Shang-Chi: Former Marvel star ‘spoils’ cameo role in new MCU movie by attending premiere

Actor hasn’t been seen in MCU for eight years

A Shang-Chi spoiler seems to have been revealed via the attendance of a celebrity guest at the premiere.

The new film, which stars Simu Liu, debuted in Los Angeles on Monday (16 August), with the film’s cast and crew walking the red carpet ahead of the screening.

However, a particular famous face was spotted posing for photos, which has all but confirmed a possible plot point in the film.

As photos surfaced online, Marvel fans were left convinced it marked the return of a former Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) character.

*Possible spoilers follow – you have been warned*

Those in attendance were surprised to see Ben Kingsley was at the premiere of Shang-Chi.

Kingsley previously appeared in Iron Man 3 (2013), playing a character initially believed to be The Mandarin.

However, it was eventually revealed that he was actually playing a British actor named Trevor Slattery, who had been employed to pretend to be the villain.

The Mandarin is yet to show up in the MCU, but will be in Shang-Chi and played by Tony Leung.

In the comics, he is a skilled martial artist whose primary sources of power are 10 rings that he adapted from the alien technology of a crashed space ship; Shang-Chi’s full title is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

How Kingsley could show up in the film remains to be seen, but his appearance at the film’s premiere seems to indicate he has some involvement with the movie.

Shang-Chi, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and co-starring Awkwafina, is released on 3 September.