'Shang-Chi' Star Meng'er Zhang Wants a Xialing Spinoff Series on Disney+ (Exclusive)

By Michael Hein

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now available on Disney+, and star Meng'er Zhang hopes it won't be the last time she is featured on the streaming service. In an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com about the home video release, Zhang said that she has heard fans' hopes for her character's future. She admits after all the fan fervor, she is hoping Xu Xialing could get a spinoff of some kind as well.

Zhang admitted that she has seen social media's reactions to Shang-Chi — particularly to her character, Shaun's (Simu Liu) sister, Xu Xialing. "I also read a lot of comments and posts from fans that they are asking for [a] Disney+ show for Xialing. I mean, I want that too! I love that idea, because I think Xialing has a lot more for us to explore, and the 10 Rings organization – now she's the new leader right now. What's going on next? Right?!"

Zhang is not alone — starting in early October, chatter among fans turned into rumors that Marvel Studios was developing a spinoff series centered around Xialing as the leader of the Ten Rings. The "rumor" is tenuous, and Marvel Entertainment has not announced anything official, but it still led to plenty of chatter on social media.

"Can we actually have a martial arts tournament this time??? Then we can have introductions to cool marvel characters," one commenter proposed on Reddit. Another added: "If Marvel irons out the kinks in the D+ shows, it will be the best thing to ever happen to the MCU. The fact that Agatha, Xialing, and others are getting time to explore their own stories is incredible and will make the subsequent movies better. Starting Shang-Chi 2 with a stronger set of characters will automatically give it a huge boost. Speaking of Shang-Chi, he's gotta make an appearance here right?"

For those that need a refresher, Xialing took control of the Ten Rings organization from her father, Wenwu at the end of the movie in one of the most flamboyant post-credit scenes in MCU history. It even included a title card reading: "The Ten Rings will return." While Shaun himself seems to be gravitating towards the Avengers, there is plenty for his sister to do with a global espionage network.

As for Zhang herself, taking the lead in a TV show would be a huge step for the actress after her meteoric rise to the A-list. Zhang studied theater acting and stage design for years in China and Russia, and only found her way into the cast of Shang-Chi through a blind casting call. The actress is eager for any future opportunities the MCU can throw at her.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is streaming now on Disney+, and is also available on Blu-ray and DVD with a whole host of special features. So far, there have been no official announcements about a spinoff, or even a direct sequel for Shang-Chi.

Perfect for the holiday season, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is available Nov. 30 at participating retailers, including Best Buy who is selling the DVD ($19.99), Blu-ray ($24.99) and 4K UltraHD With Blu-ray ($29.99). PopCulture nor ViacomCBS are responsible for prices subject to change.

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