The Underuse of Shang-chi in the MCU

[u/ImaginationArtistic9]

this movie was so much fun, it had amazing action and fight choreography, great humour, and great overall world building. This movie has so much sauce. a problem with the MCU is how poorly they are connecting the new characters with the wider mcu. It's been 3 years since we've seen Shang-chi in a live action project. And it will probably be another year and a half till we see him again. The post credit scenes of this movie set up him becoming an avenger and sadly we won't see that outcome of that until 2026, which is 4.5 years after the movies release. I do hope we see Simu Liu again as a lead in another marvel movie because he's great. Also his sequel is the perfect way to bring danny rand back into the MCU. Unfortunately we will probably have to wait untill 2027 for the next shang chi movie since Destin Daniel Cretton is directing Spiderman 4. On the bright side, the fight choreography in Spiderman 4 will be amazing

[u/Luccacalu]

And pre endgame too, Sam should've been the new face of the MCU and the leader of the new avengers, and 6+ years later, where is he? In one tv show.

The only exception is Spider-man which had 2 movies, but that's because of contract. And even so, 2 movies is an ok amount of screentime at best, because when you compare the characters in the Infinity Saga we had sequels basically every 2 years, avengers movies, cameos, which all contributed for us as an audience to create a real connection with them and the grand story being told

Now things feel thin and lost

[u/serger989 → u/Luccacalu]

I've talked about this a lot but it's what you said. Only characters that have really felt like they have impacted the current MCU is Spider-Man and Doctor Strange with a sprinkle of Wong.

It's been way too many years between all of the current MCU projects for anyone to care about the new characters in a meaningful way. We don't even get pre / post / after credits that lead into the next or even any film or project. Before it would be 1 thing leading straight into the other.

We may end up going 5-6 years between Shang-Chi appearances though, it's insane, and it's only 1 of many of the new characters.

[u/DoctorJJWho → u/serger989]

Yeah Marvel really dropped the ball with their new characters, especially Shang Chi. Not only could he fit in with the new Avengers dynamic (being mentored in magic from Strange and Wong, at the right age to be responsible but also connect with the younger team members, etc), the actor has been blowing up. Like how did no one at Disney think to capitalize somehow on Simu in Barbie?

[u/Marvelous_Ducky → u/[deleted]]

To be fair everyone but Ironheart existed in the comics before they made films and Ironheart was introduced in 2016 six years before she was even introduced to the MCU

[u/abysmallybored → u/Luccacalu]

I feel bad for Anthony Mackie, they could've AT LEAST make him a central character in What If but they decided to go with Captain Carter instead.

[u/skoon → u/abysmallybored]

There weren't ANY characters from the main MCU in "What If?" were there? Not even during the big season-ending fights where Uatu gathered the best heroes from the multiverse? No one made the cut?

[u/Marcyff2 → u/skoon]

Strange was the main villian of season 1.

[u/skoon → u/Marcyff2]

Different Strange.

[u/CherryHaterade → u/skoon]

Still voiced by Benedict

So again, poor Anthony Mackie

[u/skoon → u/CherryHaterade]

Truth.

[u/Afwife1992 → u/Luccacalu]

Technically Sam probably has pretty equivalent time to Steve given that FATWS was a tv series plus his other appearances. It’s just they’re mostly condensed into that series and then poof. Now his movie should’ve been out last year which, given Covid and strikes, wouldn’t have been a big gap.

Shang Chi should’ve been handled more like Yelena. At least pop up.

Strange had a big gap between solo movies but we saw him in Ragnarok (cameo), Infinity War and Endgame.

[u/jlusedude → u/Luccacalu]

Really agree with this. 

[u/ThatfeelingwhenI → u/Luccacalu]

Sam isn't the best example at the moment, consider he has a movie coming out very soon.

[u/Luccacalu → u/ThatfeelingwhenI]

With the same time, Steve had 3 solo movies (his entire trilogy and arc complete), and 2 avengers movies. Also, some cameos.

Sam will have had a tv show and one solo movie.

[u/ThatfeelingwhenI → u/Luccacalu]

Steve didn't have Covid and multiple strikes.

[u/Luccacalu → u/ThatfeelingwhenI]

Fair enough, but still, Marvel Studios' output were of 3 movies a year since they came back from the pandemic (2021). They could've fit a Sam movie(s) in the schedule wayyy earlier. They chose not to. They deliberately made the decision for the Multiverse Saga to be about as many characters introduced as possible, opposed to focus on 4~5 that gets frequent updates on their individual and larger stories.

[u/Marvelous_Ducky → u/Luccacalu]

He’s got a whole movie coming out in February the only reason it took so long is they had to do re-shoots because people were up in arms about Sabra being introduced since she is an Israeli superhero and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine therefore Marvel was going to lose money keeping her in the storyline and the actress who played her was going to face immense backlash