The MCU’sSpider-Man 4has received a huge update in the form of its director, and while I am excited about the news, it makes me worry about the franchise’s most exciting new character. Since theending ofSpider-Man: No Way Home, audiences have been patiently waiting for updates regarding a fourth movie starring Tom Holland. As someone whose all-time favorite superhero is Spider-Man, I have been anticipatingnews aboutSpider-Man 4’s storyas much as anyone else.
Spider-Man 4has been all but confirmed since the immense success ofSpider-Man: No Way Home. While theupcoming movie in the MCUwas never given an allocated release date or many updates of any kind beyond the return of Holland, Marvel president Kevin Feige has been adamant the film would happen. In September 2024, I was excited to see that these teases were finally made a reality whenSpider-Man 4’s writing and directing teamwas announced. However, this announcement proved to be a double-edged sword, as it raised some worries I have about the best new MCU character.
The Spider-Man 4 Updates Are Great, But I’m Worried About Shang-Chi’s MCU Future
What Does The Future Hold For Shang-Chi’s Storyline?
The update in question was that Destin Daniel Cretton will directSpider-Man 4,with screenwriters Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna returning from the MCU’sHomecomingtrilogy. The upcomingSpider-Manfilm is clearly in good hands, with Sommers and McKenna knowing the MCU world inside and out, and Cretton having fantastic credits to his name. Not only did Cretton direct great movies likeShort Term 12andJust Mercy,but his recent efforts include the MCU’s second-best-reviewed movie sinceAvengers: Endgame - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
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Along with more Spider-Man 4 and more Spider-Verse on the horizon, there are more movies and shows from the current Spider-Man multiverse coming up.
While this can only mean good things forSpider-Man 4,I am now worried aboutShang-Chi’s MCU future. Since 2021 and the release of the latter, little news has been provided regarding a sequel. Cretton was confirmed to write and directShang-Chi 2’s storyshortly after the first film was released, yet other than some confirmation from star Simu Liu, no concrete updates have been given in the years since. Cretton was initially set to directAvengers 5when it was titledThe Kang Dynastybut reportedly stepped down to work onShang-Chi 2.
This seemed like a positive update, that is, until the announcement of Cretton directingSpider-Man 4. Do not get me wrong,I am now immensely more excited forSpider-Man 4than I already was, but whereShang-Chi 2is concerned, the future does not look bright. The questions now remaining concerning the latter are whether a new director will be hired for the film, whether Cretton will do so himself afterSpider-Man 4,or if a sequel toShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsis in Marvel Studios' plans at all.
As of September 2024, Cretton is still attached to Shang-Chi 2, but it is unclear how Spider-Man 4 affects these plans.
Destin Daniel Cretton’s Marvel Change Could Prove Disney’s Overhaul Is Happening
Disney CEO Bob Iger Could Be Finally Getting His Wish
One thing that I immediately thought of when seeing the news about Cretton’s directorial switch betweenShang-Chi 2andSpider-Man 4was Disney CEO Bob Iger’s recent MCU overhaul. At the beginning of 2024, Iger outlined his plans amid dwindlingbox office returns for the MCU, at the core of which was the decision to move away from smaller, lesser-known Marvel properties and franchises and renew focus on the strongest names in Marvel. In Iger’s mind,the strongest franchises in question likely referred toSpider-Man, Captain America, Thor,Black Panther,andThe Avengers, to name only a few.
As Marvel focuses on more bankable characters, the studio’s priorities may have shuffled away fromShang-ChitowardsSpider-Man…
Unfortunately for fans ofShang-Chi, myself included, this likely does not cover the new MCU hero.Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Ringswas a fantastic movie that audiences responded to. However,there is no denying thatShang-Chiis not yet a franchise that can stand tall alongsideThe AvengersorSpider-Manat the box office. Its $400+ million worldwide total during COVID-19 was applaudable, butShang-Chisimply does not have the same pulling power.
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Disney CEO Bob Iger has revealed that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will go through some major changes, and they should address its quality issues.
With that in mind, it could be the case thatShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’sequel has been placed on the back burner. As Marvel focuses on more bankable characters, the studio’s priorities may have shuffled away fromShang-ChitowardsSpider-Man.This would certainly explain Cretton’s directorial switch and the speed with which Marvel is reportedly looking to produceSpider-Man 4, with a shooting date set for early 2025.
It Would Be A Mistake For Marvel To Ignore Shang-Chi In The MCU
Shang-Chi Proves A Success For Critics & Audiences Alike
All of this is to say that I think ignoringShang-Chiwould be a mistake for Marvel. While, yes, it may not hit the same heights asSpider-ManorThe Avengersregarding box office numbers, it certainly struck a chord with audiences and critics. As I alluded to,Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsis one of thebest-ranked movies in the MCU,judging by critical scores on Rotten Tomatoes. By the same metric,Shang-Chiis the second-best-reviewed movie sinceAvengers: Endgame, second only toSpider-Man: No Way Home.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' Reception
$150-$200 million
$224,543,292
$207,681,342
$432,224,634
91%
98%
A
Regarding audience reception,Shang-Chi’s numbers are equally impressive.Its 98% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes is the joint highest in the entire franchise, again standing tall withSpider-Man: No Way Homewhich also holds a 98% rating. Similarly,Shang-Chiand the Legend of the Ten Ringshas an “A” rating on CinemaScore, again proving how popular it was with general audiences.
Marvel at least knows Cretton is a big reason for this success, evident by his further work on theWonder Man Disney+ seriesand now, Spider-Man 4.
When delving into why the film received such a strong reaction, its likable aspects become clear. One such aspect is the fantastic fight choreography in the MCU, withShang-Chipossessing what I think are the single-best hand-to-hand action scenes in the entire franchise. The cast was also incredibly likable, from Simu Liu’s compelling, complex, badass titular character to Tony Leung’sall-time best MCU villain. These elements blended seamlessly with the fascinating world of Chinese mythology to makeShang-Chia breath of fresh air, one that the folks at Marvel would be fools not to capitalize on.
Will Shang-Chi Still Have An MCU Future?
All of this leads to the question of whetherShang-Chiwill have a future in the MCU. It is worth noting that the original plan forAvengers 5gave Shang-Chi a major rolebefore pivoting from Kang the Conqueror to Doom, becomingAvengers: Doomsday.Initially, this role inAvengers 5was going to link heavily to aShang-Chisequel, though now the future looks admittedly bleak for the character.Avengers: Doomsday’s story is now unlikely to include what was teased between Shang-Chi and Kang, and the sequel just received a huge blow due to Cretton’s other directorial commitments.
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Avengers: Doomsday promises to bring an unprecedented kind of story to the forefront of the MCU, complete with one very important villain.
DespiteAvengers 5’s switch and Cretton’s focus being placed onSpider-Man 4, there are ways Marvel could confirm a future for Shang-Chi. For one,a new director could be attached toShang-Chi2in the coming months, rendering all of these worries null and void. Similarly, Cretton could confirm he still has every intention of directingShang-Chi 2afterSpider-Man 4, with the only downside of this being the longer wait between the first movie and its successor. If all else fails,Spider-Man 4could see the Web-Slinger team up with the Ring-Wielder, offering an MCU link-up for the ages.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Cast
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the first sequel to the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland as the titular wall-crawler. After wiping his identity from the public’s memory in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker continues his crime-fighting adventures without the aid of Iron Man technology or the support of his former allies.
