Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings revealed that the Ten Rings are sending a mysterious signal throughout the Multiverse - but who (or what) are they signaling? The MCU has reinvented the Ten Rings from the comics, transforming them into mysterious and powerful artifacts that were found by Wenwu, a.k.a. the Mandarin (Tony Leung) thousands of years ago. The final confrontation between Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and his father saw possession of the Ten Rings transferred to Shang-Chi, and they seemed to change their nature in some way, with their signature energy changing from an ominous deep blue to a fiery orange and yellow.
Shang-Chi's after-credits scene revealed that the Ten Rings are even more mysterious than they had initially seemed. According to Wong (Benedict Wong), at the moment Shang-Chi took possession of the Ten Rings in Ta Lo they began to emit a signal across the entire Multiverse, one that was even detectable in Kamar-Taj. Wong assembled the best minds of the world's superhero community – Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffal0) for his scientific knowledge and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) for her knowledge of space - but they too were unable to pinpoint the origin of the rings.
All Shang-Chi and the other MCU heroes can do is wait and see who or what responds to the signal being sent by the Ten Rings. In real life, however, the answer is actually pretty straightforward, according to the Marvel comics. Here are all the details on who the Ten Rings are most likely calling to in Shang-Chi's ending.
The Shang Chi Ten Rings Are Calling The Makluans, According To The Comics
Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton has strongly hinted that Shang-Chi’s Ten Rings are calling a dragon-like alien species called the Makluans. Speaking to ET, Cretton expressed surprise that viewers wouldn't know where this was going. "Really? If you look into the comics, if you watch that end-credit sequence, it's not," he began, before breaking off. "You don't have to dig very deep to at least point yourself in a direction." He's most likely alluding to the origin of the Ten Rings in the comics; they are technology originating from the Makluans, and each of the Ten Rings contains the soul of a long-dead cosmic warrior, trapped in an ethereal state. The Makluans are a race of dragon-like shapeshifters, the most famous of which is Fin Fang Foom, a classic Iron Man villain.
The really interesting question, though, is why the Ten Rings responded to Shang-Chi by switching allegiance and then sending a signal. It's likely something to do with Shang-Chi's character journey in the film, finding a place of balance within his heart. The power of the Ten Rings turned yellow and orange when worn by Shang-Chi, symbolic of power, royalty, and prosperity. Interestingly, a number of the creatures seen in Ta Lo are also associated with the rise of a benevolent ruler. Putting all this symbolism together, it's as though the Ten Rings recognized something in Shang-Chi's character that marked him as a potential ruler or destined for greatness - perhaps choosing him as a champion of the Makluans for some reason. The other interesting question is whether the Great Protector is itself a Makluan, given it would seem rather odd for the same franchise to introduce two species of dragonish creatures.
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The Shang-Chi Ending Beacon Could Be Calling Kang
While it seems most likely that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' end-credits scene points to the Makluans, one theory posits that the beacon is instead somehow connected to Kang the Conqueror. As the MCU's next Thanos-level threat, Kevin Feige and the Marvel creators are continuously reinforcing Kang's presence throughout Phase 4 after his debut as He Who Remains in Loki. Before he became an omnipotent timeline-hopping overlord, Kang was a human named Nathaniel Richards, a scientist from 31st century Earth. As a being with technological knowledge far beyond that of the MCU's 21st-century setting, as well as an all-powerful immortal, it would make sense if Kang were the originator of Shang-Chi's mysterious Ten Rings. Not only that, but given how Phase 4's other installments are also consistently building towards Kang's grand entrance, it would be a logical move on Marvel's part to have Shang-Chi 2 work him in. Note: One Look At The Artistically Gifted Coppola Family
Hopefully, it won't be long before Marvel announces Shang-Chi 2, which is sure to provide some answers to the beacon question. The new film's title may well give some clues, because Marvel's Phase 4 titles have been a lot more creative and unusual. As it stands, audiences likely won't have long to wait before more information about the signal sent by the Ten Rings in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and its impact on the Multiverse is revealed.
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