Shang-Chi Turns Doctor Strange 2 Into Phase 4's Biggest Movie

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings furthers Marvel’s efforts to make Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness the most important installment in Phase 4. Shang-Chi just became the latest MCU project to feature a big connection to the Doctor Strange sequel.

Marvel’s first foray into the kung fu genre focused on a brand-new superhero in the form of Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, but it wasn’t necessarily a standalone MCU adventure. While Shang-Chi himself had nothing to do with the Avengers or any other Marvel hero, his debut movie was packed with significant MCU connections, including an acknowledgment of the snap in Avengers: Infinity War, a Black Widow from the Red Room, representatives of the Avengers, and more. The whole plot of the movie actually hinged on an unresolved plotline from the Iron Man trilogy, which involves the villainous Ten Rings organization and their puppet, Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley). In Shang-Chi, the MCU properly answered all lingering questions about the MCU’s interpretation of the Mandarin.

Another major talking point in Shang-Chi related to a previous MCU movie was the cameo appearance made by the Abomination, who hasn’t been around since his first-and-only live-action role in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Featured in the same scene (as well as a mid-credits scene) was Wong (Benedict Wong). The inclusion of Wong represents a connection between Shang-Chi and Doctor Strange 2, but their ties go deeper than that. Here’s how the Master of Kung Fu’s first movie has turned Doctor Strange 2 into Phase 4’s biggest film.

Doctor Strange 2 Connects MCU Phase 4

Loki, Scarlet Witch, and Doctor Strange as Magic Users in the MCU

Doctor Strange 2 is the connective tissue that ties the movies and shows in Phase 4 together. The role (and power level) that Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff will have in the upcoming film was set up by the events of WandaVision, which finally established her as a Chaos Magic progeny and the MCU’s Scarlet Witch. This was the first step to Doctor Strange 2, but it was far from the last. Loki proved to be just as important, laying out the rules for how the multiverse and alternate timelines work in the MCU. How it ended may even be part of the reason for the conflict in the movie, which was hinted at by He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) and his comments about all the multiversal chaos that’s going to unfold.

Next was Marvel’s What If…?, which introduced Uatu the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) and is currently in the process of exploring some alternate universe characters that exist in Marvel’s multiverse. And coming just months before Doctor Strange 2’s release is the movie that some feel may be “part one” of a larger story: Spider-Man: No Way Home. Before joining forces with Scarlet Witch, Doctor Strange will be dealing with another multiverse disaster when he tries to use magic to help Spider-Man (Tom Holland) with his identity conundrum. What happens in the movie could be a precursor to a much bigger threat that Strange will have to fend off in his own sequel.

How Shang-Chi Sets Up Doctor Strange 2

Like Loki and Marvel’s What If…?, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings incorporated elements of the MCU’s multiverse concept with its trip to Ta Lo and the mid-credits scene about the Ten Rings. It was strongly implied in the movie that by carefully following Morris’ instructions in the forest maze, Shang-Chi and company crossed over into a different universe. The mystical village of Ta Lo may have doorways to the MCU’s Earth, but it seems to exist in a separate realm. That was indicated in a scene with Ying Nan (Michelle Yeoh) when she used the phrase “your universe” to describe the place Shang-Chi came from. That’s also consistent with the comics, where Shang-Chi's Ta Lo was depicted as a pocket dimension. The link to the multiverse became relevant again in the mid-credits scene when Wong said that the unknown signal transmitted by the Ten Rings reverberated across the entire multiverse, which teases something from outside the main timeline hearing it and responding to it in a future Marvel movie. It’s yet another sign that events that transpire in the world of the MCU’s heroes can have an effect on other timelines in the multiverse. If the Ten Rings in Shang-Chi can send out signals to other worlds, it or some other powerful artifact could summon the threat that will face the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange 2.

Every Character Returning In Doctor Strange 2

At least one Shang-Chi character will be back in Doctor Strange 2. Following his meeting with Shang-Chi and his future role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Wong will be along for the ride when Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch have to save the multiverse. He’ll also be joined by other returning Doctor Strange characters, such as Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) and Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Doctor Strange 2 promises to be a fun mix of MCU favorites, which would be necessary if the sequel is really as big as Marvel is making it seem. Rumor also has it that key players from Loki, including Tom Hiddleston’s titular character, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), and Mobius (Owen Wilson) will be around as well.

How Doctor Strange 2 Will Impact The MCU

doctor strange 2 multiverse madness different scenes

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ multiverse ties and a guest appearance from Wong make it one of four Phase 4 projects that lead into Doctor Strange 2. Marvel making more efforts to set it up than any other Marvel movie or show on its slate highlights how important it is in the grand scheme of things. As confirmed by Loki’s ending, shenanigans in the multiverse have the potential to change everything, so Doctor Strange 2 could very deliver a large-scale, game-changing entry into the MCU. Since it features a problem that concerns the multiverse as a whole, it could bring about a multiversal catastrophe that has ramifications as big as the snap. Plus, it could culminate in the formation of a new team of MCU heroes, possibly led by Strange himself. At least one new Marvel character, America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), will be born from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – and she may not be the only one. There’s no telling what other MCU additions are hiding in the Phase 4 movie. All sorts of exciting characters from different timelines could cross over during the action – and stay for good.

More: Shang-Chi's Villain Is A Dark Mirror Of Scarlet Witch (& What That Means)