Phase 5 of the MCU has begun with “Ant-Man 3.” But it isn’t going as Marvel Studios, or their fans would have hoped for. The Paul Rudd-starring film has sunk below 50% on the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregate site, and discussions surrounding the film are not all positive. However, this is just the beginning, and there are more films to come. One of them is “Shang-Chi 2.” After having no concrete confirmation about whether it is in development or not, there are now rumors about its title as well as its connection to the next Avengers film.
The Leaked Title Of ‘Shang-Chi 2’
As per rumors and various insiders, “Shang-Chi 2” is titled “The Wreckage of Time.” Also, the movie is supposed to lead into “Avengers: Kang Dynasty.” The title has fascinated fans, who have various theories about it. Many think that the ten rings of the titular character are connected to Kang. After all, the post-credits scene of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” showed Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner discussing the origins of the rings.
Both of them didn’t have any clue about where it could have come from. But they said that the rings had sent out a signal. For a long time, there was speculation about who was at the receiving end of that signal. Now, fans think that Kang is the one who has received it. After all, the circular or ring motif is overwhelmingly associated with Kang. We saw He Who Remains in a room with a circular window, and when he explained about universes and timelines, it was all depicted as rings.
But perhaps the best visualization of this was shown in “Ant-Man 3.” In the film, Kang uses a circular hover pad to travel, and everything in his machine, from the seat to the engine, is circular. Not to mention the fact that the city he rules over has a circular design as well. The circular motif represents the eternal nature of time, and as such, it being associated with Kang is of no coincidence.
So Shang-Chi’s ten rings could also be connected to him. It might even be a remnant of the first multiversal war since the rings have existed for thousands of years. It’s interesting that the rings also gave Shang-Chi’s father, Xu Wenwu, immortality as long as he was wearing them. This is a tech or magic that we haven’t seen in the MCU till now. Till now, the only ones who are immortal in the MCU are gods like Thor. So those rings may belong to someone beyond time and space, like Kang.
Tying all of it together is the title of the sequel. “The Wreckage of Time” could refer to Kang finally wreaking havoc on the timeline, and we might even get to see how the rings ended up on earth. If this indeed turns out to be true, then it will be a stark departure from the comic book storyline of the Ten Rings. In the comics, the rings belong to a dragon-like alien race called Axonn-Karr.
These aliens belonged to the Maklu-IV planet and used the rings to power their spacecraft for interstellar travel. But Marvel Studios may decide to keep some aspects of the comic book origin. Some fans are speculating that the Kang, who originally owned the rings, could have belonged to the alien dragon race. After all, in the post-credits scene of “Ant-Man 3,” we saw a Skrull Kang. So obviously, Kang from different worlds and races exists.
‘Shang-Chi 2’ – Connected To ‘Doctor Strange 3’?
Apart from “Shang-Chi 2” leading into “Avengers: Kang Dynasty,” there are rumors about the film also being connected to “Doctor Strange 3.” For a long time, we have been hearing rumors about “Doctor Strange 3” as well as a TV show based on the Strange Academy comics being fast-tracked at Marvel Studios. It was speculated that this was because magic was going to play a major role in defeating Kang.
Now, there’s a fresh rumor that says “Shang-Chi 2” will bring back the villain of the first “Doctor Strange” film, Dormammu. The being beyond time is reportedly going to come back in the Simu Liu-led film. If that happens, then the title, “The Wreckage of Time,” will make more sense. After all, Dormammu is a being who exists beyond the constraints of time. In fact, the only reason Doctor Strange was able to escape from Dormammu was that he kept reversing time and coming back.
As such, it will be interesting to see if Dormammu will be a pawn in Kang’s game to conquer time or if he will be a thorn who will stand up to Kang. Also, Dormammu’s dimension might be the only place where our heroes can seek shelter because it is beyond time and thus beyond Kang’s control. The possibilities and speculations are endless. But we should ideally wait for an official word from Marvel Studios or Disney before jumping to conclusions. “Avengers: Kang Dynasty” releases on May 2, 2025.