Marvel’s latest movie Shang-Chi has been a hit ever since it started showing at theaters, and just like every other MCU masterpiece, it features tons of Easter eggs, or hidden surprises, that you probably didn’t catch the first time round. Here are all the secret details that you may have missed.
1. Yang Li’s mask
The mask that Shang-Chi’s mother wears in that epic fight scene is more than just a mask. It features the face of a dragon, which is an emblem of her village Ta Lo, the place where the Great Protector dragon resides. Did you miss this foreshadowing moment in the poetic duel?
2. Shang-Chi’s posters
Posters, a big Easter egg in this film. First, we see the Kung Fu Hustle poster as well as a Warriors poster. Kung Fu Hustle was actually an influence for Shang-Chi, and the production designer explained that the posters were there to add as much personality to the garage apartment as possible.
3. Shoes outside Katy’s Grandma’s home
Some people may have been confused by the pile of shoes outside of Katy’s grandma’s house. When he takes them off outside the home before he enters, it’s to introduce audiences the Asian custom of taking your shoes off before going into the house.
4. Wenwu’s rings
As any Shang-Chi fan knows, Wenwu’s 10 rings are the source of his power. In the film, they look like martial arts training rings, which are worn by martial artists to strengthen themselves and improve their moves. However, in the comics, the rings are worn just like normal jewelry on your fingers, and each one has a specific power.
5. Nike Jordans make an appearance throughout the film
Shang-Chi’s superhero costume comes towards the end of the flick. It’s made out of magic-infused protective dragon scales, but there’s one aspect of his outfits throughout the movie that plenty of people missed: his love for Nike Jordans. Throughout the movie, he consistently wears these shoes — whether it was deliberate choice or not is still a mystery.
6. A new Ten Rings logo
The first appearance of the 10 Rings was actually used in Iron Man, but why are the logos different in that movie and this one? In Iron Man, the logo is a circle of rings that are interconnected, encircling crossed swords. Within each ring was a Mongolian inscriptions that each paid homage to a different tribe. However, the Mongolian government was not happy and sent a complaint to Marvel Studios for connecting Mongolia with a terrorist organization, hence the swap for Chinese script in Legend of the Ten Rings.
7. The man filming the fight on the bus scene
Although it’s certainly not the most memorable part of the battle between Razor Fist and Shang-Chi on the bus, there’s a key moment when a character known as Klev films the fight. The same character, both times played by Zach Cherry, also made an appearance as a street vendor in Spider Man: Homecoming who asked Spider Man to do a flip. Perhaps this reference in Ten Rings is after Klev moved from NY to San Francisco.
8. A Black Widow cameo
Here, we see another allusion to a famous Marvel character — Jade Xu makes an appearance in the fighting ring when she battled the Extremis man. Previously, Xu appeared in the Black Widow movie and was one of the widows who faced off against Scarlett Johansson in the film.
9. A mysterious relationship between Wong and Abomination
Although these characters face each other in the fighting ring, some information suggests that they’re not really enemies. After the fight finishes, Wong asks Abomination if he had practiced his fighting moves like they had previously talked about. This information means that the two have a good-natured relationship, although we don’t know much else about it.
10. Wenwu’s nicknames tied to Black Panther
Two of Wenwu’s most popular nicknames are “the most dangerous man on Earth” and “the warrior king,” both of which have links to another popular Marvel hero: Black Panther. These are both common nicknames for the Black Panther, and there was even a comic book run with the title “Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive”.
11. Morris is a mythical Chinese creature played by someone very famous
Morris isn’t made up — he’s a DiJiang, or a mythical Chinese beast featured in “Classic of Mountains and Seas”, a Chinese text on mythical creatures. Oh, and he’s voiced by famous voice actor Dee Bradley Baker, who has voiced a ton of characters, including Sebastian the Rat in The Suicide Squad. Daffy Duck and Tasmanian Devil in Space Jam, and Perry the Platypus in Phineas and Ferb.
12. The film is dedicated to its stunt coordinator
The movie was dedicated to Brad Allan, who passed away in August 2021. Brad was the stunt coordinator who helped choreograph and engineer all of the film’s most incredible action scenes. Allan also did work on Wonder Woman, Avatar, and many Jackie Chan movies.
