We finally have a meaningful update on a long-awaited Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel. According to director Destin Daniel Cretton, Shang-Chi 2 is still happening. This comes nearly five years after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings first hit theaters in the fall of 2021. Marvel Studios was quick to announce a sequel, but development has been slow-going. Cretton has now addressed all of that.
In a recent interview with Deadline, Cretton spoke about his work in the MCU, which includes Wonder Man. That show is part of the shockingly small Phase 6 MCU slate, which is building towards Avengers: Secret Wars. For starters, the filmmaker explained that yes, they are still working on Shang-Chi 2. Here’s what he had to say.
“We’re working on it. The first film’s reception was incredible, and we want to honor that. It’s evolving in a way we’re excited about. I can’t say specifics, but the emotional core is very important to us.”
Starring Simu Liu in the lead role, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was met with some of the best reviews for any MCU movie during the Multiverse Saga. It also set a record at the box office over Labor Day weekend. Ultimately, the movie finished with $432 million worldwide against a reported $150 million budget. That’s low for a Marvel movie but good for 2021, when the industry was still recovering from the pandemic.
“What’s going on is what went on with the entire industry,” Cretton said, addressing the delay in getting the sequel going. Aside from the pandemic, Hollywood has also endured two major strikes. Meanwhile, Marvel has endured diminishing returns at the box office, having to adjust its strategy along the way. Speaking further, Cretton explained how the first movie’s release was impacted by everything that was going on.
“When that movie came out, it was successful, but it actually came out weirdly. It was successful at the time when there was a new wave of COVID was hititng. So it was still successful. But many countries were completely shut down in theaters at the time, and after that, there were just crazy changes all over the place. So it’s just the result of the industry.”
Cretton signed an overall deal with Disney in 2021, which included the Shang-Chi sequel and a series for Disney+, which turned out to be Wonder Man. That show has already been renewed for a second season, which appears to be moving rapidly. That begs the question, when is the sequel actually going to happen? As of right now, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday are on deck for 2026. 2027 will see only Secret Wars released on the movie side.
Beyond that, Marvel Studios has several release dates set aside in 2028. One of those is almost certainly the forthcoming X-Men reboot. Another one of them very well could be Cretton’s sequel, which would make for a seven-year gap between installments. We’ll see how it all shakes out.
Shang-Chi 2 remains without a release date but stay tuned.
What do you think? Are you excited for the sequel? Are you bummed it’s taking so long? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
