Disney has confirmed that Shang-Chi 2 is currently in development and that director Destin Daniel Cretton will be returning. According to Deadline, Cretton signed a multiyear deal with Marvel Studios and Hulu’s Onyx Collective, which will see him not only write and direct the Shang-Chi sequel, but spearhead an unspecified Disney+ Marvel series.

“Destin is a powerhouse storyteller with impeccable taste in material,” Freeform & Onyx Collective President, Tara Duncan, said. “As we continue to expand our roster, Destin’s unique voice will help usher in an exciting slate of content for our global audience.”

“Destin is an amazing collaborator who brought a unique perspective and skill to Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings,” Marvel Studios President/Marvel Chief Creative Officer, Kevin Feige, added. “We had a fantastic time working together on the film and he has so many intriguing ideas for stories to bring to life on Disney+, so we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with him and can’t wait to get started.”

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ended with Shang-Chi and Katy being pulled into a meeting with Wong (from Doctor Strange), Captain Marvel, and Bruce Banner to discuss the origin of the Ten Rings.

Xialing, Shang-Chi’s sister, was last left as the head of the Ten Rings criminal organization group after telling Shang-Chi that she went back to terminate any existing Ten Rings operations. With Shang-Chi and Katy being roped in with the few Avengers that are left, and Xialing standing on the other side as the head of the Ten Rings, it’s hard to say where things could go in the sequel.

“I’ve read a lot of comments and posts from fans asking what’s next for Xialing and I am as excited as everyone,” Meng’er Zhang recently told CBR. “I can’t say anything for Marvel but, to me, I’m into this! I ask myself those questions every day: How did she train herself in her father’s compound? How did she build a fight club in Macau? In the end credits scene, you can see her sitting on the throne with Razor Fist and Jon Jon standing by her side. She is now the new leader of the organization, and it’s still called the Ten Rings organization but, to me, what kind of Ten Rings organization is it without the actual Ten Rings? I think Xialing might want the rings. I think it will be cool. [laughs]”

There’s no indication of when Shang-Chi 2 might premiere, but it would make the most sense for it to come out in late-2023, maybe 2024. It’s at the mercy of Marvel’s production schedule and the priority they’re planning on placing on the Shang-Chi sequel.

Other projects like Captain America 4 and The Fantastic Four may or may not debut before Shang-Chi 2, but the larger picture of the Phase Four plan won’t become clear to us before we see other projects such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, etc., as these will be the pieces we need beforehand.

We also expect there to be more delays as COVID-19 has delayed production on multiple blockbuster films many times already.

Photos via Marvel