The origin of the legendary Ten Rings in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings are shrouded in mystery, but one theory suggests they could come from Kang the Conqueror. With Thanos dead and the Infinity Stones gone in the main MCU timeline, Phase 4 introduced new threats on a larger scale than the Infinity Saga. This includes He Who Remains in Loki season 1, and Xu Wenwu, the true leader of The Ten Rings crime organization. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' eponymous weapons could be tied to the greater MCU narrative through a powerful being like Kang the Conqueror.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings introduced Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, the son of the leader of the Ten Rings. Shang-Chi grew up watching his father wield the mysterious Ten Rings, but they are eventually passed to the MCU's newest mystical hero. However, the Ten Rings baffle Shang-Chi's newfound allies, Wong, Captain Marvel, and Bruce Banner. The origin and significance of the Ten Rings will likely be explored in a future MCU storyline. The MCU’s multiverse was explored in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but perhaps the Ten Rings are also connected to Kang.

Shang-Chi’s Ten Rings Origin Is An MCU Mystery

Tony Leung as Wenwu aka The Mandarin Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

In Marvel Comics' storylines, the Mandarin’s Ten Rings are alien artifacts of Makluan origin. The Mandarin wore one ring on each finger, and each ring granted him a different potent superpower. How Xu Wenwu - the true holder of the Mandarin title - acquired the rings in the MCU is unknown, with the legendary tale being lost to time. Shang-Chi’s opening scene suggests that the Mandarin found them in a tomb or crater, referencing their comic origins. The rings, which are worn on Wenwu’s wrists in the MCU, granted him eternal life, superhuman physicality, and energy constructs, among other abilities.

Shang-Chi Already Connects To The MCU's Multiverse Saga

Shang-Chi Ta-Lo

While the Ten Rings may or may not be connected to the MCU’s multiverse, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings features another link: Ta Lo. The legendary home of Shang-Chi’s mother, Ying Li, exists in a pocket dimension within the mainstream MCU timeline, though some characters suggest that it exists within an entirely different reality. Ta Lo includes creatures from Chinese legends, explained as inter-dimensional beings, similar to the MCU’s explanation for Asgardians and the existence of magic. Ta Lo was also home to the Dweller-in-Darkness, a mystical threat that proved able to trick even the Mandarin.

The Mandarin’s Ten Rings were notably the only objects powerful enough to free the Dweller-in-Darkness from its prison, unleashing its Soul Eaters on the people of Ta Lo. This may imply that their point of origin isn’t the mainstream MCU reality. This is further supported by the fact that the Ten Rings, along with Ta Lo's dragon-scale weaponry, was what ultimately defeated the Dweller-in-Darkness. According to Wong in Shang-Chi’s post-credits scenes, the Ten Rings’ presence could be felt from Kamar-Taj when Shang-Chi used them, indicating that whatever signal they sent out could be felt on other planes of reality.

Did Kang Make The Ten Rings?

Kang Loki TVA statue face multiverse

The true origin of the Ten Rings remains a mystery, but it's possible that they were created by Kang the Conqueror. Notably, the Avengers couldn’t determine the Ten Rings' point of origin, despite their expertise and vast knowledge of mystic and otherworldly beings and artifacts. One possibility is that the Ten Rings didn’t originate from anywhere in the MCU's main reality, and once belonged to Kang. Moreover, the ring’s powers seem fitting for Kang, as they enhance their wearer’s physical abilities and can be used to make energy shields and blasts of concussive force, but perhaps their most notable feature is that they bestow their wearer with eternal life.

He Who Remains is far older than he looks in Loki's season 1 finale, and he might be far more ancient than anyone can comprehend, given his expertise in monitoring timelines. The immortality abilities granted by the Ten Rings, coupled with their incredible offensive and defensive capabilities, would make them a fitting set of tools for both the benevolent Nathaniel Richards and the malicious Kang the Conqueror. Perhaps the rings were accidentally left on Earth following Richards’ victory in the multiversal War, with He Who Remains perhaps leaving them there for Wenwu to find in an effort to uphold the Sacred Timeline.

The Problems With The Kang Theory

Kang MCU Comic Origin

The biggest issue with this theory is that having He Who Remains leave one of Kang’s devices on Earth could violate his self-imposed rules for the Sacred Timeline. As shown at the end of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, something about their use in Ta Lo activated a signal that may lead Kang the Conqueror to Earth as a result. If He Who Remains needed Xu Wenwu to obtain ten super-powered rings and become the Mandarin, it might have been wiser for him to simply create new devices and leave them for him to find.

Another potential concern is how drastic of a change this is from the Marvel Comics source material. While the MCU is no stranger to changing elements from the comics when needed, keeping the Ten Rings’ Makluan origin from the comics keeps their background simple and prevents movie-going audiences from being required to watch Loki to understand the Ten Rings’ potential origin with Kang the Conqueror. As Marvel Studios has confirmed that Shang-Chi 2 is in development, Destin Daniel Cretton's sequel would be the best place for the MCU to explore the Ten Rings’ origin in more detail.

Will Kang Appear In Shang-Chi 2? Everything We Know

Kang the Conqueror in Loki

Shang-Chi 2 is likely to explore the hidden world of Ta Lo, the origins of the Ten Rings, and how Wenwu acquired them, so it's possible that Kang will make an appearance too. Details about Shang-Chi 2 have been vague, and Marvel Studios hasn't yet scheduled a release date. Kang the Conqueror debuted as the villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, released on February 17, 2023, and the Phase 5 film's post-credits scene directly set up Loki season 2. This means that when Shang-Chi 2 hits theaters, Kang will already be a more established villain, which makes his appearance in Shang-Chi 2 and other MCU projects more likely.

When Will We See Kang Next?

The Eternals Hints Kang The Conqueror Is Even More Powerful Than Celestials

While it's uncertain if Kang the Conqueror will be in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' sequel, Marvel Studios has confirmed that, following his appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Kang the Conqueror will be a presence felt in multiple future projects. Considering Kang's Marvel Comics origin and Loki season 1's setup, the villain could tie the MCU's Multiverse Saga projects together, akin to how Thanos connected the Avengers movies in the Infinity Saga. Kang the Conqueror could serve as the villain for upcoming projects such as Shang-Chi 2, Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels, Loki season 2, and Fantastic Four, eventually leading into Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,

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