New Report Says the MCU’s Most Overlooked Movie Is Finally Getting a Sequel

Remember when Shang-Chi landed in 2021, crushed, and then... nothing? No sequel, no updates, just the promise of more somewhere down the road. Now there is fresh chatter that Marvel might try to fill that gap with a Ten Rings spinoff instead of jumping straight to Shang-Chi 2. Cautious optimism advised.

So what is being rumored?

Insider Daniel Richtman (via Comic Book Movie ) says Marvel has a Ten Rings project back in development. That is the entire pitch right now: development. No creative team, no production timeline, no release window. Marvel has not announced anything, so this could fizzle like a lot of in-the-works MCU ideas. But if it moves, it would be an interesting swing.

Why Ten Rings makes sense (on paper)

Shang-Chi ended by teeing this up. Xu Xialing takes over the Ten Rings organization in the film ’s final moments, which also means she breaks a promise to her brother to shut it down. That is an obvious narrative thread to pull, whether it becomes its own thing or folds into a sequel.

The Disney+ wrinkle

If a Ten Rings spinoff happens, the safe bet would be TV. That said, Marvel and Disney have been rethinking the streaming strategy after the Multiverse Saga’s bumpy reception. Kevin Feige slowed the firehose and pivoted toward shows designed to sustain annual seasons (see: Daredevil: Born Again) instead of one-and-done miniseries. The early flood of limited series wound up diluting the brand and turning catch-up into, frankly, homework.

So if Ten Rings was originally conceived as a short-run Disney+ thing, that may no longer fit the plan. And if a limited series is off the table, the smarter play might be to roll Ten Rings directly into a theatrical Shang-Chi 2. It is what most fans want anyway, and the personal history between Shang-Chi and the organization is built-in drama that naturally extends the first film rather than sidelining him in a spinoff that may or may not feature him much.

Context check: how we got here

After a COVID pause, Marvel kicked off the Multiverse Saga in 2021. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings introduced the character, drew strong reviews (action, performances, the whole package), and pulled in $432.2 million worldwide — a legit number considering where theaters were at the time. And yet, Shang-Chi 2 still has not materialized.

Where things stand now

• Rumor: a Ten Rings spinoff is back in development, per Daniel Richtman via Comic Book Movie.
• Official status: nothing green-lit; no creative team, schedule, or release target shared.
• Format question: TV would be the obvious route, but Marvel’s newer strategy favors ongoing series over one-off miniseries, which could complicate a short Ten Rings show.
• Story hook already set: Xialing currently runs the Ten Rings after the first film’s ending — and yes, she broke her word to Shang-Chi.
• Sequel limbo: a proper Shang-Chi 2 still has not been announced, even though it is the cleaner way to continue this story.
• Bigger MCU chessboard: the current industry scuttlebutt has Shang-Chi popping back up in Avengers: Doomsday as a re-intro for general audiences once the Multiverse Saga winds down. The follow-up, Avengers: Secret Wars, is widely expected to function as a soft reset that streamlines continuity for the next era.
• If that pans out — and if a Doctor Doom showdown does not sideline him — Shang-Chi is positioned to be a recurring player in the next few years.

Bottom line

A Ten Rings spinoff would not be the craziest idea Marvel has had lately, but the timing and format are tricky under the new playbook. Folding that thread into a full-on Shang-Chi sequel just feels cleaner and more satisfying. Either way, if Marvel really is dusting off Ten Rings, we are at least pointed back toward that corner of the MCU — finally.