Shang-Chi 2’s Years Of Delays Get Candid Response From MCU Director

Shang-Chi 2‘s delay finally gets a response from Destin Daniel Cretton.

Released in 2021, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings introduces Simu Liu as the eponymous Marvel hero. The film fared well with audiences and critics and can be considered a box office success given the pandemic-stricken theatrical landscape it released into, but the confirmed Shang-Chi 2 has yet to materialize.

In an interview with The Wrap, Cretton, who just recently directed Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), comments on Shang-Chi 2 and the movie’s struggle to get made. According to the filmmaker, the current lessened state of the MCU is to blame for the movie having not happened yet. Check out Cretton’s comment below:

“When you really look at what happened to the industry, at least from my perspective, it was just like everything went to s–t after that. I feel like if Marvel was where it was before, we would have had maybe two sequels already. Who knows?”

A sequel to Shang-Chi has been in development for several years now, but the MCU is in a far different place than it was five years ago. Though the MCU was a cultural juggernaut leading up to Avengers: Endgame in 2019, recent years have seen new releases struggle. This includes Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), The Marvels (2023), Captain America: Brave New World (2025), and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).

Credit: MovieStillsDB

Shang-Chi‘s status as a success also comes with a big asterisk. Though the film performed well for a pandemic-era release, its $432 million global box office haul means it likely did not actually break even in theaters. This, too, is likely giving Marvel pause about pushing forward with a follow-up.

The character of Shang-Chi, though, isn’t done in the MCU just yet. Liu is confirmed to return as part of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday, which hits theaters on December 18. Shang-Chi appeared in the film’s most recent trailer, facing off against Channing Tatum’s Gambit. He is also expected to return in next year’s Avengers: Secret Wars.

Secret Wars is expected to bring MCU’s Multiverse Saga to a close, paving the way for the upcoming Mutant Saga. It’s unclear whether a Shang-Chi 2 would have a place in this next phase, which will be all about the X-Men.

Liu, for his part, continues to express optimism that a Shang-Chi sequel will eventually come to fruition. The actor recently told Josh Horowitz that he would “crawl through broken glass” to get another film off the ground.

For now, though, the only appearances for Shang-Chi on the immediate horizon after those in the two upcoming Avengers movies. Those hoping for Shang-Chi 2 are seemingly still in for a bit of a wait.