Like the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four output, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was shut down and hit with a delay as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, and the superhero blockbuster was one of the first major Hollywood productions to be halted in March, with the uncertainty rumored to be costing the studio up to $300,000 per day.
Things now look to be getting back on track, though, with shooting resuming again towards the end of July, and so far the team behind Shang-Chi have done a great job of keeping things under wraps, with only a few set photos and videos managing to make their way online and most of the details surrounding the plot remaining confined to the realm of rumor and speculation.
Given that this is the MCU we’re talking about, though, the movie is obviously going to feature some connections to the wider shared universe and establish how the title character fits into it. In fact, a new photo reveals that Doctor Strange star Benedict Wong is in Australia and while it might just be a coincidence that he was grabbing a bite to eat with leading man Simu Liu on the other side of the world, it seems a lot more likely that Wong could be set for an appearance in the pic.
There’s already been talk that Chiwitel Ejiofor’s Baron Mordo could play a part in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which presents the ideal storytelling opportunity for Wong to show up, and it would make complete sense in the context of the plot as Shang-Chi has hardly been a stranger to encountering the mystical arts in the pages of Marvel Comics. For now, though, we’ll just have to wait and see if Wong’s visit amounts to anything.