Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the Marvel Cinematic Universe's next theatrical release and features the Mandarin -- the real one, that is -- as its main antagonist alongside his terrorist group, the Ten Rings. But this isn't the Ten Rings' first appearance in the MCU, with the organization having shown up in the franchise as far back as the first Iron Man movie in 2008.
The Ten Rings isn't the only thing making a re-appearance, as a few other returning MCU characters are also joining the party. But fans still have time to prepare for Shang-Chi's big screen debut by rewatching the following MCU titles, all of which are relevant to Legend of the Ten Rings' plot in one way or another.
Iron Man Trilogy
The first Iron Man movie introduced the Ten Rings as a terrorist organization that kidnapped Tony Stark to force him to build his new Jericho missiles for them. Tony later escaped, and the faction that kidnapped him was taken out by Obadiah Stane, though the larger group lived on. Although they make a much shorter appearance, the Ten Rings also appear in Iron Man 2. After completing his Whiplash armor, Ivan Vanko is given a ticket to a racing event by a Ten Rings agent. Though not willing to directly engage Tony at the time, the Ten Rings still considered him an enemy and were happy to help others try to kill him.
Iron Man 3 finally introduced MCU fans to The Mandarin, or at least a pretend version of him played by Trevor Slattery. Trevor was hired by Aldrich Killian to play the Mandarin in order to trick the American public into believing the Ten Rings was behind a series of attacks. While the actual Ten Rings failed to make an appearance, Trevor kept their horrifying message alive even as a fake Mandarin.
Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King
Trevor Slattery's story doesn't end in Iron Man 3. The fake Mandarin is set to reappear in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, giving all the more reason to watch this MCU one-shot. Following his performance as the Mandarin, Trevor was sentenced to prison and incarcerated at Seagate Penitentiary in All Hail the King. Many of the inmates were actually fans of Trevor and showed him a great deal of respect inside the prison.
Unfortunately for Trevor, his rise to fame came with some negatives as well. The Mandarin was not pleased with Trevor's portrayal of him, and he sent a Ten Rings agent into the prison disguised as a reporter interested in interviewing Trevor. The agent successfully captured Slattery, meaning he'll likely re-appear as a prisoner of the Ten Rings in the upcoming film. Unfortunately, unlike most other MCU content, this one-shot is not available on Disney+ and is a difficult find, only being available on the Thor: The Dark World Blu-ray.
The Incredible Hulk
The Ten Rings isn't the only returning antagonist in Shang-Chi, as a long-forgotten MCU villain finally makes a comeback. Abomination, originally known as Captain Emil Blonsky, appeared in The Incredible Hulk and was commissioned by General Thaddeus Ross to take the Hulk down. Blonsky was injected with an experimental recreation of the Super Soldier Serum, which gifted him with enhanced abilities but also physical deformities. Thirsting for more power, Blonsky radiated himself in gamma rays and transformed into the Abomination.
Considering his last live-action appearance was 13 years ago, Blonsky will be a welcome sight in Shang-Chi. So far, he's only been shown fighting against Wong in the trailer, meaning fans will have to wait and see if his appearance is more than just a brief cameo ahead of his role in She-Hulk.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange introduced wizards to the MCU, including the titular Doctor Strange's magical associate Wong. Wong devoted his life to studying the mystic arts and became a capable sorcerer by doing so. Eventually, he took over as Strange's mentor and attendant during Strange's tenure as the guardian of the New York Sanctum.
That makes his imprisonment in the fighting arena displayed in the Shang-Chi trailer all the more interesting. Wong can certainly hold his own, leading fans to wonder how the Master of the Mystic Arts got himself captured. The assistant to the Sorcerer Supreme is in for a tough fight against the Abomination, but hopefully, his magical skills will help him come out on top.
To see how all these projects tie back into the MCU, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings releases in theaters on Sept. 3.