Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was hit particularly hard by COVID-19. The pandemic struck just after shooting had started in Australia, with director Destin Daniel Cretton going into isolation, forcing the cast and crew to hit the pause button. Soon afterward, Disney halted filming on most of its projects, resulting in the MCU blockbuster’s release being pushed back to September 2021.
But the story has a happy ending, as Shang-Chi defied predictions to become a pandemic-era hit, with a sequel officially confirmed late last year. That’s likely to build on the mid-credits scene, in which Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers study the Ten Rings, ominously revealing the mystical artifact is acting as a beacon.
Shooting the scene during the pandemic was a challenge, as lockdowns kept the actors in different locations. Visual effects supervisor Christopher Townsend has now revealed how it all came together in an interview with ComicBook, and whether any other heroes were under consideration.
“Those were the only two. So they were shot in different locations, at different times. I think Mark was currently, I think he was in Atlanta, I believe. And then Brie came to the stages in LA. But yeah, they were shot in separate plates, but those are the only two we had. That was the plan.”
The scene is a fairly typical MCU open-ended post-credits scene, as what or who the rings are summoning can be decided at a later date, once the ongoing Phase Four story has been firmed up.
However, fans already think they know, pinning Fin Fang Foom’s alien dragon race – the Makluans – as the incoming villains. In the comics, each of the Rings contains the spirit of a Makluan warrior, so I’d imagine they’d want their cultural artifact back, and won’t care how many cities they have to smash to get it.
Here’s hoping we hear more on a Shang-Chi sequel soon, though I’m hoping Simu Liu gets some cool cameos in other MCU movies before then.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now available to stream on Disney Plus.