Avengers: Doomsday Needs to Do Right by Shang-Chi

Rise of the Master

Shang-Chi’s comic book debut has a lot in common with his first big screen appearance. The character came into being when writers Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin took to Marvel a rejected pitch for a comic adaptation of the TV series Iron Fist and now Shang-Chi.

Englehart and Starlin reworked their pitch for 1973’s Special Marvel Edition #15, which introduced Shang-Chi as the Master of Kung Fu and the son of Fu Manchu, a villain and racist caricature from novels by English writer Sax Rohmer. Dubbed “the Master of Kung Fu,” Shang-Chi found an audience and has enjoyed his own ongoing comics and variety of miniseries sever since, even ing the Avengers and the Thunderbolts.

Shang-Chi is the type of B or C-level character that Marvel needed to bring into the MCU after Avengers: Endgame brought the first three phases to an end, like was a proper hit when evaluated on the curve of it releasing during the still-ongoing vaccination rollout in the fall of 2021—a time when many moviegoers were reluctant to return to cinemas because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Liu charmed audiences, and Cretton crafted some of the best actions sequences in the franchise. And, oh yeah, it also had Hong Kong legend Barbie, Marvel’s made no move to bring Shang-Chi back.

An Untold Legend

On one hand, it’s easy to see why Shang-Chi hasn’t gotten the same push as other superheroes. He doesn’t have the name recognition that even Iron Man had before 2008, and he isn’t really a superhero. He doesn’t have a special code name, and while he does have some magic rings, his power is being really good at martial arts. On the other hand, he’s exactly the type of character that Marvel needs. The current onset of superhero movie fatigue may have made people forget, but even at the height of the franchise, audiences complained about the formulaic nature of the films. With his magic rings and Kung fu moves, Shang-Chi has a skill set that demands powerful visuals and different ways of defeating villains.

Then there’s the matter of Liu, who proved his comedy credentials before Shang-Chi in the sitcom Kim’s Convenience. He managed to challenge Ryan Gosling in every scene they shared in Barbie. Occasional tone-deaf social media posts aside, Liu has what it takes to be a big star.

Punching Forward, Not Kicking Back

But there’s a bigger issue with the decision to push Shang-Chi into the background. Like Ms. Marvel and Chris Evans. The shared universe could get bigger and weirder, telling a variety of stories.

There are many different factors that led to superhero fatigue. While Disney understandably wants to ensure that they get the most return on their expensive investments, they can still run the risk of becoming too stagnant or backward-looking, which is the potential downside of bringing back the Russos and Downey, or continuing too long in the rose-tinted nostalgia-fest vibes of a movie like Deadpool & Wolverine.

If the fifth Avengers film keeps Shang-Chi in the picture, then the MCU can become the best type of circus, with new acts and thrills. But if that movie does trade out Shang-Chi for Downey and other safe bets, it might mark Doomsday indeed.

Avengers: Endgame is slated for a 2026 release.