Warning: This post contains Shang-Chi spoilers

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton says that Simu Liu's hero has comparable power levels to Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). Marvel Studios' exclusive return to the big screen also marks the arrival of the franchise's newest hero. Naturally, there's still a lot of questions regarding the character, including just how powerful he is.

As with most origin stories in the MCU, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings did a good job establishing the character's backstory and setting up his future. The two after-credits scenes, in particular, are expected to be the jumping point of Shang-Chi's next adventure in the universe. While its story was mostly contained, it still featured connections to the bigger franchise through cameos from Wong (Benedict Wong) and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), among others. Since the character is expected to join his fellow Avengers sooner or later, there are queries about how he ranks in terms of skills set.

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In a conversation with Collider, Cretton addressed if Shang-Chi is in the same level as Thor or Hulk in terms of raw power and the director said that it depends. At the beginning of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, he was surely lagging, but by the end of the blockbuster, things have significantly changed.

It depends if you're talking about the beginning of the movie or the end of the movie. I think by the end of this movie, I think, he is, you know, standing up on a similar level to some of our favorite superheroes in the MCU. For fun, we've debated things but I don't really know the answer to it. But I'm sure we'll explore them in the future.

Wenwu commands the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi's significant power increase can be chalked up to him inheriting the Ten Rings from Wenwu (Tony Leung). Just before the leader of the Ten Rings died, he decided to pass on the mystical weapons to his son, allowing him to wield their power. While Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings revealed the Mandarin using them for thousands of years, it seems like their true powers have been unlocked after Shang-Chi utilized them for the first time. This is evidenced by Wong's revelation that this was felt by the Masters of the Mystic Arts all the way to Kamar-Taj. Perhaps another indication is the change in color for the rings — from icy to blue to golden.

This makes Shang-Chi's inevitable encounter with the rest of the Avengers more exciting. As seen in the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings after-credits scene, he's officially welcomed to MCU's core hero group. As for the Ten Rings? Expect to learn more about it moving forward. Although the film established their history with Wenwu, there are still a lot of questions regarding their true origins. Only then will the extent of Shang-Chi's powers will be fully revealed.

More: Every Confirmed Avenger In Phase 4

Source: Collider

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