Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has confirmed that the two characters seen fighting in the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings trailer are indeed Abomination and Wong. The latter character has appeared in recent MCU entries like Doctor Strange and Avengers: Infinity War, but Abomination hasn’t featured since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. They’ll both be back in Shang-Chi, however, where they’ll face off in a brutal head-to-head battle.

Out of all the movies in the MCU, The Incredible Hulk is the one that’s never quite felt like part of the greater whole. That’s partially because of how early on in the franchise the film was released, partially because the character of Bruce Banner was recast with Mark Ruffalo in The Avengers, and partially because the tone of the film doesn’t quite mesh with what the MCU later became. The Incredible Hulk is still canon in the franchise, however, and it’s finally reentering the larger story with Shang-Chi.

Related: Why Is Wong Fighting Abomination In Shang-Chi?

A recent trailer for Shang-Chi included a glimpse at a duel between two characters who appeared to be Abomination and Wong. Now, Feige himself has confirmed that’s exactly who’s fighting in the trailer. In a recent interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Feige commented on Shang-Chi’s connections to the early days of the MCU, including an official word on the return of Abomination. Read Feige’s full quote below.

“Some fans said, ‘This looks like a character they hadn’t seen in many years named The Abomination, fighting a character that looks like Wong. And I can say that the reason it looks like that is because that is Abomination fighting Wong... [It’s] a fun thing to have a character that we haven’t had on screen in over a decade show up again in the MCU. And to see fans on that little tag of the trailer recognize that and embrace that is great fun.”

Shang Chi Wong vs Abomination

It’s exciting that even so late in the MCU, old characters can still return from as early as Phase 1. Shang-Chi will also have significant ties to the original Iron Man through the Mandarin’s Ten Rings organization – the terrorist group responsible for abducting Tony Stark. The new movie will also introduce the original Ten Rings from the comics, which are alien weapons wielded by the Mandarin himself.

Presumably, Wong’s involvement in Shang-Chi will be tied to the Ten Rings. Some fans have theorized that the fight depicted in the trailer is part of a larger tournament, and that the Ten Rings could be some kind of prize. If that’s the case, it would make sense for Wong to step in as one of Earth’s protectors to try to keep the weapons from falling into the wrong hands once again. That could also be why Abomination shows up, seeking a way to amplify his already significant power. Where the monstrous villain has been since The Incredible Hulk, however, remains a mystery. The answers won’t be fully revealed until Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings releases in theaters on September 3.

Next: Shang-Chi's Fighting Tournament Explained

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

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