Maybe Simu Liu was onto something when he made his Avengers comments last year, as it has recently been revealed that Shang-Chi won’t be part of this superhero group… at least in the comics.
Marvel has announced in an official press release that a new Thunderbolts comic will be released in late 2023, and this Marvel supergroup will be led by Bucky Barnes. Joining the Winter Soldier will be some familiar faces we’ve seen in the MCU, such as Black Widow, Sharon Carter, White Widow (aka Yelena Belova), Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, and Shang-Chi. This version of The Thunderbolts will be handled by none other than Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, a character who was first introduced in the MCU in the Disney Plus series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
This new lineup is completely different from the original comic story told back in 1997. Initially, The Thunderbolts were an anti-hero group filled with reformed supervillains and led by Baron Zemo. It’s important to note that this lineup differs from the upcoming MCU adaptation as it will feature other villains that appeared in the movie franchise. So while Shang-Chi will be part of this group in the comics, there is a chance that he may still be an Avenger in the films.
Marvel writers, Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, wrote this new installment of The Thunderbolts. They have previously collaborated on comics such as Thor Annual #1, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, to name a few. The new comic book series will be promoted at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con and is set to be released in Dec. 2023.