A sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has been officially confirmed as well as a spinoff series arriving on Disney+, arising from a collaboration between director Destin Daniel Cretton, Marvel Studios and Hulu's Onyx Collective.
Can you believe that actor Simu Liu was told that he was "too ugly" to be a hero? Right?! I'm not sure what planet those people were living on but it certainly wasn't ours. "Growing up, I was obsessed with being desirable," he said in an interview with Men's Health. "Over the course of auditioning for [Shang-Chi], I never really thought I had a chance the whole time, because I never felt like I was the best looking or the tallest or the best at martial arts."
"What started to click for me is that I wasn't chosen [for Shang-Chi] because of my looks or my martial arts ability or anything other than my ability to inhabit a character," continued Liu. That, and the fact that he tweeted at the official Marvel Studios account claiming that he's the Shang Chi that its casting directors were looking for. It paid off, evidently, and is the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year, raking in $432 million for Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Cretton will be planning new TV shows for Marvel Studios for Disney+ and for Onyx Collective across all platforms, says Deadline, which is good news for those of us who only have one or two TV subscription services. “Destin is an amazing collaborator who brought a unique perspective and skill to Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings," said Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios. "We had a fantastic time working together on the film and he has so many intriguing ideas for stories to bring to life on Disney+, so we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with him and can’t wait to get started."
Regarding the potential of a sequel and a spinoff series, actor Meng'er Zhang is keen to see how her character Xu Xialing steps up to the plate in her new position. "I think Xialing has a lot more for us to explore, and the 10 Rings organization – now she's the new leader right now. What's going on next? Right?!" she enthused in an interview with PopCulture.com. We'll wait and see what's on the cards for Shang Chi and his family.
Featured Image Credit: Marvel Studios