One of the MCU’s coolest and most forgotten about heroes, Shang-Chi, will be returning to the MCU, says Simu Liu. Shang-Chi, the master martial artist, made his MCU debut in the 2021 MCU hit Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Despite good reviews from audiences and critics, the movie’s COVID release date severely limited its box office potential. Because the character has yet to appear in any follow-up MCU movie or series, fans assumed that Shang-Chi’s spotlight had faded permanently. However, Simu Liu has provided audiences with some great news.

Speaking to The Times of India about his new movie Jackpot (which also features his Shang-Chi co-star Awkafina), Simu Liu confirmed that Shang-Chi 2 is in the works at Marvel Studios. The actor didn’t provide any details about the film’s potential release date, production timeline, or plot, joking that it’s above his pay grade. But Liu’s confirmation is the first piece of good Shang-Chi news fans have received since the movie’s release. Liu said:

“A lot of it is above my pay grade, but it’s definitely happening. So, just very excited to kind of work on it, and it’s going to be amazing. I really can’t say anything beyond that.”

Starring Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Ben Kingsley, Meng’er Zhang, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, and Benedict Wong, Shang-Chi formally introduced the legendary Ten Rings organization to the MCU. The iconic Marvel villains were first teased in Iron Man 3, but that version was a fake (an actor named Trevor Slattery, played by Ben Kingsley, was hired to pose as the Mandarin). The Ten Rings were then teased in a Marvel One shot (remember when Marvel made those?) titled All Hail the King, revealing that the Ten Rings did exist in the MCU. As well as promising a return for its eponymous hero, the end of Shang-Chi also teased that the Ten Rings would return.

While Shang-Chi Is Returning, The Eternals Are Not

It’s impossible to discuss forgotten Marvel heroes without mentioning Eternals. Directed by Chloé Zhao, the film followed the titular race of immortal beings who have secretly protected Earth for centuries. Featuring a star-studded cast, including Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Barry Keoghan, Lia McHugh, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, and Kit Harrington, the movie was lambasted by audiences upon release. Despite contemporary opinions about the movie changing, it feels like the wider MCU has tried to forget that Eternals ever happened — despite a gigantic dead celestial sitting in the ocean.

While Shang-Chi is getting his long-awaited vindication (at least according to Simu Liu), the Eternals have received the short end of the proverbial stick. Last month, Kevin Feige proved that the team’s name was only metaphorical, as the Eternals won’t be making an MCU comeback anytime in the near future. Feige said:

“There are no immediate plans for Eternals 2. There are, and I think you’ve seen maybe in a trailer we’ve released recently, an acknowledgment of some of those events. Certain giant things came out of the ocean.”

Shang-Chi
and
Eternals
, along with the entire MCU, can be streamed on Disney+.