Movies You Need To See To Understand Shang-Chi

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the first Phase 4 movie or TV show to focus on a new character, though it does have connections to past Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. It's taken Marvel Studios almost two decades to get Shang-Chi onto the big screen; it was one of the characters to be included in the studio's original loan when they were still developing all the Phase 1 movies. But despite the entire Infinity Saga coming and going, it wasn't until now that Shang-Chi finally happened - and with the right people both in front of and behind the camera.

The thing is, while Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a brand-new story, one that takes place an unexplored corner of the MCU (and Earth), there's a lot in the film that ties back to the MCU's past, particularly the very beginning. Given how expansive the franchise has become and just how groundbreaking it's been for Hollywood, it's rewarding to watch every MCU movie (either in release or chronological order). However, that would be quite an undertaking for newcomers, seeing as 24 movies have released prior to Shang-Chi, with more than a dozen still incoming.

Still, there are specific films audiences can watch ahead of Shang-Chi to not only understand the backstory for the main villains but also some side characters. Furthermore, there's a general thematic throughline that goes from the first MCU movie, Iron Man, to its most recent, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.