'Marvel Zombies' Finally Brings Back the MCU Character Fans Have Waited Four Years For Actorsvaultpro

Marvel Zombies has arrived, and not only does it feel like an Avengers-level crossover, but it’s the long-awaited (and much-deserved) return of Shang-Chi. The Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s Multiverse Saga has been a mixed bag. Negative reactions to some entries have led some fans to dismiss the entire MCU, often claiming that “the MCU should have stopped after Avengers: Endgame.” Obviously, the MCU has had many films that people like since Avengers: Endgame, but entries like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever tend to come with some type of caveat from many.

However, remind someone of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and they will likely say something similar to “Oh, I did like that one!” With most of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga films focused on sequels to already existing characters, relaunches of established teams like the Fantastic Four, or team-ups like Thunderbolts*, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, along with Eternals, are the first truly new MCU film franchises since Captain Marvel in 2019. Eternals was not well received, but Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was both a critical and financial hit.

Yet despite how well-received Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was, Marvel Studios has failed to capitalize on the film’s and the character’s popularity. Even though the film laid the groundwork for some exciting teases, Shang-Chi has not appeared in live-action since 2021. Simu Liu has only voiced the character in titles like What If…? and Marvel Zombies. Even though Simu Liu will return in Avengers: Doomsday, many have wondered why it has taken so long and why Marvel Studios didn’t release a Shang-Chi sequel sooner, and why Marvel Zombies is the most prominent follow-up for the breakout hero.

‘Shang-Chi’ Was a Hit for the MCU and Became a Fan Favorite

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opened in theaters on Sept. 3, 2021. Released during a time of uncertainty about audiences’ willingness to return to theaters after the COVID-19 pandemic, it served as a test to see if the MCU, then the strongest brand in film, could draw viewers for a new hero, as it had for Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. It turns out, they did. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opened to $75.5 million over the three-day weekend and $94.6 million over the four-day Labor Day weekend, becoming the biggest Labor Day weekend in box office history. It was also the second-biggest opening weekend of the pandemic at the time, behind Black Widow‘s $80 million in July 2021.

With little competition, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was the number one movie at the box office for four weekends in a row. It became the first film since the COVID-19 pandemic to pass $200 million domestically. It grossed $224.5 million domestically and $432.2 million worldwide. While that is low by MCU standards, it is worth noting that it occurred at a time when audiences were still skeptical about going to the movies.

The other is that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was not granted a release in China. In fact, following Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019, the next MCU film to receive a Chinese release was 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, so part of the MCU’s potential loss in appeal in the Chinese market could be attributed to audiences having missed out on six films.

Even with a lower-than-normal MCU box office, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a box office hit by pandemic standards and was a critical hit for the MCU, generating a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes at an average of 7.5/10 based on 334 reviews, along with a 71 on Metacritic and an A CinemaScore from audiences. Marvel had successfully introduced a new marquee superhero to the franchise, and one that audiences liked, who could feasibly be pitched as a new anchor for the franchise, like Iron Man or Captain America. Yet in the four years since, the MCU has all but forgotten Shang-Chi as a character and a concept by failing to capitalize on his popularity.

Why Has Marvel Not Made a Shang-Chi Sequel?

Shang-Chi and Katy meeting Wong, Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner in 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'

One would assume that after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opened, Marvel Studios would have fast-tracked a sequel. After all, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was announced before Guardians of the Galaxy opened in theaters. Marvel Studios announced Ant-Man and the Wasp three months after Ant-Man opened in theaters and had the film out within three years of the heroes’ first film. Marvel did announce plans for Shang-Chi 2 in December 2021, along with an overall deal with the movie’s director, Destin Daniel Cretton. Four years later, and no progress has been made. With a deal in place, why didn’t Cretton quickly begin work on Shang-Chi 2, likely aiming for a 2024 release date if it could have avoided the WGA and SAG-AFTA strikes?

Marvel Studios liked Cretton so much that they attached him to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in July 2022, in which Shang-Chi was set to have a major role. Marvel Studios could have brought in another director to develop Shang-Chi 2 while Cretton worked on Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. However, given Cretton’s key role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ success, Marvel Studios likely wanted to keep him creatively involved, holding off on the sequel that Cretton could direct after Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

It appears that Marvel Studios wanted Shang-Chi to follow a similar pattern as Thor and Captain America, who followed their moderate hit solo films with roles in The Avengers, setting the stage for their sequels to get the Avengers box office bump. The key difference, though, was that The Avengers came out a year after Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. In contrast, had The Kang Dynasty been released on its 2025 date, it would still have been four years since the release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

That was all for nothing, as Cretton would depart The Kang Dynasty in November 2023. That was wasted time he could have spent on developing a Shang-Chi sequel. Cretton isn’t even working on Shang-Chi 2 right away, as he is currently directing Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which will open before Avengers: Doomsday and Shang-Chi’s next appearances.

Did Marvel Studios hold off on fast-tracking a Shang-Chi sequel because of China’s objections to the first film and a potential desire to regain good relations with the country? There is no proof of that yet, and given how MCU films have underperformed in China recently, the MCU needs to stop relying on the country to support its slate. This might mean a decrease in some films’ budgets, but the days of $1 billion being the standard metric of success are a thing of a pre-COVID-19 world.

MCU’s Attempts To Capitalize on Shang-Chi (And Missed Opportunities)

While it is disappointing to wait five years for Shang-Chi to get a sequel, that didn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opened six years after Doctor Strange, but most fans may not have realized it, since Doctor Strange had regular appearances across the MCU. Just one year after his solo film, Doctor Strange appeared in Thor: Ragnarok in 2017, followed by Avengers: Infinity War in 2018, Avengers: Endgame in 2019, and then a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He returned in Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021, with the release of Multiverse of Madness five months later.

In six years, Benedict Cumberbatch appeared as Doctor Strange in six live-action MCU projects and a voice role in What If…?. Compare that to Simu Liu, who, since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, did not appear again until What If…? Season 3 in 2024 and now in Marvel Zombies in 2025, both times voicing variants of his MCU character.

While the four-year gap between Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to now is the same as between Iron Man and The Avengers, the fact that the number of MCU entries since 2021 is more than triple that of Phase One makes Shang-Chi’s absence more notable. The Infinity Saga made its universe feel lived-in and kept characters in the public mind by having them make cameos in other projects; it would have made sense to do the same with Shang-Chi, having cameos in other MCU titles.

Even if there weren’t obvious opportunities for Shang-Chi to make cameo appearances, options did exist. Since he is in San Francisco, it would have made sense to give him a cameo at the beginning of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne are also located in the same city.

With She-Hulk: Attorney at Law tying directly into the events of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, it would have made sense to give Simu Liu a small cameo, either as a witness in Abomination’s case or even just as a figure on television being interviewed. There have been plenty of chances for the MCU to flesh out Shang-Chi’s place in the franchise, but they haven’t, leaving some audience members to forget the character.

Thankfully, he has a substantial role in Marvel Zombies, and the animated series not only showcases what the character can do in an Avengers-level situation, but also hints at a flirtatious dynamic between Yelena Belova and friendship with Ms. Marvel that could be explored in the sacred timeline. With the MCU seemingly set to have a soft reset after Avengers: Secret Wars, hopefully Marvel Studios remembers Shang-Chi more and not only gives him his long-awaited sequel but makes him a pillar of the franchise moving forward alongside the likes of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Marvel Zombies is streaming on Disney+.