As well as dominating the box office for four weeks straight, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has also been riding a wave of critical acclaim, where it’s still sitting pretty on Rotten Tomatoes as one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best-reviewed installments.
A 92% score from critics and a 98% rating from audiences is impressive to say the least, so it’s no surprise fans are already hoping that one of those mysterious 2024 release dates ends up being awarded to a sequel. Based on how Shang-Chi ended, Tony Leung’s Wenwu isn’t expected to be part of a second installment, but a consultant on the movie has hinted that we might be seeing the iconic actor again.
Journalist Jeff Yang served as a cultural advisor on the martial arts fantasy blockbuster, and he revealed during a recent appearance on the They Call Us Bruce podcast, via The Direct, that the door isn’t closed on Shang-Chi’s father making future appearances in the MCU.
“Given what they had in Tony Leung, I would have hoped that they would have made it a little more clear that he has other places to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’ll just leave it at that.”
As one of the most talented stars in the business, it’s no surprise that Leung was phenomenal in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, bringing depth and complexity to a character who operates as an overbearing father, immortal warlord, underworld crime boss, grieving husband and more, all in the space of two hours. He’s simply too good to be a one-and-done character, it just depends on whether Kevin Feige and his team can find a place to bring him back without lessening the stakes of his sacrifice.
