The newest MCU film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, has given fans a lot of new information and has already tied the titular hero to some of the Avengers. The movie did an excellent job of introducing Shang-Chi and provided plenty of backstory without overloading fans or taking away from the main story.
While the movie was a masterpiece, in true Marvel fashion, it left plenty of things unanswered which are expected to be explained (hopefully) in future MCU properties. Some of the questions likely won't be answered until the Shang-Chi sequel - some may not even be answered at all - though a few questions appear to be steering the MCU towards its next major catastrophe.
10 Was Wenwu Genghis Khan?
It was heavily suggested that Wenwu was the ancient warlord known as Ghengis Khan, he even refers to himself as the great Khan at one point, but it is never outright confirmed. Coincidentally, Wenwu found the Ten Rings and came to power right around the time Ghengis Khan ruled over much of southeast Asia.
Loki was revealed to be D.B. Cooper and it's also heavily implied that the Eternals may have been the ancient deities from human mythologies. Wenwu portraying another significant historical figure in the form of the tyrannical Ghengis Khan isn't all that farfetched, especially considering the powers of the Ten Rings. However, until Marvel confirms one way or the other fans will just have to speculate.
9 Where Exactly Is Ta Lo Located & When Will We See It Again?
The mystery surrounding Ta Lo still remains even after much of the third act took place there. In the comics, Ta Lo is a realm of the gods and exists in a pocket dimension parallel to Earth, occupying the same space on a different plane. However, unlike Asgardians, the inhabitants of Ta Lo seem to be fairly simple people rather than godlike.
Fans learned of Ta Lo's significant and extensive history of sprawling cities and a sophisticated civilization before the Dweller-in-Darkness showed up and ruined everything. With such a longstanding history, it's possible Ta Lo could show up in The Eternals. Regardless, fans are certainly hoping to see Ta Lo again in the next Shang-Chi film, hopefully getting more information about the mystical and magical place.
8 How Do The Mystic Powers Of Ta Lo Work?
The people of Ta Lo are known to be imbued with some sort of mystic powers that appear to be similar to airbending from ATLA. Shang-Chi's mother was an expert with the powers but was seemingly forced to give them up when she decided to leave Ta Lo to marry Wenwu.
Shang-Chi seems to develop a connection to these powers after a brief encounter with the Great Protector, but it's never explicitly stated how one receives these powers or why they must surrender them upon leaving Ta Lo. Hopefully, in the Shang-Chi sequels, fans will learn more about these ancient powers and how important they may be in the greater MCU.
7 What's Going On With Abomination & Wong?
Fans knew that Wong and Abomination were going to throw down after seeing a snippet of their battle in trailer footage. However, after the fight, fans learn that the fight was fixed and it appears as though Wong and Abomination have done this many times before.
After Wong teases Abomination about not pulling his punches, he conjures a sling ring portal for Blonsky to return to what looks like a holding cell for the monster. Whether he's on The Raft or in another supermax government prison, there would likely be cameras on his cell so clearly, the people in charge of Blonsky (probably Ross) are in on the fights as well. Hopefully, the extent of their fake fights will be revealed in the future.
6 Where Did The Mystical Ten Rings Come From?
It was teased that Wenwu either found the Ten Rings in a tomb or in a crater, but that's all of the information fans get. In the comics, the Rings are creations of the Makluans (a race of space dragons) and are imbued with the spirits of cosmic warriors, giving each Ring its own unique power.
The mid-credits scene reveals that the Rings are much older than just 1,000 years old and Captain Marvel suggests they are unlike any alien-tech she has seen before. Given the importance surrounding the Rings, fans may actually get to learn about where these cosmic and mystical weapons came from fairly soon.
5 What More Are The Ten Rings Capable Of?
The Ten Rings are incredibly powerful, ancient artifacts, giving their wielder immortality, super strength, and the ability to project energy blasts and forcefields. However, in the comics, each of the Ten Rings is imbued with the spirit of an ancient and powerful warrior, giving each Ring a unique and powerful ability.
Perhaps, now that the Rings belong to a worthy user, they may reveal their other powers to Shang-Chi as he needs them. Or, they may not have any additional powers other than simply acting as a beacon for a potential threat. However, considering the Rings change color based on the wielder, it's possible Wenwu was limited with the Rings since he was using them for immoral purposes.
4 What Are Xialing's Intentions With The Ten Rings Organization?
After the Dweller-in-Darkness is defeated, Xialing is tasked with dismantling the Ten Rings organization. The end-credits scene shows her in her childhood bedroom, removing decorations from the wall. However, fans quickly realized that she is not dismantling the organization, she is growing it, fairly quickly.
Not only does Xialing give the compound a complete makeover, but she also incorporates women into the ranks, and brings in Jon Jon to help with her new endeavors. It's unclear if Xialing is aiming to protect or invade, but either way, fans are hoping for a more elaborate fighting competition among MCU brawlers under Xialing's supervision.
3 Why Is Bruce Banner A Human Again?
While Shang-Chi is the focus of the film, the mid-credits scene does an excellent job of tying Shang-Chi and Katy into the world of the Avengers with a meeting between them, Wong, Captain Marvel, and a fully human Bruce Banner. While the actual discussion of the Rings is important, fans can't help but wonder why Bruce is a human again.
The last time fans saw Banner, he was in his merged form with a significant injury. One would think that Banner would re-enter the Hulk form to heal faster, but instead, fans are greeted by a fully human (and slightly aged) Bruce Banner. Fans are certainly hoping the answer to this question comes during She-Hulk.
2 Will Captain Marvel's Emergency Lead To Something Bigger?
During the meeting with the other Avengers, Captain Marvel excuses herself to address an urgent matter somewhere in the vast expanse of space. While this is glossed over with a joke from Banner, fans are curious if this emergency could be something more.
The cliffhanger of Thor: Ragnarok is picked up immediately at the beginning of Infinity War, so it's not unreasonable to assume that whatever emergency Carol had to take care of could be setting the stage for another MCU property. Given the assumed timeline of Shang-Chi, it's unlikely Carol is setting up Avengers 5, but she could be setting up her own sequel or perhaps other significant MCU events.
1 What On Earth (Or Off Earth, More Likely) Is The Beacon Signaling?
The Avengers' pow wow at the end of Shang-Chi is a result of the Rings activating a beacon after Shang-Chi uses them to defeat the Dweller-in-Darkness. Wong, Bruce, Carol, Katy, and Shang-Chi discuss the potential origins of the Rings as well as what the activated beacon could be signaling.
Many fans have theorized that this beacon could be signaling interdimensional beings such as Shuma-Gorath, Nightmare, Mephisto, or even Chthon, the author of the Darkhold from WandaVision. Regardless of who or what it's signaling, the answer could potentially be revealed in the next Dr. Strange or Spider-Man movie. Of all of the questions on this list, "what is the beacon signaling?" is the most likely question to be answered, considering it appears to be foreshadowing a massive MCU threat.