Summary
Shang-Chi’s original role inAvengers 5has been reportedly revealed. Simu Liu made hisMarvel Cinematic Universedebut in 2021’sShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Three years later, the character still has to return to the MCU, though Liu will come back in multiple projects, like the animatedMarvel Zombies, theanticipatedShang-Chi 2, and the next Avengers movie. New information has been revealed about the original plans forAvengers 5, and it turns out Shang-Chi would have been a major part of it.
According toInverse,Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi was meant to be one ofAvengers 5’s main leads when the film was still calledAvengers: The Kang Dynasty. That would make sense, as Marvel first hiredShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsdirector Destin Daniel Cretton to helm the movie. The project has since undergone a major transformation, withKang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors fired from the MCUand Robert Downey Jr. taking over as the Multiverse Saga’s main villain, playing Doctor Doom.The Kang Dynastyhas now become2026’sAvengers: Doomsday, with the Russo Brothers now directing.
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Could Shang-Chi Still Play A Major Role In Avengers: Doomsday?
Shang-Chi’s Role In The MCU Movie Is Likely To Change
Liu’s Shang-Chi should remain part of the new Avengers team in the superhero squad’s next movie despite the changes. However, the character will likely not be one of the main leads ofAvengers: Doomsday. That made sense when Cretton was directing the film, as well as the fact that the Ten Rings could have been connected to Kang the Conqueror. Those two aspects would have helped make Shang-Chi a crucial part ofAvengers 5.
However, withAvengers: Doomsdaycompletely changing the threat Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will face and Cretton no longer directing, Shang-Chi could take more of a backseat. The character has not appeared in three years after his debut, and with Marvel Studios now focusing on its biggest heroes and franchises, it seems like characters such as Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange have a bigger shot at serving inAvengers: Doomsday’s lead roles.
There are also over 60 characters reportedly returning inAvengers: Doomsday. As such, Marvel will only be able to focus on a select group, and given Shang-Chi’s short MCU tenure, he might get passed over for veteran heroes and new ones with more than one appearance, like Florence Pugh’s fan-favorite Yelena Belova. With Stephen McFeely writingAvengers: Doomsday’s script from scratch, Shang-Chi’s role in the movie is up in the air, with more concrete details possibly coming when the film enters production in 2025.
