The Ten Rings will indeed return. At the end of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Meng'er Zhang's Xialing is seen sitting upon the throne once ruled by her father, Wenwu. Rather than dismantle the Ten Rings, as she's supposed to do, Xialing has rebuilt it. Her rule over the ancient organization may be the focus of a new Disney+ series.
While most Marvel Cinematic Universe fans expected to see Xialing and the Ten Rings in a Shang-Chi sequel, a new report suggests there are other plans in store. Scooper Daniel Richtman, also known as DanielRPK, seemingly revealed that a Ten Rings series is in development at Disney+ with Zhang's Xialing as the series lead.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton recently talked about the shocking post-credits scene and what it means for Xialing and the Ten Rings going forward. "There is a line in the middle of the movie where she tells Katy that if her dad won't let her into his empire, she's going to build her own," he explained. "So, to see her sit on that throne and redefine it in a way that is uniquely hers is very exciting."
The scene naturally leads into further exploration, as Xialing seems to have finally secured everything she's wanted. Whether that exploration is done through a series or a sequel, however, remains to be seen. Either way, it's clear Xialing's story and anger toward her brother, Shang-Chi, are both far from over.
For Marvel Studios, its Disney+ series have become a way to expand upon the Marvel Cinematic Universe outside of film. This past year saw the release of WandaVision, which explored Wanda's grief over losing Vision and how it impacted those around her; Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which followed Sam Wilson as he came to terms with the Captain America legacy, before taking up the mantle himself; Loki, which of course, saw the mischievous trickster and his variant unleash the multiverse; and Season 1 of What If...?, which fleshed out the multiverse across its nine episodes.
Should the rumor of a Ten Rings series with Zhang's Xialing prove to be true, it would serve as the latest series built on supporting characters, such as Echo and, most recently, the Agatha Harkness spinoff from WandaVision. Echo is well into development, while the Agatha Harkness series still looks to be in the early stages.
Source: Patreon, via MCU Direct