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Phase 4 has proven that the MCU has no lack of fire or direction in a post-Infinity Saga world. While the majority of the Phase has been dominated by TV shows (WandaVision, The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, Loki, and now What If…?), Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings have brought the MCU back to the big screen. Although Black Widow feels two Phases too late, Shang-Chi is easily one of the strongest movies in the entire franchise.
Balancing splendid fight choreography with character driven action, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has not only set a new precedent for MCU origins, but the series’ storytelling in general. Shang-Chi manages to tell an emotional and thematically dense narrative about family all while subtly setting up future plot threads. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is one of the most self-contained movies in the MCU, but it leaves behind a fair share of sequel hooks.
5 The Origin Of The Ten Rings
Shang-Chi’s first mid-credits scene involves Wong examining Shang-Chi’s titular Ten Rings alongside both Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner (who’s no longer Professor Hulk). Despite their investigation and wide range of knowledge between the three, the heroes are not able to figure out where Wenwu would have gotten the Ten Rings. Even the film’s own opening prologue is unclear on where Wenwu obtained the rings, leaving the whole story up to legend.
With Wenwu now dead, the main characters are essentially at a standstill. What they do know, however, is that the Ten Rings are so old that they are unlike any modern material, mineral, or magic. Considering the direction the MCU is heading in, it’s entirely likely that the Ten Rings have multiversal origins that’ll be explored in future films. Similarly, this sets up Shang-Chi as a major player in the franchise regardless if he gets another solo outing.
4 “Welcome To The Circus”
Along with looking into the Ten Rings’ origin, Shang-Chi’s mid-credits scene ends with Bruce Banner welcoming Shang-Chi and Katy “to the circus” – the circus being the Avengers, of course. Without Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, or Natasha Romanoff, the Avengers are scattered and seemingly directionless. Audiences know that the MCU is setting up the Young Avengers and Dark Avengers through the introduction of characters like Kate Bishop and John Walker, but the regular Avengers needs some filling out.
Going off Shang-Chi’s mid-credits scene, the current Avengers roster can be reasoned out as: The Hulk, Captain Marvel, Wong, and now Shang-Chi and Katy. It’s likely that War Machine and Sam Wilson’s Captain America are also Avengers, but they primarily work alongside the United States government. Similarly, Doctor Strange is in charge of the New York Sanctum, giving him less time to be an active member than Wong. Given how little responsibility they have in their daily lives, Shang-Chi and Katy are perfect fits for the team (even if Katy’s role isn’t clear at this moment). Moving forward, the two are sure to be Avengers mainstays.
3 The Ten Rings Will Return
“X will return” is an iconic staple of the MCU, to the point where Infinity War ended on a rather cruel “Thanos will return” stinger that made the year long wait for Endgame almost unbearable. While Shang-Chi is all but confirmed to return and play a big role in the MCU moving forward, his solo film curiously ends with a “Ten Rings will return” stinger – setting up his sister, Xu Xialing, as a major antagonist moving forward. While it may be disappointing to see Shang-Chi undercut at the end of his own movie, ending with the Ten Rings makes sense.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings makes an active effort to recontexualize Marvel’s rather spotty depiction of the group throughout history. “The Mandarin” is merely a name, and one that Wenwu didn’t even care for. The Ten Rings represent his life’s work and Xu Xialing’s arc is all about forging her own path in the shadow of her father. Xu Xialing taking over the Ten Rings and molding it to better suit what she wants makes perfect sense, sets up complex family drama for a sequel, and ensures Xu Xialing has a place in the MCU moving forward.
2 Fleshing Out Ta Lo
The MCU’s world building has only gotten better with time. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings introduces Ta Lo, a mystical dimension guarded by a living forest. Ta Lo is one of the most inspired settings in Marvel, filled with beautiful creature design that takes advantage of an opportunity to get creative. Gorgeous architecture, deadly dragon scale weaponry, and faceless Morrises lend the impression that Ta Lo truly is a world outside reality as we know it.
In the comics, Thor visits Ta Lo in Thor 301 (written by Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio, pencilled by Keith Pollard) after the Asgardians are killed by Celestials. Thor manages to revive Asgard after defeating Shiva in battle, which could be loosely adapted in the MCU down the line. It’s worth keeping in mind that the MCU’s depiction of Ta Lo is fairly different from the comics so far, but Thor 301 is basically begging for adaptation. Instead of reviving Asgardians, Thor could revive Asgard while keeping Ta Lo relevant outside the context of Shang-Chi.
1 Fear The Fear Lords
Despite functioning as the final antagonist for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the Dweller-in-Darkness is actually a Doctor Strange villain. Not just that, the Dweller-in-Darkness is one of many Fear Lords – demonic beings who feed on fear in order to bring about the “Great Fear.” While the Dweller-in-Darkness is depicted as more animalistic than he normally is in Shang-Chi, his appearance could set a precedent for future Fear Lords. Straw Man, Lurking Unknown, Kkallakku, Nox, and D’Spayre would all make fantastic MCU villains.
Taking into consideration that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will have light horror elements, it’s entirely possible that the Dweller-in-Darkness’ appearance is cheeky foreshadowing for any Doctor Strange fans in the audience. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ finale also doesn’t shy away from depicting the terrors of the Dweller-in-Darkness, showing several named characters getting their souls sucked out and dying. The Fear Lords could very well be on their way.
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