One recurring flaw of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been the franchise’s habit of shoehorning in a love interest, which in the grand scheme of things brings absolutely nothing of note to the table.
There are exceptions to the rule, including Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter, Peter Parker and MJ, and Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, but the misses are close in number to the hits. Thor and Jane Foster have zero romantic chemistry, fans rebelled against Steve kissing Sharon Carter, Christine Palmer wouldn’t have been missed were she not in Doctor Strange at all, and the list goes on.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings introduced audiences to Simu Liu’s title hero and Awkwafina’s Katy, longtime friends who end up saving the world. While there are definitely hints of something more, the full-blown romantic angle wasn’t really explored. A new video from CharacterMedia finds Liu being questioned by The Matrix Resurrections star Jessica Henwick, where he addresses the possibility of a future entanglement.
“Shaun and Katy work so well as best friends. I agree, personally, I agree, and I think it’s refreshing when you see a man and woman on screen that don’t necessarily have to fall in love. I’m not saying that they never will, but it’s certainly not hinted at I think in the movie. I think what they have is just truly wonderful. I mean, I think it represents a lot of the male/female friendships that I have in life. I think we’ll see where the story goes, but if you were to ask me now, do I think that Shaun and Katy should be romantically involved, I would say no.”
The sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings doesn’t need to have the two leads fall head over heels for each other, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen, either. Liu and Awkwafina are fine as they are, and making doe eyes at each other might end up complicating their solid dynamic, and not for the better.
