]
Is Shang-Chi finally making his return to the MCU? Simu Liu breaks silence on the possibility of appearing in the upcoming Spider-Man 4.
Perhaps one of the biggest casualties of the MCU’s current “Broad, not deep” approach is Shang-Chi. The character had a breakout smash with his freshman outing, and work almost immediately began on a sequel. However, with the project nearly four years old, there’s been no sign of Simu Liu making his return as the character anytime soon.
Part of this is because director Destin Daniel Cretton has been busy with other projects in the MCU. Marvel tapped him for multiple projects, including Wonder Man and Avengers: Kang Dynasty. But with the Russo Brothers being brought on to helm the newly reworked Avengers: Doomsday, there was some hope progress would be made on a sequel….until Marvel revealed Cretton would be directing Spider-Man 4, all but condemning Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi to cameo roles for a long time to come.
Will Shang-Chi Be In Spider-Man 4?
The one glimmer of hope fans have is that, given Destin Daniel Cretton is the director for Spider-Man 4, it’s possible that Shang-Chi appears to play a supporting role. While no details or rumors about the possibility have come out, Simu Liu was actually asked about the idea during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. Though no deals seem to be inked, it does appear that Liu is open to the possibility of making his return in another character’s solo film.
“Oh, I’m not even – I’m not even going near that one,” Liu joked. “I haven’t heard anything. I love people who love those movies, and I also love those movies.”
Given how popular the character of Shang-Chi is with fans, it’s likely that Marvel is trying to find some way to bring Simu Liu back, even if it’s just for a cameo. While the actor will certainly make his return sometime during Avengers: Doomsday, it’ll be interesting to see if he plays some sort of role in Spider-Man 4, especially given how close the projects release to one another.
Spider-Man 4 swings into theaters July 24, 2026. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding Spider-Man’s Marvel Cinematic Universe future and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
