Movies

Marvel Phase 4: Nick Fury Will Reportedly Recruit Shang-Chi to Join The Avengers

Marvel Phase 4 will reportedly find Nick Fury recruiting Shang-Chi to become one of the new Avengers, after the departure of Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow.

by Perry Carpenter

Published on April 17, 2020

3 min read

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) will be working hard to assemble a new Avengers squad now that Marvel is headed into Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Captain America (Chris Evans) no longer a part of the team, Fury will be recruiting a whole new set of characters to become Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. This includes enlisting a superhero who has their very own solo movie in Phase 4.

Marvel Samuel L Jackson — Marvel’s Nick Fury Samuel L. Jackson | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Marvel set to introduce a host of new characters

Avengers: Endgame concluded Marvel’s main story arc through the first three phases of the MCU. Although Avengers 5 will not be here for several more years, Marvel president Kevin Feige has already confirmed that the project will happen.

The studio has kept a tight lid on which characters might join the next big crossover event, but Marvel certainly has plenty of options at its disposal.

Marvel's Phase 4 keeps on sounding more and more exciting. This week: Taika Waititi talks Thor 4 and Sam Raimi seemingly confirms his big comic book movie return https://t.co/FvMgVSDiG4
— GamesRadar+ (@GamesRadar) April 17, 2020

Phase 4 of the MCU will introduce a slew of new characters in movies like Black Widow, The Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther 2, and Captain Marvel 2.

Marvel is also working on several new television shows that will premiere on Disney+ in the coming years. This includes The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk.

While some of these new characters will likely appear in Avengers 5, a source claims that a Phase 4 hero will be among the first of Fury’s recruits.

Fury will recruit this Marvel Phase 4 hero to join the Avengers

The insider told We Got This Covered that Fury will appear in the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. As part of his surprise cameo, Fury will formally ask Shang-Chi to join the Avengers.

The meeting will reportedly take place during a post-credits scene. If the report is true, it also means that Fury will remain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years to come.

Jackson has portrayed the iconic character since the start of the MCU and appears to be set for an expanded role in Phase 4 and beyond.

Shang-Chi, meanwhile, is the only new character to get a solo movie of their own in Phase 4. Marvel has not commented on the reports surrounding Avengers 5, but the studio clearly has big plans for the character.

What’s ahead for ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’?

Marvel has been tight-lipped about Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but we know the character will bring a unique set of martial arts to the MCU.

According to We Got This Covered, the story will feature the superhero fighting various villains in a tournament, the winner of which will get the Ten Rings. A source claims that one of his opponents is the iconic dragon, Fin Fang Foom.

In the light of the developments, some fans have criticized Marvel for using a storyline that is close to Mortal Kombat. Even more shocking, the lead character shares many traits with Liu Kang.

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings Said To Be A Mortal Kombat Ripoff https://t.co/uRfIuvV8dE
— ????? ??? (@ze_benjy) April 12, 2020

“I am really surprised that all through development for Shang-Chi, there wasn’t a single person who raised their hand at Marvel and said, ‘You know what, that is like the exact same plot as Mortal Kombat,’ — which has been around for over twenty-five years and has a very large and definitely not shy fan base,” YouTube personality Grace Randolph shared.

To be fair, Mortal Kombat was not the first franchise to use a martial arts tournament as a plot structure. There are plenty of examples of these types of tournaments in films, most notably Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon.

If anything, Marvel is simply paying homage to these classic martial arts movies, which many fans are excited about. After all, who does not appreciate a good Kung Fu film?

Disney pushes back release dates for Phase 4 of the MCU

Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a few more years before Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hits theaters. Disney recently pushed back the premiere dates of all of its upcoming projects due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will now premiere in May of 2021, pushing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to a November release.