Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were introduced to a few brand new heroes in Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings, which is already being hailed as one of the best origin stories to come from the live-action adapted universe.
The movie has proven itself with one of Disney's largest box offices in the last couple of years, but it also stands out for the sheer number of amazing quotes that managed to entertain and uplift while providing fans with a new and unique perspective in the MCU to explore. Several quotes from Shang-Chi stood out to fans.
10 “I Thought I Could Change My Name, Start A New Life... But I Could Never Escape His Shadow.”
While Katy was quick to point out that Shang-Chi's attempt at changing his name was fairly weak, he did successfully launch a new life for himself in San Francisco. However, when he revealed his true history to her, it was clear that Shang-Chi had spent his new life running away from his old one.
And no matter how far or fast he ran away, the shadow cast by his ancient and criminal father continued to haunt him for years. He would never fully escape the shadow until he accepted his past, his destiny, and his legacy.
9 “You Can't Outrun Who You Really Are.”
The man whose shadow Shang-Chi was trying to outrun was his father Wenwu, an original take on the character who had seen a number of confusing retcons in the comics over the years. Wenwu reiterated Shang-Chi's own thoughts that he would never be able to escape who he was, even if Wenwu imagined that version of his son very differently.
With his comments to his son about not being to outrun who he was, he was implying that Shang-Chi's destiny as Wenwu's heir and future leader of the Ten Rings was inescapable. Thankfully, Shang-Chi was able to rediscover himself while also forging a new path that honored his mother's legacy as well as his father's teachings.
8 "If I Die, It's Your Fault!"
The friendship between Shang-Chi and Katy was one of the most entertaining parts of the MCU adaptation and helped ground the characters with humor while they dealt with powerful criminal organizations and ancient mysticism.
The humor that existed between the two friends allowed them to crack jokes between each other even while they were facing certain doom. Shang-Chi's taunt at Katy wasn't meant to instill her with guilt over his possible death in battle, but to light-heartedly reassure his friend to help keep them both calm in the face of danger.
7 "Even If You Could Bring Her Back, What Makes You Think That She’d Want Anything To Do With You?"
Shang-Chi & The Legend of the Ten Rings introduced one of the MCU's most sympathetic villains with Xu Wenwu, leader of the Ten Rings who also wielded the powerful weapons that shared a name with his criminal organization.
His main motivation was to bring about the return of his deceased wife and Shang-Chi's mother, though he was being manipulated by the Dweller-in-Darkness. Shang-Chi understood this drive as well, but he shocked his father with this quote. This began Wenwu's understanding that he was being manipulated, though he was already too far gone down that path to come back.
6 “Calm Down, Mate! I'm Not Dead, It's Just A Performance! Now Get Down Here And Play Along!”
One of the biggest surprises for MCU fans was the return of Sir Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, who previously faked fans out as the Mandarin in Iron Man 3. His character helped unify the various explorations of the Ten Rings and the Mandarin in the MCU before Shang-Chi debuted a new take on Wenwu.
Slattery also served as another source of hilarity and heart due to his unique relationship with the magical creature named Morris. During the final battle, Morris saw his friend fallen on the ground and began to mourn, though Slattery revealed it was just another performance and Morris cutely joined in.
5 “The Ten Rings Are Stronger Than Anything In Your Universe”
Michelle Yeoh played Shang-Chi's aunt Jiang Nan in Shang-Chi & The Legend of the Ten Rings, and she helped her nephew embrace the power of his heritage by training him in the martial arts of the powerful hidden city of Ta Lo.
However, she also teased the incredible power of the Ten Rings worn by Wenwu by revealing they were more powerful than anything in "your" universe. This not only implied that they were stronger than things like Mjolnir and man-made weapons like Iron Man's armor, but that they also came from outside the mainstream universe to further tease the MCU's multiverse.
4 "If You Aim At Nothing, You Hit Nothing."
This quote was directed towards Katy during her training at Ta Lo, and it served to highlight a struggle she was facing alongside her friend Shang-Chi. While he was trying to avoid his destiny, Katy was unsure of her own path and avoided pushing herself towards the future in any meaningful direction.
With just a few quick words during her training with a bow and arrow, Katy realized that she would always drift along in her life until she decided to challenge herself with meaningful goals. She took this to heart and found her path, which allowed her to be an instrumental part in the final battle against the Dweller-in-Darkness.
3 "I'm Not Leaving You Again."
Shang-Chi wasn't alone during his youth, as he was joined by his younger sister Xu Xialing who suffered through a hard upbringing by her father after their mother died. Xialing wasn't put through the same training as Shang-Chi, though she watched and learned on her own.
Shang-Chi left her behind when he attempted to escape his father and lead a normal life, and Xialing waited years before realizing she was on her own and didn't need anyone else to create her own empire. However, after they were reunited, Shang-Chi confirmed to his estranged sister that he was never going to leave her behind again in one of the movie's most emotional moments.
2 “I’m Gonna Change The Course Of History.”
Shang-Chi's father had lived for hundreds of years and played important roles in the recorded history of the MCU, which is something he hoped for his son as well. However, Shang-Chi was motivated to not only break away from his potential criminal destiny with his father but to also use his abilities and teachings from his mother to change the course of history as seen by his father.
It was a powerful quote that highlighted his father's own legend while showcasing his drive to make one of his own, which caused a change in his father as he began to see just what kind of man his son had become. It also referenced Shang-Chi's potential importance in the developing phases of the MCU.
1 “Welcome To The Circus.”
The MCU is a large connected universe, and Shang-Chi featured a number of connecting factors like Trevor Slattery and the appearance of Wong from Doctor Strange while still telling a separate story of its own.
However, Shang-Chi's larger role was teased with the appearance of both Bruce Banner and Captain Marvel as they pondered the mystery of the Ten Rings and their origins. Banner's welcome to Shang-Chi all but confirms his future role with the Avengers, which fits in perfectly with previous heroic introductions to the shared universe that excited fans about the future of Shang-Chi.