Marvel Studios' upcoming MCU martial arts blockbuster-in-the-making, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is coming fairly soon. On Monday, April 19, Marvel put out the very first trailer for the film, which gave audiences a glimpse at Shang-Chi's life and story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It seems that a major story point might be Shang-Chi's father, Wenwu reigning him in to take his place at his side leading the fearsome Ten Rings terrorist organization, after sending his son to America for ten years to live a normal life.
It's also known from merchandise leaks for the film that Shang-Chi has a sister, Xialing, although they don't seem to be on speaking terms.
WHAT'S UP WITH SHANG-CHI'S GREEN PENDANT?
In the scene from the trailer where Shang-Chi knocks out two assailants on a bus at the same time, a bright green pendant, possibly made of jade, can be seen around his neck:
This same type of affectation is seen around Xialing's neck during her arena fight with none other than Shang-Chi himself:
Cementing the importance of this mystery item, Xialing is again wearing the penchant on the packaging of Hasbro's "Brick Breaker" toy for Shang-Chi:
THE POWER OF THE PENDANT?
It could be that this pendant is a family heirloom given to the siblings, and in the film's narrative, it serves to remind Shang-Chi of his past and where he came from. Perhaps both siblings wear an identical piece around their necks. And maybe it's the last remaining thing Shang-Chi and Xialing have from their still-unseen mother.
It could even be that there's a pivotal scene in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in which the title character must remind his sister of their shared, familial bond by showing her his pendant.
On the other hand, and perhaps even cooler possibility, the green pendant might just give Shang-Chi the ability to create duplicates of himself to aid him in combat. He's known for possessing this particular ability in the comics, and fans have been wondering if that superpower will carry over to being available to him in the MCU.
After all, as fans learned from Mordo in Doctor Strange, certain mystical objects can be imbued with special and specific enhancements and abilities which are granted to the user/wearer. Examples include the Vaulting Boots of Valtorr or the Wand of Watoomb.
And of course, the possibility that it's just a piece of jewelry that the character likes to wear should not be ruled out.
Whatever the significance of this eye-catching pendant is, fans will learn about it for sure when Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hits theaters on September 3, 2021.
