The MCU has just expanded into the mystic realm with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and What if….? Episode 4. We know now that mystic beasts exist in the MCU and they are far more powerful than we could have ever thought. The implication of other dimensions intertwining with the multiverse is almost reality-shattering. You’ll see what we mean, let me break down 10 crazy Shang-Chi theories that we have come up with after watching this blockbuster.
Evil Strange vs Spider-Man
Do you remember the No Way Home trailer? It has some of the craziest visuals we have seen in the MCU. But the thing that is of importance is the box that Peter Parker is holding. We believe that Peter is using that box to capture the evil mystic beasts sealed inside Evil Strange. It is an anti-absorption magic device. A monster sucker, if you will. It could be similar to the door that kept the Soul Suckers at bay. This would canonically make sense with the footage we’ve seen in the trailer. What else would be the reason for Strange to smack Peter’s Astral form out of his body?
The Soul Suckers and The Guardians
We believe that the true extent of the mystic beasts portrayed in the Shang-Chi movie has not been explored yet. The Dark Dweller was just the beginning. The soul-sucking beast is just a taste for what is about to come. This theory stems from the fact that Marvel has just started exploring this beast and they would want to be faithful to the theme of the show. The sequel could see Shang-Chi telling with these beasts.
Real Power of the Ten Rings
A lot of fans are surprised about the fact that the 10 Rings featured in the movie are quite different from their comic counterparts. Part of the reason for this is the change in Mandarin’s character. He is still a power-hungry overlord, but now he cares about his dead wife and kids. The Mandarin of the MCU put aside his rings for some time and likely never fought the enhanced individuals of the MCU. This means that he also never discovered the true power of the rings. We believe the rings hold the same individual powers as their comic counterparts and that this will be explored in the sequel.
All Hail Xu Xialing
Xu Xialing has taken over the empire from Wenwu. We have a new leader of the 10 Rings. One that is not afraid to bend the rules a little. This makes her very dangerous and a very Important asset at the same time. The question is whether she will try to be better than her father or walk in his footsteps and take over the shadow. We suppose that an evil persona suits her character more. It remains to be seen how Nick Fury and other powers will react to a threat like her, we the pride that a confrontation is inevitable.
Dragon People
Axonn-Karr was an explorer of the Makluan people, he came to earth in a ship and was assaulted by the people of the Valley of Spirits. The Makluan are humanoids, roughly, they just have the face of a dragon. This is no coincidence because one of the comic storylines has us exploring the life of these people in the source of the Ten Rings. Hence, we believe there are a lot more dragons to come in this sub-franchise of the MCU.
10 Ancient Warriors
This one is a bit of a leap and it will probably only happen in Shang-Chi 3 if we ever get that far. However, the belief is that the 10 Rings will manifest themselves to Shang-Chi but not in the at we think. It is said that each ring houses the power of an ancient warrior along with their soul. However, not all of these warriors are good, in fact the majority of them are despicable souls who will cut your throat given the chance. It is likely that these warriors can become villains in Shang-Chi that our hero has to contend with.
Eternal Technology
The Polar Eternals are an ancient race of people who commune with the Celestials. They are powerful and far more technologically advanced than any other beings in the universe. A theory has been floating around that the Ten Rings in the MCU come from the Eternals. This theory also explains the beacon in the mid-credits scene. Fans theorize that the beacon represents the convergence from the Eternals trailer and will soon see this play out and meet Shang-Chi in their end credits.
Protectors of the Multiverse
The Doctor Strange connection makes us think that there is more to the mystic beasts than meets the eye. It is possible that they would take over the next phase of the MCU, and we would meet crazy large beasts like the Soul Suckers and Dormammu. We believe that the majority of the mystic beasts are going to be just like the great protector and the person to show this to us will be none other than Strange Supreme.
Shuma-Gorath
The next main antagonist in the multiverse is not going to be Kang. Shang-Chi has confirmed what fans have long suspected. What If…?’s season finale will see the heroes fight an ultra-powerful mystic beast by the name of Shuma-Gorath. A large tentacled monster that houses an entire dimension just like Dormammu. His powers are too much for any single hero to conquer. So all our protagonists from the What If…? Can team up and defeat it. Who knows we will maybe get a cameo by Shang-Chi in the series too.
The Mandarin is Still Alive
The Mandarin is a very sinister villain in the comics. After using the rings for year’s he finally was able to inhabit the rings with his consciousness. This meant that no one else could ever use the rings of power. Moreover, this also meant that he could control them from anywhere in the world. We believe that Wenwu did not get his soul sucked out of him. It is more likely that he transferred his consciousness into his rings and sent them towards his son. This would be more comic accurate as the rings of power have always been able to house consciousness.
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