Despite being announced over five years ago, Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton confirms the sequel is still in the works and has given a reason for the delay.
"We are developing a second one," said Cretton on Deadline's Crew Call Podcast, when asked what is going on with the upcoming movie. "What's going on is what went on with the entire industry." However, the filmmaker says that releasing the first film during the COVID-19 pandemic is to blame for the sequel taking so long to make.
"When that movie came out, it was successful, but it actually came out weirdly. It was successful at the time when there was a new wave of COVID was hititng," added Cretton. "So it was still successful. But many countries were completely shut down in theaters at the time, and after that, there were just crazy changes all over the place. So it's just the result of the industry."
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hit the big screen in September 2021 and earned a respectable $432.2 million at the global box office, as per Box Office Mojo. This is pretty impressive considering its $150 million production budget, which is rather slim for a Marvel movie. The film was also a hit with fans and critics alike, and stands at a near-perfect 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and an even better 98% audience score. So, understandably, it wasn't long until a sequel was announced.
However, at the time, Cretton and co couldnt have envisioned how long it would take Hollywood to get back on its feet after the pandemic shut down the film and TV industry during nationwide lockdowns. But Marvel has released a number of movies since then, so the Shang-Chi sequel must still be getting pushed back. Star Simu Liu has also not appeared in the MCU project since the movie. Alas, even if the sequel gets delayed further, we will get to see the hero suit up once again in Avengers: Doomsday.
The delay may have also been impacted by Cretton having his hands full directing Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which hits cinemas on July 31. Starring Tom Holland, Brand New Day takes place years after Spider-Man: No Way Home, when the whole world forgot who Spider-Man really was, including Peter Parker's girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). The new movie sees Spidey throw himself into crime-fighting when a new flurry of villains attack the city.
Shang Chi 2 does not yet have a release date. For more, check out our guide on how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order, and keep up with upcoming Marvel movies.
