Where does Marvel Studios stand with production for the upcoming Shang-Chi 2, the sequel to 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings?
Shang-Chi was a landmark movie for the MCU upon its September 2021 release, becoming one that truly helped movie theaters come back to prominence with the highest-grossing Labor Day weekend in history.
And with early plans already in motion for a possible follow-up movie, fans are already wondering how the MCU's Master of the Martial Arts will make his return in a solo setting while also eventually meeting more of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
When Will Shang-Chi 2 Release?
Assuming that Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton will be back to make the follow-up movie, this sequel would have to be put on hold until Cretton finished off another project he has on his to-do list.
Cretton is currently hard at work on the Wonder Man series as the creator and director, although shooting for the show is currently on hold due to the ongoing Writer's Guild of America (WGA) strike that's shut down multiple MCU entries.
And while it's unclear exactly when the Wonder Man show will make its way onto Disney+, depending on how long the writer's strike lasts, many are expecting it to hit the streamer sometime in 2024.
As for Shang-Chi 2 itself, rumors pointed to the movie being set for a February 14, 2025 release date before a number of delays, which eventually pushed Fantastic Four into that date before Blade eventually took over that release with the latest shift.
The good news is that Shang-Chi 2 was reportedly added to Marvel Studios' official production calendar, meaning that the team has plans for it to go into development sooner rather than later.
Depending on whether Marvel this film to arrive in theaters, Shang-Chi 2 could wind up taking one of the 2026 or 2027 slots depending on whether it comes before or after Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which was delayed until May 1, 2026.
With the old release date in mind, Shang-Chi 2 could be a good fit for a February 2027 release prior to Avengers: Secret Wars, giving Cretton enough time for all three of his confirmed projects; but for now, all of that remains to be officially confirmed.
Who Is Cast in Shang-Chi 2?
The cast for Shang-Chi 2 will unquestionably be an important part of the film's success, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings being highlighted for having the first predominantly Asian cast in MCU history.
But the real question now is who from the first film will be the best bet to come back for the second round of action when Xu Shang-Chi takes on his second solo adventure in the MCU.
Simu Liu - Shang-Chi (Confirmed)
Simu Liu is already guaranteed to come back to his role as Shang-Chi, with his solo franchise getting a sequel greenlit almost immediately after the original movie debuted in theaters.
Now in possession of the Ten Rings after battling his father, the Mandarin, Shang-Chi looks to take even more of a leadership role alongside the Avengers, which should lead to even more intense challenges for him in his solo sequel.
Awkwafina - Katy (Expected)
After playing a major supporting role in the first Shang-Chi, Awkwafina is expected to reprise her role as Katy in the second movie as her relationship with the lead protagonist develops.
She was seen in the mid-credits scene alongside Shang-Chi, Wong, Captain Marvel, and Bruce Banner, and there's no doubt that she's fully on board for the superhero ride whether she and Shang-Chi stay friends or start a romance.
Meng’er Zhang - Xu Xialing (Expected)
Shang-Chi's second post-credits scene brought Meng’er Zhang back into the spotlight as Xu Xialing, with Shang-Chi's sister taking over for their father as the leader of the Ten Rings.
She's even already rumored to be getting her own spin-off show focusing on the Ten Rings organization itself, which will most likely set up Shang-Chi 2 in some way as she goes down a darker path.
Florian Munteanu - Razor Fist (Expected)
Initially serving under the Mandarin, Florian Munteanu's Razor Fist eventually teamed up with Shang-Chi and Xialing to fight the Dweller-in-Darkness before appearing next to Xialing in the second post-credits scene.
He now stands as one of Xialing's right-hand men as she leads the Ten Rings, and he'll likely remain a powerful force as his character gets more depth in future movies, including Shang-Chi 2.
Ronny Chieng - Jon Jon (Expected)
Ronny Chieng's Jon Jon worked closely with Xialing running her underground fight club in Macau, where he set up Shang-Chi to fight his own sister before escaping with his boss as the Mandarin's team infiltrated the facility.
By the end of the film, he stood by Xialing and Razorfist as they rebooted the Ten Rings, with signs pointing to him playing a bigger role in the organization's exploits moving forward.
Michelle Yeoh - Ying Nan (Expected)
Fans are surely hoping for newly-minuted Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh to return to the MCU as Ying Nan, her second role in the franchise, although there's no guarantee that she'll be back for the next round.
Simu Liu even teased that Ying Nan will come back "if we can still afford Michelle Yeoh," but noted that she's "on top of the world and just the queen of everything" as he hopes for her to reprise her role again.
What Will the Title of Shang-Chi 2 Be?
Marvel Studios is known to be quite flexible with its titles, as fans have seen recently with a couple of Phase 5 outings.
Captain America 4 just had its title changed from New World Order to Brave New World, and rumors have pointed to Marvel hiding that Deadpool 3's title is actually Deadpool and Wolverine.
Shang-Chi 2's title will be another story in and of itself, although there are already whispers about what the follow-up to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings could be.
A rumor from The Cosmic Circus hinted in October 2022 that Marvel filed a trademark for the title Shang-Chi and the Wreckage of Time, which fans have used in their own fan-art-style title cards online since that time.
This would certainly make sense for a title considering the time-traveling and dimension-jumping antics seen in the Multiverse Saga thus far, which are only confirmed to continue with Kang the Conqueror being the ultimate big bad.
This could allow Shang-Chi and crew to dive into more Multiversal storylines, and with the Ten Rings rumored to be one of this new saga's MacGuffins along with Ms. Marvel's bangle, it wouldn't be shocking to see the sequel take that route.
What Will Happen in Shang-Chi 2?
It's hard to predict exactly what will happen in the Shang-Chi sequel with it being so far out, especially considering that it could fall alongside a number of other stories in the Multiverse Saga after the original movie.
Simu Liu is expected to play a semi-leading role alongside Captain America and Shuri in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty under Destin Daniel Cretton, meaning he may have even more responsibilities when he comes back for Shang-Chi 2.
And with the aforementioned rumor about the Ten Rings being an important part of Kang's quest in the Multiverse Saga, this movie may dive more into their origin, their history, and how they could affect the very fabric of reality.
Additionally, Liu offered his own comments on what to expect from the sequel, teasing more of what fans saw in the first movie while diving into "new sides of Shaun’s character" along with the people surrounding him
"And then, we’re getting to revisit some things, but also show the viewer new things. We’ll deliver all of the amazing action that we were celebrated for on the first movie, but then also hopefully explore new sides of Shaun’s character and the characters around him."
More details will be made clearer once Shang-Chi 2 officially gets a production start date and a release timeframe, but with Liu enthusiastic about continuing to play the role, there's no telling how far Marvel can go with this new outing.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is currently streaming on Disney+. Destin Daniel Cretton will return to the MCU with Wonder Man and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the latter of which debuts in theaters on May 1, 2026.
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