The MCU has introduced many powerhouse heroes since it launched in 2008. Some heroes fight with technology, such as Iron Man and War Machine, while others fight with supernatural powers, such as the Asgardian Thor, or martial arts, such as the new hero Shang-Chi. These two heroes are real standouts.
Thor and Shang-Chi have not yet crossed paths in the MCU, but they might someday, and they would realize that they actually have a lot in common as fellow superheroes. These two heroes do have their differences, but they have a lot of overlap too, and not just because they are both superheroes in a world filled with villains and monsters. Just how similar are Thor and Shang-Chi?
10 THEY ARE SIMILAR: Thor & Shang-Chi Have Father Issues
It's almost a running joke that many MCU heroes have father issues, such as Star-Lord/Peter Quill being at odds with Ego the living planet or Tony Stark having unresolved issues with his inventor father, Howard. Thor and Shang-Chi have since joined the club, too.
Thor and his royal father Odin were sometimes at odds, and Odin was the one who sent Thor to Earth to teach him some humility. Shang-Chi, meanwhile, clashed with his overbearing father Wenwu, the bearer of the Ten Rings. Families in the MCU can be tough.
9 THEY ARE DIFFERENT: Thor Is Superhuman As An Asgardian
Shang-Chi and his father may be powerful fighters, but they are perfectly human, while Thor is another matter entirely. Thor is a native-born Asgardian, a humanoid deity who is far tougher and longer-lived than mere mortals. The same is true of Odin, Heimdall and Frigga, among others.
Being an Asgardian is a matter of pride to Thor, and to him, Earth is simply Midgard, one of nine realms on the world-tree Yggdrasil. That gives him a very different perspective than Shang-Chi, to whom the Earth is everything.
8 THEY ARE SIMILAR: They Represent Unique Cultures
A number of MCU characters are distinct and likable because they are emblematic of many real-life cultures and civilizations, such as Black Panther's positive presentation of African peoples as a whole. Thor and Shang-Chi are richly flavored with culture too, setting them apart from heroes like Iron Man and Rocket Raccoon.
Thor and his kin are based on Norse mythology, from their accents and outfits to their mystic realm of Asgard and their references to Norse paganism. Everyone likes Vikings, after all. And Shang-Chi is the MCU's first major representation of traditional Chinese culture, and the same is true of his family, too.
7 THEY ARE DIFFERENT: Thor Has A Lover, Jane Foster
Not all MCU characters are looking for love, but when they find it, they may become very happy and content, and they gain something new worth fighting for. Tony Stark got together with Pepper Potts, for example, and Captain America's heart belongs to Peggy Carter. But what about Thor and Shang-Chi?
Thor met and fell in love with Jane Foster, a smart and brave human woman who may one day assume the mantle of Thor herself. Shang-Chi, though, has yet to find a lover. His female friend, Katy Chen, was platonic in the Shang-Chi movie. No real sparks between them.
6 THEY ARE SIMILAR: They Inherit Powerful Artifacts For Battle
Many powerful artifacts and weapons can be found across the MCU, with some being built in factories and others being ancient relics made by who knows what. Thor and Shang-Chi both have incredible artifacts on hand, those being the hammer Mjolnir and the Ten Rings, respectively.
Thor may not be the God of Hammers, but he does love Mjolnir, and he needs that hammer to smash apart his foes, such as Frost Giants and Thanos' armies. Shang-Chi, for his part, inherited all ten Rings from his father and wielded them like a pro, greatly boosting his effectiveness in battle. They are his to treasure forever.
5 THEY ARE DIFFERENT: Shang-Chi Is Familiar With Earth's Life & Customs
Shang-Chi and Thor have both spent time on Earth, but to Shang-Chi, this is home, and to Thor, it's more like a vacation. Shang-Chi, being fully human, was born and raised on Earth, including China and San Francisco, and he's probably not too eager to abandon the normal life he has built for himself.
Thor is more used to life on Asgard, an ethereal place of Norse-inspired landscapes, and Earth is simply weird to him. No one rides horses, for example, and smartphones are a hassle. In anime terms, Thor is a reverse-isekai hero, and he needs tour guides like Jane to help him around.
4 THEY ARE SIMILAR: Thor & Shang-Chi Are Connected To Mystical Realms
Shang-Chi may not be a reverse-isekai hero like Thor, but he still has a connection to a mystical realm that normal people cannot visit or even know about. His family has a link to the pre-industrial, magical realm of Ta Lo, and his aunt lives there. It's not easy visiting that place, but Shang-Chi and his companions managed it.
Thor, of course, has a strong connection to the realm of Asgard, and only authorized guests will be allowed to visit via the Bifrost and get Heimdall's approval to visit. Asgard and Ta Lo have their differences, but they're both magical and wondrous compared to ordinary Earth life.
3 THEY ARE DIFFERENT: Thor Can Use Lightning
Thor and Shang-Chi both use mystic artifacts to fight, but Thor has an extra weapon: the power of lightning. After all, he is the God of Thunder, not hammers, and Shang-Chi would be envious if he saw Thor in action with all his electric powers on full display.
With or without Mjolnir, Thor can deliver powerful lightning attacks on his enemies, and this allows him to wipe out entire platoons of enemy forces at a time, or simply knock out a single, stronger foe. Shang-Chi can't do anything like that.
2 THEY ARE SIMILAR: They Have Issues With A Sibling
Not only do Thor and Shang-Chi have troubles with a father, but they also have some family drama with a sibling. In Shang-Chi's case, he and his younger sister Xu Xialing have a tense relationship, since Shang-Chi vanished for years, leaving Xialing all alone. Their familial bond is slowly healing, though.
Thor, meanwhile, has clashed with his foster brother Loki for years, and it doesn't help that Loki, by nature, is a scheming trickster who has allied with Thanos and faked his death more than once. Thor was terribly frustrated that their brotherly bond couldn't be healthier.
1 THEY ARE DIFFERENT: Thor Isn't An Assassin
Thor and Shang-Chi are both well-trained for combat, either bare-handed or with weapons. But their training is not identical. Thor is more adept at generic brawling and using Mjolnir, while Shang-Chi's training, and Xialing's secret training, was for assassination work in particular.
Shang-Chi knows how to use martial arts and stealth to take down specific enemy targets with ease, and his father has sent him on assassination missions before. Even as a teenager, Shang-Chi knew how to subtly kill someone, while Thor is more used to making a big racket with his hammer and lightning.