Here's everything we learned from the second trailer for Shang-Chi & The Legend of the Ten Rings. When Marvel Studios released a first glimpse of Shang-Chi earlier this year, the reaction was one of muted excitement. The film's visuals and martial arts action were both stunning, but compared to the high standard Kevin Feige has set over the past 13 years, Shang-Chi's first trailer lacked a certain x-factor ingredient to really get excitement boiling over. Fortunately, the second Shang-Chi trailer is a different beast entirely, showcasing the MCU's newest superhero in all his mystic glory and teasing a tantalizing new direction for the franchise.
Simu Liu stars as the titular Shang-Chi, the son of infamous terrorist The Mandarin, played by Tony Leung. Trained to the pinnacle of kung-fu excellence and able to control the power of chi, Liu's character has desperately tried to avoid his destiny (and his family) by relocating to the U.S. and working as a valet. Predictably, destiny has other plans, and Shang-Chi must stop running away, return to his roots, and face his father's Ten Rings organization directly. He'll be accompanied on this journey by Awkwafina's Katy, a fellow valet who believed her friend was just a regular guy before discovering she was singing karaoke with a one-man death machine.
Not only is Shang-Chi's second trailer greatly superior to the first, fans learn much more about the film's premise and the history of The Mandarin's world. Some familiar scenes have been repurposed - such as the bus chase and a youthful Shang-Chi being beaten during training - but with mythological beasts, MCU cameos, and awe-inspiring chi clashes, here are all the new reveals from Shang-Chi's latest trailer.
Toward the beginning of Shang-Chi's second trailer we see the Ten Rings' flag flying freely in the wind. This organization and logo stretch way back to the MCU's earliest beginnings and Tony Stark's abduction, but at least now we're finally seeing the true Ten Rings, rather than Trevor Slattery's tribute act. The flag scene looks to be part of a flashback into the Mandarin's background, taking place many centuries prior during China's long, storied history. Going back so far would fit with Eternals digging deeper into the MCU's past than ever before.
New scenes provide a far more detailed look at how the Ten Rings actually work. In later historical flashback sequences, Mandarin is seen wearing 5 rings on each arm and throwing them around like projectiles, dealing immense energy damage with each strike. This represents a huge departure from the comic books, where each ring granted a different power (and was an actual ring, not a bracelet), but the MCU variation seems to feed on Mandarin's chi, amplifying it, and giving the villain a significant power boost - possibly similar to how Mjølnir and Stormbreaker accentuate Thor's thunder. Thus, Mandarin can toss the rings about, but they still return safely to his arm afterwards.
A much more recent flashback into Shang-Chi's youth allows The Mandarin to explain his intentions. The powerful arm rings have maintained his power for a long, long time (and could be responsible for his lack of aging), but Mandarin's now looking to pass them onto a worthy successor. Mandarin wants Shang-Chi to prove his worth before accepting the weapon as his birthright.
Finally, a proper introduction for Michelle Yeoh's character, credited as Jiang Nan. There's no direct counterpart for Jiang Nan in Marvel comic lore, but her heartfelt words to Shang-Chi suggest she's a mentor figure, likely from childhood, who knows the Ten Rings and Mandarin as well as anyone. Certainly, Jiang Nan has a vivid understanding of how different Shang-Chi's mother and father were.
Alongside Michelle Yeoh, the trailer shows Simu Liu arriving at an exotic island locale. The mountainous coastal setting looks similar to the Ten Rings' bustling HQ, but could also be somewhere Shang-Chi and Katy go when remaining in San Francisco becomes unsafe. There are glimpses of a mystical red doorway (this becomes important later), which could force Shang-Chi to prove his worth before entering, and the superhero appears to be accompanied by his estranged sister, Xialing, although we only see the character briefly from behind.
As Jiang Nan talks about Shang-Chi's mother, the trailer shifts to our ass-kicking new hero in his youth, being trained tenderly by a woman one would assume to be his parent. It's immediately evident that Shang-Chi has a better relationship with her than his dastardly dad. More interestingly, Shang-Chi's mother seems to be training him in some kind of chi control technique. If his parents both possess(ed) different combat techniques, Shang-Chi could combine both in order to end his father and the Ten Rings for good.
In a scene extremely reminiscent of Black Widow's "Red Room" flashback, the Shang-Chi trailer shows rows of trainee Ten Rings assassins practicing their murder techniques in regimental fashion. The scene speaks to the militaristic, organized nature of Mandarin's operation, and lets fans know that there'll be plenty of unnamed henchmen for Shang-Chi to punch.
In Shang-Chi's first trailer, the villain Death Dealer was shown standing by Mandarin's side during Shang-Chi's tough childhood training sessions. In the new promo, however, a slightly older Shang-Chi is partaking in a tense sparring session with Death Dealer, almost receiving a blade to the face. This sets up an intense, long-standing rivalry between Shang-Chi and Death Dealer that extends beyond just hero and villain. Their personal rivalry could derive from jealousy, with Death Dealer envious that Mandarin chooses his rebellious want-away son as a successor instead of a loyal servant like himself.
Death Dealer takes out his frustrations on Simu Liu's character in the modern day, and Shang-Chi's second trailer offers more detail on this duel compared to the first batch of footage. Shang-Chi and Katy are frequenting some kind of bar (possibly in Madripoor if the decor is anything to go by), and it's here that Death Dealer and Mandarin's assassins move in to kill their boss' prodigal son. There's plenty of thrilling set pieces teased here, including Shang-Chi falling onto a construction platform that hangs on the skyscraper's exterior and doing battle with some goons (and probably vertigo) upon the ledge.
With their swords, martial arts and mystical artifacts, it's easy to assume that Ten Rings operatives prefer traditional methods of combat, but Death Dealer proves otherwise. During their nightclub scrap, Mandarin's right-hand man tosses an exploding throwing knife toward Shang-Chi, which then lodges in a window and shatters the glass. This addition to Death Dealer's arsenal proves the Ten Rings isn't limited to its ancient origins, but also packing the latest gear and gadgets. MCU fans might've known this already, since a Ten Rings agent was among the potential buyers for the Yellowjacket armor in Ant-Man.
After the first Shang-Chi trailer, fans might've wondered why the film's hero would run to the other side of the world and hide his true identity, only to wind up back under his father's shadow by returning to Ten Rings HQ. According to the latest footage, Mandarin sends his best assassins to track down his son, warning them that victory would be impossible. Shang-Chi proves his dad right, but his location is revealed, leading to an awkward reunion between father and son. As for why the reunion is happening now, it seems Mandarin is running out of time to pass on his legacy, and rather than send out five golden tickets inside candy bars, he's taking a more direct approach. Shang-Chi looks less than delighted at seeing his father again after a decade apart.
As well as explaining their reunion, we also get a clearer idea of why Shang-Chi hates his old man - and it's more or less what you'd expect. Growing up, Shang-Chi realized his father was a ruthless, murderous criminal who thought nothing of taking a life. Relating more to his mother, Shang-Chi resents his father's violence, but that hasn't stopped Mandarin demanding respect of his children. Despite ten years of disobedience, Mandarin obviously believes he can win his son over still.
Shang-Chi's first trailer revealed a flashback sequence set in a restaurant, where Mandarlin leads his young son into the establishment and a fight breaks out. In new footage, this memory becomes a key moment in Shang-Chi's development. During the scuffle, a goon (who has presumably displeased Mandarin in some way) gets tossed into a glass dividing wall, narrowly missing the frightened Shang-Chi. Mandarin then casually walks over to the incapacitated gangster and uses a ring blast to execute him callously on the spot, before looking his son directly in the eye as if to say "get used to this." If you're wondering why Shang-Chi has childhood hangups, this'll be it.
Upon meeting with Michelle Yeoh's Jiang Nan in the present day, the pair get down to training. Surrounded by a dusty forest setting, Yeoh's character takes a stance and effortlessly manipulates the air around her, surprising Shang-Chi with her chi control abilities. It would seem that after learning hand-to-hand combat under his father's tutelage, it's Jiang Nan who passes on Shang-Chi's more unusual abilities from his mother's side, teaching him how to control the elements.
Shang Chi's initial trailer placed the San Francisco bus sequence front and center, and while the new footage mostly dips into other areas, we do get an additional shot of Shang-Chi hanging from the bus' broken window during his fight with Razor Fist. Aside from showcasing the valet's immense strength and dexterity, the scene establishes Razor Fist as a more formidable enemy than his hilariously bad name would imply. Only he, Death Dealer and Mandarin seem to pose any danger to the MCU's new hero.
In a gorgeous scene possibly taking place at the same island retreat Shang-Chi and Katy are shown arriving at earlier in the trailer, a Chinese lantern ceremony is happening. Although this could be a fictional tradition unique to Shang-Chi's world, the scene may depict the real life annual Shangyuan festival. Lanterns during this special occasion can represent letting go of one's past self, which serves as a fitting metaphor for Shang-Chi moving out from his father's shadow.
The visually-stunning scene where Mandarin triggers a deluge on water in front of Shang-Chi and his companions, only for the liquid to remain still in the air, has been used heavily in Marvel's marketing. With the new trailer, however, a mysterious new connection emerges. The circular stone gate from which the flood emanates looks identical to the one a young Shang-Chi and his mother can be spotted training in front of. This detail suggests Shang-Chi possesses the same power to manipulate elements with chi, but may not have harnessed it well enough to use when his journey begins.
Arriving at the Ten Rings hideout, Shang-Chi and Katy exit a helicopter alongside Mandarin, Xialing and Razor Fist. In their great leader's presence, the dozens of assembled soldiers obediently bow at Mandarin's behest, giving the audience some idea of the influence he wields.
Expanding on a sequence glimpsed in previous clips, a white-suited Mandarin does battle with an unidentified woman in a forest setting reminiscent of House of Flying Daggers. Once again, the villain's ring-throwing powers are in full effect, but his opponent seems to be holding her own. While the character is only shown from behind (and in the previous trailer wearing a wide hat and mask), this is likely either Shang-Chi's mother or his mentor Jiang Nan, clashing with Mandarin over the treatment of his son.
This action-packed battle looks to pit Ten Rings agents armed with hi-tech batons against a group of rural monks. Fighting on behalf of the monks, however, are guardian stone lions come to life. It's not yet known who animates these statues (or how they manage it), but the creatures are immensely strong, tossing an enemy with the force of a speeding vehicle. MCU fans will be used to seeing this kind of mythological magic on Asgard, but Shang-Chi proves that Earth has secret beasts of its own. Although referred to as "foo dogs," the statues are actually lions who resemble certain Chinese dog breeds, hence the name.
Shang-Chi was already confirmed to include a martial arts cage-style tournament which the title character takes part in. During one round, however, Shang-Chi will be facing off against his own sister, Xialing. The tantalizingly brief glimpse shows Xialing throwing a stiff kick, which her brother narrowly avoids in a ridiculously agile kip-up dodge. Shang-Chi has been estranged from his sister even since he left the family for San Francisco ten years ago, and despite beating seven shades out of each other during their reunion, Xialing's continued presence suggests she aligns with Shang-Chi against their father.
One of two massive standout shots in the second Shang-Chi trailer is the appearance of a water dragon. The protagonist is floating in some kind of ocean or lake and comes face to face with a massive reptilian head that's unmistakably dragon-like in nature, with the long, snaking body following behind. While this could be a hallucination or dream sequence, the introduction of actual dragons takes the MCU into uncharted fantasy territory even more so than foo dogs, opening up a whole new range of potential worlds and characters to explore.
As for who the dragon could be, many Marvel fans are suggesting Fin Fang Foom, an alien comic character inspired by traditional Chinese lore. In the source material, Mandarin awakens Fin Fang Foom while taking the ten rings, which could explain the character's presence in Shang-Chi. While the character has long been rumored, Simu Liu shot the reports down citing racially questionable elements to the dragon. If not Fin Fang Foom, Shang-Chi's merchandise might reveal the water dragon is called "the Great Protector." This sounds like an ancient creature directly linked to the rings, whom Shang-Chi might seek guidance or power from. There could also be a connection in the dragon living underwater and Shang-Chi's mother teaching him water manipulation.
In a short shot, Shang-Chi yells "is this what you want" toward an unknown enemy, presumably his father. Scanning the background, this could happen during the same sequence as the living foo dog statues, confirming Shang-Chi's presence in that battle.
Another memorable moment from Shang-Chi's new trailer may be taken from the fated final battle between father and son. The same glowing red door from earlier can be seen in the background, confirming the fight's location as the exotic island retreat. More importantly, it seems Shang-Chi is trying to pull the ten rings from his dad's arms, using his own chi to tempt them away. Like Mjølnir, the rings might align to a warrior they deem worthy, and after Shang-Chi's solo movie development is complete, he and Mandarin could engage in a tug-of-war for control and ownership of the rings in a true Dragon Ball Z-style energy struggle. Assuming Shang-Chi isn't going to lose in his MCU debut, he could wield the rings himself in future movies.
The trailer shot that has everyone talking. Among the combatants in the aforementioned tournament is Abomination, otherwise known as Emil Blonsky. The villain was played by Tim Roth in the 2008 The Incredible Hulk movie, but hasn't been spotted again since surviving his fight against Bruce Banner. Evidently, Blonsky has been making a living in illicit cage fights, maybe laying low in Madripoor, which would explain his long absence. It's not clear whether Roth himself will actually feature in Shang-Chi or whether Abomination will be entirely CG, but his return could be a prelude to Disney+'s upcoming She-Hulk series. Incidentally, the monster's design has visibly changed since his last appearance. This could have a canon explanation, or might just represent an aesthetic update for the modern MCU.
On the opposite side of the arena appears to be Wong, Doctor Strange's assistant. The robe and magic powers confirm Abomination's opponent is a master of the mystic arts, and Benedict Wong was rumored to make a cameo after being spotted on-set with Simu Liu. Having said that, we didn't peg Wong as a Fight Club kind of guy, so what's he doing in a cage with Abomination during Shang-Chi & The Legend of the Ten Rings?
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