and narrative importance on the biggest stage the MCU can offer.
In a way, Shang-Chi's Doomsday appearance also functions as a strategic course-correction moment for Marvel Studios. After years of disrespect and Liu's vocal resentment of being sidelined, reintroducing Shang-Chi into the franchise's most ambitious ensemble is the right move, allowing newcomers to learn more about him and transform them into avid fans looking forward to his next MCU appearance.
If anything, Simu Liu is now given the opportunity to convert years of quiet momentum into a high-stakes on-screen presence that finally matches the cultural impact of the original Ten Rings story.
