Now that Shang-Chi has finally made his grand entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we can pretty much say that his entry is going to change a lot of stuff for the MCU’s future.
Fans who are familiar with the Marvel comics already, probably know a lot about our brand new superhero already. But what harm is another introduction?
So what’s this dude all about – his powers, his abilities, his magic and most importantly, how and why does he use the ten rings, the big deal of the MCU right now?
Shang Chi does not have any magical powers by myself, but when he wields the legendary ten rings, he has access to the power of the rings. The Shang-Chi movie doesn’t clearly state the exact powers of the rings, but it sure makes the wielder more powerful.
In the climax of The Legend of the Ten Rings, Shang-Chi finally does wield the power of the ten rings.
Here’s everything you need to know about Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu!
Does Shang Chi Use The Ten Rings?
According to what we see in the film, Shang Chi does use the ten rings at the end of the film when he and his father, Wenwu face each other in combat.
During his battle with his father, he manages to get control of five of the ten rings and its powers. Wondering how he did that? Well, the film does not make that clear TBH.
But then, his father himself gives him the rest of the five before he dies, because soul eater, the dragon sucks out his soul. This is followed by some more action, where Shang Chi fights the legendary soul eater.
It’s kind of strange that while the comics make stuff like the exact powers, origin, and abilities of the rings pretty clear, the film does not do that. Now this is not the first time the MCU has changed the story from the original comics, so I am not surprised.
The post-credit scenes in the film gives much more of a context though and I am guessing the future movies is going to make things clearer. The ten rings and its functions in the film are different from what it is in the comics, BTW.
What Are Shang Chi’s Powers?
If we’re talking in terms of magical powers, then Shang Chi does not really have any. He is a martial artist with great physical attributes and skills. He is literally the Master of Kung fu. But he does not have any magical powers of his own.
But that is not to say he is any less than the other MCU heroes BTW. Though not magical, Shang Chi has some pretty good martial arts skills and most importantly, he now has access to the legendary ten rings.
So the powers of the ten rings is technically his powers. Like come on, once Thanos got the infinity gauntlet, the powers associated with the gauntlet was his. Same logic here.
In that sense, he does have a lot of powers.
In the comics, the ten rings are essentially literal rings which you must wear on ten fingers. But in the film, they are metal bands which we see Wenwu wearing on his arms. So that’s the biggest change.
Also, the films do not explicitly list down the powers of the ten rings. Just like in structure, there’s a fair chance that the functions of the ten rings is also different from that in the comics.
So, if Shang Chi is the wielder of the rings, he will have access to the powers of the rings whether it is the same as the comics.
From what we see in the movie, these rings might not each have separate powers like in the comics. I guess they’re trying to avoid too many similarities with the infinity gauntlet, where each stone had its own power.
When Wunwu was wearing the rings (or metal bands, essentially), it seemed to have made him physically stronger and he could wield more energy and fire better. It isn’t clear whether the rings have specific powers in the movies.
From what the movie depicts, it is more like all the bands (or rings) together give the wielder some super energy.
I am discussing the powers of the rings because as the wielder, Shang Chi will have access to the same powers. So bottom line is it all comes back to the rings. Without the rings, Shang Chi is just a brilliant Kung Fu master and a skilled warrior.
Not that that is any less, but the rings make stuff better. Otherwise, the guy is pretty cool by himself as well.
About Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten rings is an upcoming American superhero film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. It is based on the Marvel Comics character Shang-Chi.
Cast members include Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, and Ronny Chieng.
When Shang-Chi is drawn into the clandestine Ten Rings organization, he is forced to confront the past he thought he left behind. Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the movie will be a part of its ongoing Phase Four.
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