Credit: Marvel StudiosA new report has surfaced claiming that one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s more recent superheroes was poised to be a central figure in a now-scrapped movie.
In 2020, the movie industry, like most of the world, shut down thanks to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Across 2020 and 2021, The Walt Disney Company navigated its business through streaming and side-by-side pay-on-demand streaming and theatrical releases, as was the case with Marvel Studios’ Black Widow (2021).
Following Black Widow and preceding Marvel’s major flop, Eternals (2021) was a surprise box office success: Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). The Marvel movie starred MCU newcomer Simu Liu, who seemingly brought about his own casting in the project.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings proved to be a groundbreaking entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, skillfully blending high-octane martial arts action with deep emotional storytelling. The film centers on Shang-Chi (Liu), who must confront his troubled past, and his powerful father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), leader of the infamous Ten Rings organization.
The film was a visual feast and was rewarded with an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects, with expertly choreographed fight sequences that pay homage to classic martial arts films, drawing influences from legends like Jackie Chan while adding the MCU’s signature flair.
With a predominantly Asian cast, including scene-stealers Awkwafina as Katy and Michelle Yeoh as Ying Nan, offering much-needed representation. Shang-Chi‘s success at the box office, grossing over $432 million worldwide during the pandemic, cemented its place as a critical and commercial triumph. The film broke the Labor Day weekend box office record.
As Marvel propels forward through Phase Five, which will end with next year’s Thunderbolts* (2025), and Phase Six, which commences with The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), Shang-Chi’s impact is far from over. A sequel was swiftly greenlit following the film’s stellar reception, with Cretton returning to helm the next chapter in Shang-Chi’s story.
While Shang-Chi 2 has been greenlit, there is little information regarding its development. With Cretton and Liu on board, the sequel can be expected to follow the hero’s quest to uncover more about the Ten Rings, as alluded to in the mid-credits scene featuring Wong (Benedict Wong), Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), and Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).
However, Katy actress Awkwafina says information is scarce. She told Comic Book at the Jackpot! (2024) junket that she had not heard anything about the sequel but acknowledged that the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 announcements were exciting.
At the prolific event, Kevin Feige shared to the Hall H crowds that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026) had been rebooted with Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom instead and would be aptly titled Avengers: Doomsday.
The Marvel Studios President also confirmed that the Russo Brothers (Anthony Russo and Joe Russo), who directed the previous Infinity War (2018) and Endgame (2019) installments, would return to helm both Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).
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Originally, Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton was on board to direct The Kang Dynasty (with Jeff Loveness and then Michael Waldron writing) long before its production was sent into turmoil due to the legal troubles of Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors. Even though he dropped out of Avengers 5, Cretton will still work on Shang-Chi 2 and his Marvel Spotlight Wonder Man series.
But what would The Kang Dynasty have looked like? If these reports are anything to go by, Simu Liu was to star in a leading role in the fifth Avengers movie in Marvel Phase Six.
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“Inverse can confirm that in the original plan for Avengers 5, then called [The Kang Dynasty], Shang-Chi would’ve been one of the film’s main leads,” Inverse wrote. “A lot’s changed since then; Avengers 5 was meant to focus on Kang the Conqueror, but Marvel has since completely retooled the film to introduce Victor Von Doom (played, bafflingly, by Robert Downey Jr. [Iron Man]).”
“But if [Captain America: Brave New World] does set the stage for a new Avengers, then Avengers: Doomsday could finally give characters like Shang-Chi the role they deserve,” the outlet added.
With the Avengers film being retooled into something else, has Simu Liu’s headlining chances vanished as well? Either way, fans will never get to see the actor take on a primary role in The Kang Dynasty now that the movie, as it was first intended, no longer exists.
Earlier in August, the Barbie (2023) actor dropped a nugget of information on Shang-Chi 2.
“A lot of it is above my pay grade, but it’s definitely happening,” Liu told The Press Trust of India. “[I’m] just very excited to kind of work on it, and it’s going to be amazing. I really can’t say anything beyond that.”
Kang the Conqueror Replaced with Victor Von Doom
Kang the Conqueror’s first significant introduction was in Loki (2021) as He Who Remains, a version of Kang who created the Time Variance Authority (TVA) to control the Multiverse and prevent other dangerous variants of himself from emerging.
Kang’s primary incarnation was fully introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), where he was depicted as a menacing figure with the ability to manipulate time and reality. Kang’s role was expected to expand significantly in upcoming projects, particularly in the now-defunct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, where he would have likely served as the main villain.
Majors’ portrayal of Kang and his Variants He Who Remains and Victor Timely played a key role in both seasons of Loki and stood as the focal point of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. That film’s mid-credits scene even teased the future with thousands of Kang Variants in the Council of Kangs.
Kang was poised to become the MCU’s next big bad after the Mad Titan Thanos (Josh Brolin), but Majors’ legal troubles threw those plans into chaos. Following his arrest and eventual guilty verdict in December 2023, Majors was removed from the role, although the actor is still fighting to reclaim his spot.
This sudden turn of events has forced Marvel Studios to rethink their strategy, especially given how Kang’s storyline was deeply intertwined with the Multiverse Saga, and in response, rebooted the Avengers 5 effort with Doom instead.
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