A Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings TV spot reveals Wenwu/Mandarin (Tony Leung) watching the kidnapping of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in the 2008 Iron Man. With less than a week to go before Shang-Chi hits theaters, anticipation for the next Marvel blockbuster is at an all-time high. To ensure that the hype is sustained until then, the studio has been releasing a barrage of promo clips for the Phase 4 project.

Shang-Chi is one of the two MCU films this year to introduce new characters to the franchise, the other being Chloé Zhao’s Eternals, which is due for release in November. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the upcoming film debuts a new hero, Shang-Chi, and with him comes a whole new pocket of the MCU that has yet to be explored. This includes the debut of the real Mandarin, Wenwu, whose character was updated from the original comics to become the titular hero’s father. The Mandarin is the head of crime organization the Ten Rings, which is also the namesake of the weapons that have provided him with exceptional power for generations.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Now, Marvel’s latest TV trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has explicitly connected the upcoming film to a previous Marvel project. The Ten Rings’ existence in the MCU was established as early as the first Iron Man, since it was the terrorist group behind Tony Stark’s abduction in Afghanistan. The TV spot references this part of the organization’s history, showing the Mandarin watching footage of the abduction from a control center that features a wall of surveillance screens. Watch the full clip below:

Click here to see the original video

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While the primary story of Shang-Chi takes place in a post-Blip world, it also jumps through time relatively often. That’s because the Mandarin has lived a long life thanks to the power granted to him by the Ten Rings. Aside from his present-day story, previous clips also show the film tackling Shang-Chi’s childhood. According to the trailers, the main narrative is set 10 years after Wenwu allowed his son to carve out his own path outside of the Ten Rings, so it is possible that Shang-Chi was still with his father when Tony was kidnapped. Whether the young boy knew about the abduction, however, is so far unclear.

Based on reviews, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings tells a contained story, which would seem to suit an origin narrative focussed on such a significant new character. However, it comes as no surprise that Marvel has found a way to connect it to the wider MCU and acknowledge the Ten Rings’ notorious history. Whether or not the organization’s previous run-in with Tony Stark will play an important role in the film remains to be seen when the wait ends on September 3.

Source: Marvel Entertainment/YouTube

Key Release Dates
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Release date: Sep 03, 2021
  • Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
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Ana Dumaraog
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Accidental movie and TV fan who is perpetually curious, Ana rekindled her love for writing and married it with everything pop culture. The result is a passionate writer who could ramble (and of course, pen) about films and series multiple hours a day. She has a soft spot for procedurals and old sitcoms (The Golden Girls!) but won’t dare watch any horror films although she’s (ironically) dying to see one. Though a bit late to the party and was an actual Force non-believer, she now finds the Star Wars franchise quite fascinating (fun fact: it was a crazy Jar Jar Binks/Sith theory that drew her in).

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