The latest trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings gave fans a more in-depth look at the upcoming Marvel Studios adventure as well as further hints about the movie's plot. But the most talked-about aspect of the trailer was the fact that some fans seemed to recognize two previous MCU characters making cameos. Now comes confirmation that those fans were indeed right.
When speaking with Rotten Tomatoes, Kevin Feige addressed the speculation over the trailer and admitted that fans were not seeing things. The moment comes in the Shang-Chi trailer's final stinger scene, where it appears that the villainous Abomination from The Incredible Hulk is in a cage fight with Wong from Doctor Strange. Feige commented on the reaction to the trailer by saying, "Some fans said, 'This looks like a character they hadn't seen in many years named The Abomination, fighting a character that looks like Wong'. And I can say that the reason it looks like that is because that is Abomination fighting Wong."
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Wong (Benedict Wong) has been a fixture alongside Doctor Strange ever since he was introduced in the would-be Sorcerer Supreme's solo movie and has gone on to appear with Strange in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. On the other hand, Abomination has been absent in the MCU ever since his debut in The Incredible Hulk, when the mercenary Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) was transformed into the monster. This long-awaited return comes after confirmation that Roth will be appearing in the upcoming She-Hulk series as well.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will introduce the first brand new MCU hero of Phase 4 and is also the cinematic universe's first movie led by an Asian actor, with Simu Lui stepping into the titular role. The movie will explore Shang-Chi's relationship with his father, the villainous Wenwu, a.k.a. The Mandarin. The movie also stars Tony Leung, Awkwafina, and Michelle Yeoh, and is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.
Though these characters are likely to only be making brief cameo appearances, it's hard not to get excited about their inclusion here. It is especially thrilling to see Abomination back in action while also sporting a new reptilian look that is much closer to the comic book appearance compared to how he looked in The Incredible Hulk. It's also nice to see Wong continuing to be a significant part of this universe. As one of the few Asian heroes already established in the MCU, it's good to see him appearing in this ground-breaking movie. And their fight looks to be part of some sort of fighting tournament that could be a fun storyline for Shang-Chi.
Of course, there have been moments in the MCU when the inclusion of such cameos has felt rather forced and it feels a little like they are trying to boost interest in a new, little-known hero. But if handled wisely, it could be another example of the fun of such an extended universe.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will hit theatres on September 3, 2021.
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Source: Rotten Tomatoes