Much like the first Iron Man took a smaller character from the comics and made him into a huge star to kick off a brand new story, Shang-Chi will soon do the same. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be the full-fledged theatrical kickoff to Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its second trailer is here, showing us even more of this rising hero.
Simu Liu stars as Shang-Chi, a man who is drawn back into his troubled past after thinking he left it behind. That’s the work of the Ten Rings, a group teased throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe which will now be revealed in full. Along the way Liu will be joined by actors Tony Leung, Awkwafina, and Michelle Yeoh among others, under the direction of Destin Daniel Cretton, who made one of Brie Larson’s breakout films, Short Term 12. Here’s the latest trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
With Shang-Chi opening September 2, it’s actually going to be the second Marvel movie out this year.
The first is Black Widow, which opens July 9, but that film is mostly a prequel, set before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. Shang-Chi takes place squarely after the events of Avengers: Endgame. So, you’d guess it’s happening almost simultaneously with WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (because who knows when, or if, current Disney+ series Loki is taking place).
Whether or not those stories, or others, will be mentioned is still uncertain. What is for certain is that Shang-Chi is a Marvel Comics character who is unknown to many. But with this film, you’d imagine that won’t be the case for long. And there’s a good chance he ends up side by side with some of our favourite heroes down the road.