This New Avenger Is Returning for Secret Wars, but They Still Desperately Need a Solo Sequel

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe began to face challenges with Phase Four. While it didn’t bring in many new fans, it started losing existing ones, especially after some weaker releases. A major problem was simply too much content – eight Disney+ shows and seven movies in less than two years. This made it hard for any new Marvel project to feel important or like a big deal, with the exception of Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, Phase Four wasn’t all bad. Besides the success of No Way Home, WandaVision and Hawkeye were both well-received, and Black Widow was a fun, though often overlooked, addition to the franchise.

The high point of Phase Four of Marvel movies is definitely Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. It’s been four years since that film came out, and Simu Liu has only played the character once – until now. He’s confirmed to appear in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, meaning we’ll be seeing much more of his version of Shang-Chi in the future.

Why Hasn’t There Been a Second Shang-Chi Film?

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has a lot going for it. Simu Liu is fantastic in his breakout role, and Awkwafina shines as a memorable and supportive friend. The villain is particularly strong, and it’s great to see Ben Kingsley reprise his role as Trevor Slattery from Iron Man 3. The movie also features impressive action, skillful directing by Destin Daniel Cretton, and characters that feel more developed than those in many other Marvel films.

Fans have been wondering why a sequel to Shang-Chi hasn’t been released yet. Discussions about a second film began almost immediately after the first one was a success – it more than made back its production costs and received positive reviews in August 2021. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, waiting five years between installments is unusual. Previous films like Iron Man and Thor had sequels only two years later, while Captain America and Guardians of the Galaxy had three-year gaps.

It’s likely been much longer than five years in the story since we first saw Shang-Chi. It’s unusual to wait five years between a character’s first and second appearances, especially since audiences really connected with him. (It’s actually four years if you include Simu Liu’s voice work in Marvel Zombies.)

It’s strange that a sequel to Shang-Chi hasn’t moved forward, especially considering Marvel Studios’ clear interest in working with director Destin Daniel Cretton. He was a top candidate to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but was then chosen to lead the new Spider-Man: Brand New Day project instead.

Considering the huge financial success of No Way Home, it’s understandable that Marvel focused on that next. However, we hope there isn’t a long wait between the first Shang-Chi movie and the sequel, as that could cause audiences to lose interest. Shang-Chi has the potential to be one of Marvel’s strongest franchises. Simu Liu recently mentioned while promoting his show The Copenhagen Test that a sequel is still being developed, and fans would love to see Marvel Studios prioritize it.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/feature/the-copenhagen-test-showrunners-break-down-simu-lius-new-sci-fi-hit-exclusive/embed/#

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2026-01-08 21:15