Upon the announcement that Simu Liu was cast as the superhero Shang-Chi 2019, beating out the likes of Lewis Tan, droves of fans rejoiced despite both Liu and the character he was to play being relatively unknown. To some, particularly Canadians, it was a big break for the actor who played one of the most popular characters on the hit CBC show Kim Convenience, while for others it was a milestone in the MCU as he was set to play its first Asian lead, which was something Liu never took for granted, evident by his outspoken passion for Asian representation.
The film reflected as much, with Liu’s performance drawing much praise for his ability to balance drama, comedy, and blistering action sequences that rank amongst the best in the MCU’s fifteen-year history. The film itself, co-written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, was also widely lauded by audiences and critics alike, considered by many to be one of the best MCU entries in recent years, particularly given the noticeable drop in quality post-Avengers: Endgame, with the likes of Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania falling short of the standards previously set by Marvel in their ever-burgeoning cinematic universe.
Thus, audiences have been clamouring for the days of yore, when the MCU was neither bland (sorry Eternals) nor straight-up terrible (I’m looking at you, Thor: Love and Thunder), and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was one of the last great Marvel movies to release before things started going somewhat downhill. Sadly, audiences will have to wait quite some time, at least for a Shang-Chi sequel.
While a sequel has been confirmed, there has been no release date set for the movie as of yet, and Simu Liu himself has been hesitant to hint at so much as the year of release, but what he has said is that it would come after Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which is currently slated for release on May 1st, 2026. That is quite the wait for a sequel, especially considering that this date could be moved further back should the industry strikes continue longer than studios anticipate.
However, the fact that it will come after the next Avengers movie makes sense given that Destin Daniel Cretton, who will return for the sequel, has been named as The Kang Dynasty’s director due to the strength of his work on Shang-Chi, similar to how Marvel kept bringing back the Russo brothers following their superb work on Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
That’s not to say that we shouldn’t expect to see Liu suit up as Shang-Chi sooner than we think. Marvel certainly loves a good cameo, cross-pollinating their large list of characters to make the MCU feel lived-in and connected. When done right, such as Charlie Cox’s appearance as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it can be one of the highest forms of fan service, and Liu has already hinted that fans might be surprised by how soon they see him in character again.
Not that Liu is in need of further success right now, with his latest movie, Barbie, having just become the highest grossing movie ever for Warner Bros.