Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight Was Wasted but One Post-endgame MCU Hero Was Even More Brutally Sidelined Despite Crazy Action Scenes Potential

SUMMARY

• While phase four was a low point for the MCU, Shang-Chi proved to be a major hit for Marvel.
• But despite its success, the character has been put on the back burner.
• Simu Liu previously touched on the sequel's original plans before the change in slate.

Since Endgame concluded the Infinity Saga, the MCU has struggled to regain its groove. But this isn’t to say things have been completely bleak for the superhero giant, as despite some very notable letdowns, there were several highs on both the big and small screen, including Shang-Chi and Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Credit: Marvel Studios

Unfortunately, similar to Isaac’s Moon Knight, which hasn’t been utilized properly after the series’ ending, the Simu Liu-led hero has been heavily overlooked by the Marvel execs.

Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi deserves better

Even though the MCU was coming off Endgame‘s monumental success, phase four marked a new low for the studio, which involved letdowns like Eternals and Thor 4. This isn’t to say phase four was all doom and gloom for the industry giant, as we did witness some heavy hitters, including Simu Liu‘s Shang-Chi, arguably one of the most fun MCU outings of this decade (so far),

Oscar Isaac in Moon Knight | Credit: Marvel Studios

But like Moon Knight, whose future in the larger MCU remains uncertain, the creative heads had done little to connect Shang Chi‘s story with the larger MCU narrative. Although time will tell what the future holds for a Shang-Chi sequel, with a stacked schedule ahead, which is set to witness two Avengers entries, it might be a long wait for another standalone Shang-Chi feature.

On the bright side, Destin Daniel Cretton, the director behind the Liu-led flick, will helm the director’s chair for Spider-Man 4, and given how he handled the action in Shang-Chi, one can be optimistic. As for Shang-Chi’s future, hopefully, Marvel will finally start to bank on characters similar to Moon Knight and Shang-Chi more frequently, as they have proven to be a hit among the general audience.

A Shang-Chi sequel was meant to be released between the Avengers movies

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Credit: Marvel Studios

Interestingly, a Shang-Chi sequel was initially in the MCU’s card after the first film hit it big at the box office in the face of a global pandemic. But since then, the project has been put on the back burner. Liu, who confirmed last year that the sequel is still happening, revealed that the sequel was initially set to release between the then-titled Avengers: Kang Dynesty and Secret Wars.

He added (via Comicbook):

Was told [Shang-Chi 2] would follow Avengers, but that keeps pushing back due to circumstances beyond my control. Hope to have more concrete news to share soon.

While time will tell what the future holds for Shang-Chi and Moon Knight in the coming years, fans could definitely use some traditional fun superhero flicks that don’t entirely rely on cameos to succeed.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is available to stream on Disney Plus.

Written by Santanu Roy

Articles Published: 1998

Santanu Roy is a film enthusiast with a deep love for the medium of animation while also being obsessed with The Everly Brothers, Billy Joel, and The Platters. Having expertise in everything related to Batman, Santanu spends most of his time watching and learning films, with Martin Scorsese and Park Chan-wook being his personal favorites. Apart from pursuing a degree in animation, he also possesses a deep fondness for narrative-driven games and is currently a writer at Fandomwire with over 1500 articles.