Will Shang-Chi Return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness?

Marvel’s latest superhero adventureShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsis now playing in theaters, winning praises from both critics and audiences alike. Starring Simu Liu as Marvel’s first Asian superhero in the lead role,Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsis on track to register a record-breaking box office haul. Amidst all the hype, one of the most talked-about things is theShang-Chi mid-credits scene. The scene features surprising MCU characters and sets up Shang-Chi as a prominent character going forward.

With Kevin Feige recently teasing that the characters ofShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringswill reappear soon, fans have been wondering when and where that will be. The mid-credits scene ofShang-Chimade quite a few revelations, and we contemplate if the character could appear in next year’sDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But if you haven’t seenShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsyet, beware! There arespoilersahead.

The mid-credits scene ofShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringssaw Wong analyzing the Ten Rings. He tells Shang-Chi that when he used the rings, their power was felt at Kamar-Taj. Also in the scene, and in what appears to be the library of Kamar-Taj, are Brie Larson and Mark Ruffalo as Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner respectively.

This should come as a relief to Hulk fans that Bruce was in his human form wearing a cast and not the professor Hulk fromAvengers: Endgame. How did that happen? It is another of Marvel’s mysteries. Anyway, both Banner and Danvers ponder if the rings are made of alien tech or Vibranium; Ultimately concluding that it is nothing like they’ve ever seen before and that Shang-Chi somehow awoke the rings when he used them. The rings are now calling to something or someone.

Shang-Chiexecutive producer Jonathan Schwartz recently talked to ComicBook and spilled the beans on the film’s connections to other MCU films and the origins of the ten rings.

“Its genesis in Shang-Chi, I think, was pretty organic. It was just kind of about, ‘What do we want Wenwu to be doing? What makes the most sense? What do we think is going to be a satisfying climax to this movie?’ And to the extent that it’s going to be picked up and run with in other movies, and TV shows, or whatever, I think only the future will tell.Only time will tell.”

Schwartz mentionedDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessas the film Shang-Chi crew had to work with the most, saying the following about their collaboration.

“If you’ve seen the movie, you may probably guess. It’s just a lot of conversations with Kevin [Feige] about just coming in, and what would they be doing at this moment in time, where does it fit into the timeline, who’s wearing what… For this particular movie, which is kind of its own continuity in a way, it was maybe less connected timeline wise than some other films, so those conversations were maybe a little bit easier.”

While Schwartz’s answers aren’t exactly straightforward, he is hinting at Shang-Chi’s bigger-than-expected influence on the MCU. One theory is that Sylvie killing Kang, Shang-Chi using the rings, and Doctor Strange’s spell going wrong all happen at the same time leading to the multiversal war. Or maybe Wong decided to take the help of the Sorcerer Supreme himself to better understand the dark origins of the ten rings. The possibilities are endless.

That being said, it is very likely we get to see Shang-Chi again inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring Tony Leung, Awkwafina, Fala Chen, Michelle Yeoh, and Benedict Wongalongside lead actor Simu-Liu,Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsis currently wowing audiences worldwide. Be sure to check it out only in theaters. This news was first reported byComicBook.