The Marvels may help solve the mysteries surrounding the legendary Ten Rings’ origins and their connection to the multiverse. The Captain Marvel sequel is still a ways away after its delay to November 2023, but that means Marvel has more time to better ensure it’s at its very best. A lot is riding on it, given the inconsistent critical reception to much of the MCU's Phase 4. However, The Marvels is set to be an exciting cosmic adventure, uniting Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan, and it may have big implications for other MCU projects.
One of the biggest mysteries The Marvels can answer as it examines the strange connection between its three titular heroes revolves around Kamala’s mysterious bangle. Theories and speculation abound as to their origin and role in the ongoing saga, and so, as the film reveals the truth, The Marvels may help unlock more of the MCU's multiverse. The Marvels' examination, discovery, and outcome won’t solely affect Carol, Monica, and Kamala’s stories going forward in the Multiverse Saga, but rather its impact may be felt throughout the MCU at large. More specifically, considering a popular theory, it could even reveal how Shang-Chi’s story may continue to unfold.
The Marvels Could Confirm How The Ten Rings Connect To Kamala's Bangles
Shortly following Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ introduction of the Ten Rings, theories developed around their origins and future purpose in the MCU. However, Ms. Marvel greatly altered those theories in light of Kamala’s bangle, and many fans quickly theorized a connection between the two. It goes beyond them being jewelry and the eerie similarities in their designs but more to the function they’ve served. The Ten Rings house untold power, which Shang-Chi was able to tap into and champion almost instantly, while the bangle literally unlocked Kamala’s mutation and new cosmic powers.
Both have unknown origins in the MCU but are connected to alternate dimensions in some way - Ta-Lo for the Ten Rings and the Noor Dimension for the bangle. As such, they both must serve some purpose in the expanding multiversal narrative on their own. However, doing so in concert with each other would be even more impactful. This all must be more than coincidence as Ms. Marvel essentially confirmed some sort of connection when Kamala’s great-grandmother, Aisha, discovered the bangle in a Ten Rings temple in India.
As The Marvels reveals more about the bangle, including introducing the other one as seems likely, it may in turn reveal more information about the Ten Rings, too. This doesn’t mean Shang-Chi will appear in The Marvels, although a post-credits stinger definitely isn’t out of the question. It may portend who or what the Ten Rings are acting as a beacon for, or even reveal them as a powerful link to traveling the multiverse just like the bangles might be. If any connection is confirmed in The Marvels, that would be a significant push forward in each of the heroes' stories and the Multiverse Saga at large.
Shang-Chi's Ten Rings Origins In The Comics Explained
In the MCU, almost nothing is known about the Ten Rings' origins besides the fact that Xu Wenwu discovered them a thousand years earlier. They granted him incredible strength and immortality, from which he became a ruthless warlord and founded the Ten Rings crime syndicate. Certainly, their exact origins will be revealed shortly, but this potential connection with Kamala’s bangle means they may diverge from the comics. Aptly, the Ten Rings debuted alongside the Mandarin in 1964’s Tales of Suspense #50 by Stan Lee and Don Heck, in which he fought against Iron Man for the first time. They are not simply rings but intricate and powerful pieces of technology.
They hail from the Makluans, a species of shape-shifting space dragons best recognized for the Iron Man villain, Fin Fang Foom. Given said connection, it seemed possible that the Ten Rings were calling out to Fin Fang Foom in a tease for Shang-Chi 2. Regardless, it was later in Tales of Suspense #64 that the rings’ clearest origins were revealed. They were brought to Earth by the Makluan explorer Axonn-Karr, who the Mandarin found in the mysterious Valley of Spirits. He became instantly transfixed with the alien technology and the mere potential of the power they might possess and how that could unlock a new life for him.
As in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the Mandarin used the rings to gain influence and began creating his own empire to rule. Intriguingly, however, there are no indicators in the film hinting at the Makluans or his discovery of the rings. With the Great Protector in the mix and everything else in the MCU, space dragons are not that alarming, so they could’ve laid some groundwork to show they’re adhering to the comics. Conversely, the mystery surrounding them rather suggests the opposite. There is more to their origins than meets the eye, which makes the theory connecting them to Kamala’s bangle all the more compelling.
The Marvels Could Set Up A Potential Shang-Chi 2
If the rings and bangles are connected, The Marvels could help subtly set up Shang-Chi 2. Currently, there is no official word as to Shang-Chi 2’s status, although development on the film was announced following Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ release. Considering other announcements, the current schedule, and how the MCU is building certain narratives, Shang-Chi 2 seems most likely to land a Phase 6 release. Regardless of where exactly it falls, this would mean it will be significant in setting-up Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, and so the Ten Ring’s connection to the multiverse becomes even more pertinent.
If this theory linking the Ten Rings and Kamala’s bangle together comes to fruition, that’s a good case for Ms. Marvel featuring in Shang-Chi 2. Including her can help the movie further examine such a connection and the heroes’ roles in the vast multiverse. Plus, it would unite two of the most likable and engaging characters introduced in Phase 4. This partnership may also be key to Shang-Chi forming his own team to fight back against the multiversal threats that could be coming in Shang-Chi 2 and beyond. Should The Marvels confirm the theorized connection, it can make Shang-Chi 2 even more important to the MCU.
