by After Kang the Conqueror‘s reign in the MCU was hinted to in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, executive Stephen Broussard hinted at a connection between the Multiversal villain and Shang-Chi and his rings.
The Multiverse keeps growing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 5 slate with Ant-Man 3, which introduces Keng the Conqueror‘s warrior variant before the antagonist becomes the next series’ ultimate bad guy.
Due to his knowledge of the Multiverse, Kang has already had an impact on a number of MCU characters, including Loki in both seasons of Ant-Man 3 and Loki, and he has the potential to have an even greater impact on future films like Deadpool 3 and Fantastic Four.
But, recently, fans have speculated about a different possible relationship between Keng and Shang-Chi, an early Phase 4 hero, based on some visuals used in Kang’s first full movie.
Kang/Shang-Chi Connection Theories Addressed by MCU Producer
Stephen Broussard, VP of Production & Development at Marvel Studios, spoke on the D23 Inside Disney podcast about a potential connection between Keng the Conqueror and Shang-rings Chi’s from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which have also been the focus of an MCU rumour.
Upon examining Kang’s energy sphere in Ant-Man 3, Inside Disney questioned how “some of the rings had writing on them” in comparison to the lettering on the Ten Rings.This relates to a recent rumour that claimed the Ten Rings and Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel bracelet were connected and would play a significant role in the Multiverse Saga.
This relates to a recent rumour that claimed the Ten Rings and Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel bracelet were connected and would play a significant role in the Multiverse Saga.
According to this hypothesis, they will serve as two of the connecting threads for the next Kang-centered MCU storyline, just like the Infinity Stones did for the Infinity Saga. As a result, many fans have made links between these artefacts and the rings that were visible using a lot of the technology available to Kang.
It’s “kind of a tricky question to answer,” Broussard said, adding that he doesn’t want to give away anything in case fans interpreted his remarks too literally:
“I wouldn’t read too much into it at this point. I’m afraid that’s kind of a tricky question to answer, because if I’m like, ‘Stay tuned,’ you might read more into that, you know? But, when we made ‘Quantumania,’ it was just about that.”
However, he denied any ties between the objects, making it clear that the task was to create“a standalone idea” for this movie rather than seeking out its potential connections to other things in the future:
“Any connectivity down the road, I can’t really speak to, because I don’t really know where that’s heading. But it’s a standalone idea for this more than whatever is in stage for another ‘Shang-Chi,’ should that happen, or ‘Kang Dynasty.’ It was purely the milieu of this movie.”
What Changes Will the MCU Make to Kang?
While it’s not yet obvious how Shang-Ten Chi’s Rings will affect Kang’s development later in the Multiverse Saga, anticipation is growing to see how Kang’s influence will grow to new heights throughout the Multiverse.
According to rumours, Shang-Chi will play a major role in Avengers 5, and the post-credits scene from his film raises a lot of questions about the Ten Rings’ history.
Since that Kang is also viewed as the main character of the upcoming Avengers movie, audiences should eventually learn more about the Ten Rings and their history, whether or not they choose to identify more strongly with Kang.
On May 2, 2025, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will make its theatrical debut. Disney+ is currently offering Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings for streaming.
