Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is safely one of the uncontested cinematic high points of Phase Four of the MCU; with an explosive cast consisting of Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, and Tony Leung, the film brought home a riveting story about family, forgiveness, and redemption.
That’s the micro-development, though, and it wouldn’t be an MCU film without some hefty macro-development as well, and Shang-Chi just might be home to the biggest example yet, as we learn that the eponymous weapons that Shang-Chi ultimately wields are neither from Earth, nor from any alien planet, and a theory from one Alex Perez, writing for The Cosmic Circus, has gone on the run with this revelation to try and piece together what we can expect from the martial artist’s next outing.
The theory sizes up many different nuances, from Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton’s helming of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (itself largely indicative of the role Shang-Chi will play in the Multiverse Saga’s major conflict) to the many hints offered up in the Disney Plus series Ms. Marvel, two of them, in particular, being the similarities between Kamala Khan’s bangle and Shang-Chi’s rings, and how the aforementioned bangle allows Kamala to travel through time and space, as we saw when she landed in 1940’s India or when the bangle was used to open a portal to the Noor Dimension, respectively.
Assuming that the Shang-Chi sequel will follow the protagonist and his allies on a journey to learn more about the rings, who’s to say that they won’t cause similar incidents that the bangle did, perhaps opening up a rift in the time-sensitive Quantum Realm, where we’re all but certain that that’s where Kang himself resides?
It just goes to show that the myriad of plot beats across the MCU’s properties, no matter how dizzying they may seem at first, all eventually come together for a story that audiences all over the world will happily tune in for, and we can’t wait to see what Shang-Chi has in store for us next.