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“I don’t think anything’s been impacted,” Liu said when asked if Spider-Man 4 has had any effect on Shang-Chi 2. “I think we’re all … I speak to Destin often and there’s nothing coming out of both of us but excitement to make this film.”
Released in 2021, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is one of the best-received films of Marvel’s Multiverse Saga. It earned very positive reviews, with many people praising the movie’s exciting action sequences and Liu’s performance as the titular hero. Shang-Chi was also commercially successful, grossing $432.2 million worldwide during a time when theaters were just starting to recover from the pandemic. A sequel was announced quickly after, with Cretton onboard to write and direct.
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Despite Shang-Chi‘s reception, the sequel is seemingly on Marvel’s back burner. For a period, Cretton was attached to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (before that project was reworked as Doomsday). After Cretton departed the upcoming Avengers film, he shifted to Spider-Man 4, which is scheduled to premiere in July 2026. While all this has been going on, Liu has assured fans Shang-Chi 2 will happen at some point.
It’s great that Shang-Chi 2 remains in the works, but, unfortunately, fans will likely have to wait a few more years to see it come to fruition. For the foreseeable future, Cretton will have his hands full with Spider-Man 4; the plan is for that film to begin production this summer, and then the director will be overseeing the various post-production aspects until the movie’s release. Considering how much of a massive undertaking MCU blockbusters are, Cretton would probably want to take a break before he turns his attention to Shang-Chi 2. With all that in mind, the odds are Shang-Chi 2 plausibly won’t come out until after Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. Perhaps it will take one of the 2028 dates Disney has reserved for untitled Marvel movies.
The character of Shang-Chi was a fresh addition to the MCU, and his film’s post-credits scene teased he had a big future ahead. However, it’s unknown when fans will see Shang-Chi on-screen again. Liu could conceivably return for Avengers: Doomsday, but nothing has been confirmed as of this writing. Given that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is such a well-liked entry in the franchise, this situation has been very frustrating for viewers. Many people were excited to see more of Shang-Chi after his first movie came out, and Marvel has missed its chance to strike when the iron is hot. Hopefully, once Spider-Man 4 is completed, Shang-Chi 2 can take a meaningful step forward and be worth the long wait.
