According to Simu Liu, Marvel Cinematic Universe fans will likely have to wait several more years for Shang-Chi 2 to hit theaters.
On the newly launched social media platform Threads, Liu was asked about the status of Marvel Studios‘ Shang-Chi 2. The actor replied, “[I] was told it would follow [A]vengers but that keeps pushing back due to circumstances beyond my control … hope to have more concrete news to share soon.” It’s unclear if Liu is referring to 2026’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. Either Way, though, this would mean that Shang-Chi‘s next solo film won’t arrive for at least another three to four years — if not longer.
Shang-Chi 2 entered development in 2021
Created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin, Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, first appeared in 1973’s Special Marvel Edition #15. The character made his live-action debut in the 2021 MCU film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film starred Liu as Shang-Chi himself.
Despite releasing at a time when the box office was still struggling due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Shang-Chi proved to be a success for Marvel. The film grossed $224.5 million domestically and $432.2 million worldwide. With these numbers, it was the second-highest-grossing film of 2021 in the United States and Canada (behind fellow MCU feature Spider-Man: No Way Home) and the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2021 worldwide.
Shang-Chi was also a big hit with critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a “Certified Fresh” rating of 91 percent against an audience score of 98 percent. So, it was unsurprising when Cretton signed on to direct a sequel in December 2021. Since then, however, updates on Shang-Chi 2 have been few and far between. Nevertheless, Cretton evidently impressed Marvel, as he was also hired to helm the aforementioned Kang Dynasty and the Disney+ series Wonder Man.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty opens in theaters on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.
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