Of the 35 movies in the MCU‘s roster, there is one glaring installment that needs a sequel as soon as possible, and I can’t believe it’s taken this long. With the MCU’s Multiverse Saga being so divisive, the franchise could certainly benefit from leaning on its biggest successes. The most successful franchises in the MCU typically have a relatively regular release schedule, with two years separating each installment of the MCU’s Spider-Man movies, for instance – though 2026’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day will admittedly break this trend.

Nevertheless, a fourth Spider-Man movie has at least been confirmed, while other successful MCU characters have not been afforded such certainty. I think that the Multiverse Saga has significantly hampered these production schedules as it continues to debut a deluge of new characters like Ironheart and the Eternals, padding the franchise out with characters that also need further development. With that in mind, one of the newer characters in the MCU is more in need of a sequel than any other, which I think is justified by an incredibly positive reception.

The MCU’s Movie Roster Has Some Very Varied Reviews, Especially In Recent Years

MCU Phase 5 Is Suffering The Most

The MCU’s Multiverse Saga is currently stuck in an unfortunate cycle, where each well-received installment is followed by a less well-received one. This was recently continued by the divisive Captain America: Brave New World, which followed the widely celebrated ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, meanwhile, was preceded by the MCU’s biggest box office flop, The Marvels, which additionally earned mixed reviews (though I found it to be very enjoyable). This trend is perfectly illustrated by the Multiverse Saga’s scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

This information additionally reveals a general downturn in generally positive receptions to the MCU’s recent installments. The MCU hasn’t broken 80% since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, while MCU Phase 5 has delivered two movies beneath 50%, a realm previously occupied solely by Eternals. Spider-Man: No Way Home is the best-rated MCU movie of the Multiverse Saga so far, but its place in the upper echelons isn’t exactly lonely, as another MCU Phase 4 movie scored almost just as highly, yet still hasn’t been bequeathed a sequel.

Shang-Chi’s Place In The MCU’s Movie Ranking Reinforces The Idea It Needs A Sequel Sooner Rather Than Later

Audiences Rank Shang-Chi More Highly Than Spider-Man

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was widely celebrated, boasting just one point less than Spider-Man: No Way Home for critics, and surpᴀssing No Way Home by a single point with audiences. It’s no wonder, as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was an exciting, fresh, and optimistic installment that debuted a particularly compelling new MCU superhero. Nevertheless, despite fans clamoring for one since its release, the movie is yet to have a sequel confirmed, and it doesn’t look likely before Avengers: Doomsday lands in May 2026.

I can only think that the reason behind Shang-Chi’s lack of a sequel is down to money. Spider-Man is one of the MCU’s most consistently bankable characters, with Spider-Man: No Way Home raking in $1.9 billion worldwide to become the MCU’s third-highest-grossing movie. Shang-Chi, meanwhile, earned a respectable but comparatively paltry $430 million worldwide. Still, with Shang-Chi being a new character yet making such a good impression right away, I think the MCU needs to seriously consider keeping the character at the forefront of the MCU zeitgeist and deliver a sequel as soon as possible.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Created by

Kevin Feige

First Film

Iron Man

Upcoming Films

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, Blade (2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Avengers: Secret Wars

First TV Show

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Upcoming TV Shows

Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Ironheart, Daredevil: Born Again, Wakanda, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Marvel Zombies, Wonder Man, Vision Quest

Cast

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Brie Larson, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Simu Liu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, Ma Dong-seok, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Jonathan Majors

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Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday

  Release Date

  
  May 1, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  Release Date

  
  July 31, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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Source: Rotten Tomatoes