All Marvel movies try to pay homage to other films and comics in the Marvel Universe. And Easter Eggs are the elements that connect a particular movie with the larger universe of Marvel, including the comics. Here, we will explore the numerous Easter Eggs in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The Blip
Two of the most significant events of the MCU will always be Thanos’ snap, followed by Hulk’s. The 5-year gap in between these is called the Blip. The Blip was mentioned twice here. The first time was by Soo, a friend of Katy and Shaun, at the restaurant. The next was a National Blip Support Hotline poster outside Katy’s home, which Shaun visits. The poster reads, “Post-Blip Anxiety? You Are Not Alone.”
Vlogger Klev
The fight scene on the bus in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has someone we first saw in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Vlogger Klev, played by Zach Cherry, is the very guy who asked Spider-Man to do a flip and then cheers for him. Here, we see him stream the fight live for his fans. It won’t be a surprise if we see him in other MCU movies because he, too, connects them all.
Homage to Jackie Chan
It was just perfect to see Marvel’s first Asian superhero pay homage to one of the world’s greatest martial artists, Jackie Chan. And how do they do it? With a jacket, of course. We all have seen Jackie Chan fight using a jacket, and we can never have enough of it. Shaun, too, does the same while fighting the bad guys in the bus. And it was really cool.
Golden Daggers Club
The movie showed us the Golden Daggers Club based in Macau, where Shaun meets her sister Xialing. But in the comics, the Golden Daggers weren’t a club but a criminal organization led by Shang-Chi’s sister (named Leiko). The Golden Daggers were rivals to Wenwu, AKA The Mandarin’s empire.
Red Room and Extremis
After Shaun and Katy enter the Golden Daggers Club, they see two people fighting in a room. The man is powered by Extremis, the nanotech-powered genetic manipulation that we saw in Iron Man 3. Surprisingly, the technology should not exist anymore, but it seems someone is still experimenting with it. The woman, Helen, is a Black Widow or at least one of the assassins trained by the Red Room. She is now free from its control after Natasha destroyed it, Black Widow.
Abomination
We last saw abomination in The Incredible Hulk (2008). Tim Roth reprised his character for Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and it was great to see him back. Apparently, he is nice here and resembles the character from the comics more than he did in The Incredible Hulk. Also, his presence adds more probability to his appearance in the upcoming She-Hulk series, which will also have Bruce Banner.
Trevor Slattery
Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery had to be in this movie. He was, after all, our first Mandarin, in Iron-Man 3, or so we thought until we realized it was a disguise by Aldrich Killian. However, it’s not just that. His portrayal as the Mandarin did catch the attention of the real Mandarin, and he was called for. This we saw in Marvel One-Shot- All Hail the King. “You took his name, and now he wants it back.” We all know now what happened afterward.
Kamar-Taj
During the mid-credit scene, Wong tells Shang-Chi that the first time he used the rings, Kamar-Taj felt it. Kamar-Taj is the very place in Kathmandu where Strange received his powers. So, Doctor Strange would have felt it too. And that makes it no small feat. This makes sense since the Rings have been there for far longer than when Wenwu acquired them. They are made up of an unknown element, and Wong doesn’t know such artifacts. Also, the beacons inside the Rings seem to be sending a message to some place or something or someone. Perhaps, we will have to wait for Shang-Chi 2 or at least Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to find out what it is.
What Happened to Bruce Banner?
The last time we saw Bruce Banner, it was as Hulk in Avengers: Endgame. Brain and Brawls together. But here, he is in his human form again, but his hand is hurt. So, something must have happened in between that has brought him back to this form. And if we are right, then the upcoming She-Hulk series will show how. This means that it will be set between the events of Avengers: Endgame and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Also Read – ‘Shang-Chi Ending, & Post-Credit Scene, Explained
Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is a 2021 Action Adventure film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.
