The question that has been repeated on internet forums ever since Shang-Chi came out is – Where Did Wong Take Abomination? Well, don’t you worry quirky people, we have the answer for you. There is a theory floating around on the internet that explains much of the issue with the Wong and Abomination Storyline and also connects Shang-Chi to the larger MCU. The filmmakers have been subtle about creating the set-up for one of the most notorious teams of the Marvel-verse. I mean, don’t you think it is high time that we finally got a supervillain team to fight the Avengers, well, you what’s left of them. It might be but the thunderbolts are more about expectation subversion. Think of them as MCU’s own Justice League dark, or maybe the Suicide Squad.
So what am I talking about? Well, I am referring to Thunderbolts, a superhero team from Marvel Comics that is almost exclusively made out of reformed supervillains. We believe that soon an iteration of this team will be seen in the MCU and it will have the villains from the Infinity Saga take up new mantles in the MCU. The major hint for the existence of this setup comes from Shang-Chi itself.
The movie has a scene in the underground fighting arena of Xu Xialing where Wong and Abomination tussle with each other. Abomination is Emil Blonsky, an old villain played by Tim Roth in The Incredible Hulk. This guy was a military veteran who got injected with a prototype super-soldier serum and treated himself to some Hulk blood. The character transformed into an Abomination.
The Raft
Wong, on the other hand, is the reliable sorcerer librarian of Kamar-Taj. It is unclear what he is doing in the ring, but we can venture a guess. The more important question, and where our theory stems from is the location where Abomination is taken to by Wong. It was a split-second sequence and we got to see very little of the location. However, we have a pretty good idea that the place is a prison of some sort. Most likely this is the prison known as the raft, that Tony Stark created to house Captain America’s team from Civil War. It is a prison equipped with the latest in containment technology and is housed in a remote location in the ocean so there is no question of escape.
Hence, S.H.I.E.L.D. must have shifted their old prisoners to The Raft. This means that there is a possibility that all of the MCU’s older villains are also housed atop this floating prison. I’ll tell you why this is important. The MCU has been playing a very sneaky game but now they have inadvertently revealed their secrets. There is a big chance that all these villains will be reformed and made into an Avenger’s B-Team called the Thunderbolts. But wait, there is more. If all the villains are reformed then who are they supposed to be fighting? And how is this any different than what DC has done has with The Suicide Squad? Hold on, dear viewer, let me tell you everything I think will happen.
The Thunderbolts
Think back to the events of The Incredible Hulk, is there a character that we are yet to see reappear in the MCU? General Ross returned for Civil War, Betty Ross returned in What If…?, and Banner reappeared recently in Shang-Chi. Even Abomination was seen tussling with Wong in the movie. However, the villain teased in the movie never showed up. It was made clear in The Incredible Hulk that Sterns was infected with Bruce’s blood at the end of the movie from a wound n his head. The audience was teased by the idea of The Leader appearing in the sequel to The incredible Hulk but then the MCU happened and these plans fell to the wayside. Now things have come to a point where they can pick this story back up.
What better way to do that than by introducing the Thunderbolts. A reformed team of villains to battle the most intelligent of them. We predict that MCU’s team will comprise Zemo, Ghost, Justin Hammer, and General Ross as Red Hulk. Maybe Val is also connected to Ross. So, the likes of US Agent, Yelena Belova and even Taskmaster could be a part of this squad. And there is also a possibility that The Leader will first appear in She-Hulk and then move on to the MCU. Why do we say this? Well, my dear reader, I can’t disclose all my theories in a single post. Let us know your opinions in the comments below and keep watching this space for everything Marvel, DC and Hollywood.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for more content.
