Shang-Chi director reveals he considered an alternate ending for [spoiler]

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Destin Daniel Cretton reveals a different ending for a key character was a possibility

still from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings trailer
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton has revealed that an alternate ending was considered for a particular character. Major spoilers ahead!

The film follows the titular hero Shang-Chi, played by Simu Liu, who is drawn back into the world of his villainous father Wenwu. It all ends in an epic battle in the magical village of Ta-Lo, which unleashes the sinister Dweller in Darkness – a monstrous creature that can absorb souls.

But was there ever a version of the story where Tony Leung's Wenwu survived? Speaking to ET Online, Cretton revealed: "Yes, there was."

As for why this alternate ending didn't make it to the big screen, Cretton explained: "Some things just work and some things don't. We're constantly searching for the version of the story that feels most authentic to the characters. I mean, even though these characters are operating on a very operatic level, there's still things that you try that just feel like cheats. And that was one of them. But, you know, also in the MCU, anything can happen."

We recently published a piece on how the MCU has a bit of a problem with killing off its villains, so it's not that much of a surprise that Wenwu didn't survive the film.

The movie's post-credits scenes did set up the future for Shang-Chi, though, with Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner telling him his world is about to change now that he's a hero. 

There's no word yet on when we'll see the return of Shang-Chi, but while you wait, check out everything we know about Marvel Phase 4 to see what else the MCU has in store for us.

Molly Edwards
Molly Edwards
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.