In September 2021, Marvel Studios introduced fans to the world of martial arts with Destin Daniel Cretton's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings upon its theatrical debut. With Simu Liu taking on the titular hero alongside characters like Meng'er Zhang's Xialing and Awkwafina's Katy, Shang-Chi gave fans a thrilling look into a dimension of the MCU that hadn't been explored up to that point.
Most of the movie centered on Shang-Chi's journey from being a valet at a hotel to one of the most powerful new heroes in the MCU, as he learned about his past with the Ten Rings organization and the Mandarin. The other big part of this adventure was seeing the lead hero develop new relationships that helped him push forward, including a reunion with his sister Xialing and a deepening friendship with Katy.
Following the movie's final moments, fans immediately wondered if Shang-Chi and Katy's relationship would move past the friends stage into the dating stage. However, looking at what the future holds for the master warrior, Liu doesn't necessarily see that romantic relationship being a guaranteed part of his story.
Are Shang-Chi & Katy Romantic?
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu spoke with former Iron Fist actress Jessica Henwick during her promotional tour for The Matrix Resurrections at the 19th Unforgettable Gala, appearing on the Character Media YouTube channel.
During their chat, the topic turned to Katy and Shang-Chi's friendship in the movie and if it will ever grow into something romantic, with Henwick asking Liu if Shang-Chi would ever "put a ring" on Katy.
Liu admitted that he enjoys how Shang-Chi and Katy "work so well as best friends" and how it's "refreshing" seeing a relationship between male and female characters that doesn't instantly become romantic. Liu concluded with a firm "no" when pondering if the two should be romantically involved:
"That’s a great question. Shaun and Katy work so well as best friends. I agree, personally, I agree, and I think it’s refreshing when you see a man and woman on screen that don’t necessarily have to fall in love. I’m not saying that they never will, but it’s certainly not hinted at I think in the movie. I think what they have is just truly like wonderful. I mean, I think it represents a lot of the male/female friendships that I have in life. I think we’ll see where the story goes, but if you were to ask me now, do I think that Shaun and Katy should be romantically involved, I would say no."
This differs to Liu's past comments on the matter, where he previously stated "we’ll see what happens," to now giving an outright "no."
Shang-Chi and Katy Still Only Friends
Unlike most heroes in the MCU, Shang-Chi remains firmly single as the credits for his first solo movie began rolling. Differentiating him even more so in this regard is the fact that he seems to be perfectly content to be on his own, particularly taking his close friendship with Awkwafina's Katy into account for the time being.
The two coworkers and high school classmates were almost forced to learn more about one another in Shang-Chi, as the lead hero delved into his mysterious past and flew halfway across the world to find out the truth. Katy impulsively deciding to take that plane ride with him showed just how much she cared about her friend, but it was never truly indicated that they'd take another step in that relationship.
Whether Shang-Chi ends up with anybody romantically in future movies is still up in the air, but it appears that fans shouldn't expect that the special lady will end up being Katy at the moment.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is available to stream on Disney+.
