Shang-Chi sequel in the works

Simu Liu starred in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."

So there will be a sequel to “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” the first Marvel product to feature an Asian American as its lead super-hero, according to Deadline, which first reported the news.

For those fans who watched the first Shang-Chi movie all the way to the end, the news of a follow-up film is no surprise. In one of two teasers at the end of the credits, the message, "The Ten Rings will return," was superimposed over the image.

Destin Daniel Cretton, the Japanese American director who helmed the first Shang-Chi movie, will return to direct the sequel.

“Working on ‘Shang-Chi’ with ... the Marvel Studios team was one of the highlights of my life," said Cretton. 

Cretton has signed an exclusive multi-year overall deal with Marvel Studios and Hulu’s Onyx Collective., reports Variety. The new deal will allow Cretton to develop TV projects for both Marvel Studios on Disney Plus and the Onyx Collective for Hulu and other platforms.

The original movie relased this summer not only out-performed box office expectations but also broke pandemic records as well, earning $422 million globally, thus reassuring Shang-Chi's return.

“Destin is an amazing collaborator who brought a unique perspective and skill to ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.’ 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 Plus, so we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with him and can’t wait to get started,” said Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige in a statement.

Not only was the hero Asian American, played by Simu Liu, he was supported by a cast who were mostly Asian and Asian American, including Awkwafina, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Michelle Yeoh, Meng'er Zhang, Ben Kingsley, Benedict Wong, Ronny Chieng and Fala Chen. 

Although its box office performance merited a sequel, online critics criticized the first film in comparison to other Marvel movies. That criticism gave star Simu Liu a chance to hit back at the critics on Twitter.

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