Avengers 5 Planned To Put Shang-Chi In The Lead Before Getting Scrapped
Simu Liu's Shang-Chi was reportedly set to be one of the leads in Avengers 5.
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Shang-Chi is the lead character of the titular film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings; he's reportedly set to play a significant role in Avengers 5-the formerly titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. News of a sequel is moving slow, and fans are itching for a return to the character. While neither the studio nor star have confirmed it, Inverse has confirmed that Shang-Chi would have been one of the main leads in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
The film would more than likely have paid off the mid-credit scene from Legend of the Ten Rings teasing the Ten Rings being a beacon. Which still may apply to Doomsday just with the beacon attaching itself to Doctor Doom instead of Kang the Conqueror.
Shang-Chi was expected to be one of the major stars in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and the Legend of the Ten Rings, by director Destin Daniel Cretton. He exited the movie in November 2023, just before Jonathan Majors got cut from Marvel Studios. He is currently busy with the sequel to Shang-Chi and the Wonder Man series.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings did rather well during the Multiverse Saga. The COVID-19 pandemic wasn't able to hold the movie back from making $224 million domestically and $432 million worldwide while garnering 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was the first new character launch since 2019's Captain Marvel, and after some fans questioned Marvel's touch after Avengers: Endgame, it showed that the studio still had the ability to launch a successful film.
Amidst all of the sub-franchises, Marvel Studios is uncertain about a sequel to Shang-Chi, considering it has a rather comparably limited timeline since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was released. It took six years from the solo outing for Doctor Strange in Multiverse of Madness, whereas Shang-Chi made his debut way back in 2016. Nevertheless, one thing for sure, Shang-Chi will return, and it's a sure when and where.
Simu Liu, though, has let out some good news. In an interview with The Times of India, Liu confirmed that Shang-Chi 2 is in the pipeline and in active development over at Marvel Studios. 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."
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the first Marvel Studios film composed of an Asian director and predominantly Asian cast. The film premiered in Hollywood, Los Angeles on August 16, 2021, and was released in the United States on September 3 as part of Phase Four of the MCU. It grossed over $432 million at the box office worldwide for the year, making it the ninth highest-grossing film of 2021.
It broke several box office records and did well with critics, many of whom praised the film's exploration and representation of Asian culture that set the film apart from the rest of the MCU, while also praising the action scenes and Leung's performance. The film went on to win a number of awards, including a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 94th Academy Awards. A sequel is in development.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings grossed $224.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $207.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $432.2 million. It became the highest-grossing film ever released on Labor Day weekend and earned $13.2 million worldwide from IMAX, another Labor Day weekend record. Shang-Chi earned $29.6 million on its opening day, which was the third-best opening day since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020.
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