Simu Liu (Shang-Chi) teased what fans can expect from the sequel to 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
While Shang-Chi 2 is not on the MCU's official slate of upcoming Multiverse Saga projects, the sequel was confirmed and will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who helmed the first Shang-Chi film as well.
The director will also take on the fifth Avengers film, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which will hit theaters on May 2, 2025.
As for the characters introduced in Shang-Chi, none have appeared since the 2021 movie. However, the film's inclusion of established characters like Wong and Abomination has been further explored in projects such as She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Now, however, some new information came to light about expectations for the highly anticipated sequel, straight from the star himself.
Liu Teases 'Amazing Action' & More in Shang-Chi Sequel
In an interview with Collider, Simu Liu hinted at what fans can expect from the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings sequel.
The actor discussed the pressure relief he is experiencing, as he is no longer "essentially crafting this character, every single day" while under a massive production budget like he was for the first one. He explained that "generally, you’re under the most pressure when something is unproven:"
"Generally, you’re under the most pressure when something is unproven. There’s really high stakes. I remember shooting the first movie and feeling like, 'Okay, we’re essentially crafting this character, every single day.' The stakes could not be higher because it was a 100 bajillion dollar movie budget. I feel like those are the circumstances under which the pressure would be the highest."
Liu then talked about the positive emotions he feels "returning to [a] world that we’ve spent so much time ideating on and thinking about:"
"Going into a sequel feels exciting. It doesn’t necessarily feel like there’s a pressure to perform or a pressure to exceed. It feels like we’ve established a world and there’s just something really nostalgic and exciting about returning to that world that we’ve spent so much time ideating on and thinking about."
Liu explained that the sequel will "revisit some things, but also show the viewer new things." He highlighted specifically "the amazing action that we were celebrated for on the first movie" that fans should expect to return in Shang-Chi 2, along with new developments for the titular character.
"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."
He finished, teasing "That is, of course, if we can still afford Michelle Yeoh:"
"That is, of course, if we can still afford Michelle Yeoh. She’s on top of the world and just the queen of everything."
What Will Shang-Chi 2 Be About?
With these hints from Simu Liu, fans can begin to speculate on what these "new sides of Shaun's character and the characters around him" will be.
The ending of the first film set up Xu Xialing (Meng'er Zhang) as re-forming the 10 Rings, teasing that they "will return" in a post-credits scene. Perhaps this new direction for the character will be explored more fully in the sequel.
Additionally, for Shang-Chi himself, fans know that he and Katy (Awkwafina) were brought into talks with some key Avengers and allies, so maybe the new sides fans can expect will involve Shang-Chi getting used to his new team and new expectations.
There is no known release date for Shang-Chi 2, but its predecessor, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is currently streaming on Disney+.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
