With Spider-Man: Far From Home now representing the end of the MCU’s Phase 3 and not the beginning of Phase 4 as we once thought, the future remains shrouded in mystery. But even though Marvel hasn’t made formal announcements or said much about what happens after Avengers: Endgame, there have been reports about projects that are casting or in development. One of those projects is Shang-Chi.
At a fan event part of the press tour for Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was asked if there would ever be a Chinese superhero in the MCU and his response is exciting for fans eager to see Shang-Chi on the big screen. Feige told the Shanghai audience:
This is not an Endgame question, this is a question about the future. I'm not supposed to answer questions about the future but in this case, I will because the answer is yes.
Not exactly leading by example on the secrecy front are we Mr. Feige? The Marvel Studios President thought it was okay to divulge a little about future plans here, and his response to an elated Shanghai crowd basically confirms that Marvel’s most proficient martial artist is on his way. So it’s probably safe to get your hopes up that we will be seeing Shang-Chi in the next few years as a part of the MCU’s still largely mysterious Phase 4 slate.
Given the reports on a Shang-Chi movie, Kevin Feige’s response is expected, but also welcome. He was asked a question and was able to give an audience who it meant a lot to the answer that they wanted to hear. That crowd’s excitement and the huge importance of the Chinese box office should make it clear that a Shang-Chi movie is both the obvious move and the right one.
The movie for Marvel’s master of Kung-Fu is slowly coming together, with Short Term 12 writer and director Destin Daniel Cretton signed on to helm the project. The screenplay is being written by the very in demand Dave Callaham, who wrote The Expendables, Amazon's Jean-Claude Van Johnson as well as being attached or contributing to the scripts for the upcoming films Wonder Woman 1984, Zombieland: Double Tap and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2.
That's an exciting start and shows that Marvel is taking their first Asian superhero seriously, bringing in Asian-American talent and hoping for the kind of cultural impact that Black Panther achieved with a similar method. With Kevin Feige now speaking more openly and publicly about Shang-Chi and with Avengers: Endgame arriving this week, hopefully this is a sign that we’ll begin to hear more about this film, like casting, before too long.
Of course, before we get to Shang-Chi, the Avengers have a score to settle, whatever it takes, in Avengers: Endgame, arriving in theaters this weekend. We’ll keep you updated on all the latest news about Shang-Chi and the MCU’s Phase 4 as it develops. In the meantime check out our 2019 Release Schedule to plan out your moviegoing as we enter the packed summer season.
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