In the days following our screening of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, a good friend texted me with a question I hadn’t really thought about. Since the film is set primarily in San Francisco, why weren’t fellow west coast heroes such as Ant-Man and the Wasp on hand to help out? At least in a cameo?
Speaking with The Direct, producer Jonathan Schwartz says the idea of bringing in more San Fran superheroes was talked about, but ultimately decided against…
“We did talk about other characters who might make sense, both in San Francisco and elsewhere, so there are few different iterations [with] other folks who could have popped up,” he said. “I think there’s always a little bit of give and take there. But you know, the script evolved over time, into what it was, and ultimately we were telling Shang’s story, so I think we’re very happy with the version that ended up on screen.”
Probably a good idea. My thought was that Marvel Studios didn’t want to waste a contracted appearance by Paul Rudd or Evangeline Lilly, who already have Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania coming up. But they’re also right in that Shang-Chi is making his big MCU debut and the spotlight should be his. That said, a few familiar faces do show up, and of course, you already know to stick around through the credits.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will hit theaters tomorrow, September 3rd.
