Even before the hero’s Marvel Cinematic Universe return, Marvel has revealed that Shang-Chi has received an incredibly exciting boost in power.

Marvel’s What If…? season 2, episode 7 has made Shang-Chi even more powerful than first thought ahead of his Phase 6 return. Despite not appearing physically since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021, the titular character’s return in the MCU’s upcoming Phase 6 slate has been highly anticipated. From Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings being counted among the best post-Endgame MCU films to the overly intriguing blend of Chinese mythology and martial artistry with MCU superheroics, Shang-Chi is a character whom audiences have wished to see more of.

The desire to see more Shang-Chi stories in the MCU was only emboldened as of What If…? season 2, episode 7’s ending as the installment delved into the world of Ta Lo once more. The episode centered on a branch of the MCU’s multiversal Yggdrasil tree in which Hela, Thor: Ragnarok‘s Goddess of Death, encountered Wenwu and the Ten Rings before utilizing both to break free of Odin’s ironclad grasp. Through this story, more details were divulged about the Ten Rings, providing Shang-Chi with a major power boost before his inevitable return in Phase 6 of the MCU.

What If…? Confirms Shang-Chi Can Kill GODS In The MCU

One of the biggest revelations about Shang-Chi found in What If…? season 2, episode 7 is that the Ten Rings can kill gods, including those found in Asgard. After Hela is banished to Earth, Heimdall warns Odin of the power of the Ten Rings. Asgard’s ever-loyal watcher alerts his King that the Ten Rings have the power to defeat gods as they come from a realm beyond Earth, prompting Asgard to invade Midgard to nullify this threat to Odin’s power.

This alone is an incredibly shocking detail, as the Ten Rings were mostly used to defeat fantastical albeit physical beings in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Neither Shang-Chi himself nor the Rings faced off with any godly beings in the Phase 4 movie, meaning What If…?‘s revelation about the weapons is game-changing. This makes Shang-Chi an even more powerful MCU hero than first thought, confirming that he possesses the abilities necessary to defeat various deities in the MCU should Phase 6’s stories require this of the character.

Shang-Chi Makes Phase 6’s Avengers Team Even More Powerful

While this reveal found in What If…? season 2, episode 7 is a big deal for the world of Shang-Chi, Ta Lo, and the Ten Rings, it also has big ramifications on Phase 6’s eventual Avengers team. While the team line-up for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars is yet to be confirmed in the MCU, it is highly expected that Shang-Chi will be part of the new iteration of the superhero team. However, despite Shang-Chi’s martial prowess, he was never expected to be a powerful heavy-hitter like Thor, Doctor Strange, or Captain Marvel.

That said, What If…? season 2, episode 7 has made it so that Shang-Chi is exactly this. The MCU’s Phase 6 Avengers team has now received an incredible power boost thanks to Shang-Chi and his Ten Rings. On top of the aforementioned heroes like Doctor Strange, Thor, and Captain Marvel, Shang-Chi will now be one of the Avengers’ most powerful heroes. This is without mentioning potential characters like Hulk, Scarlet Witch, or even Loki joining Phase 6’s Avengers team. Thanks to What If…? Season 2, episode 7, Shang-Chi has received a boost that grants him the power to defeat even the most godly of MCU characters.

Marvel’s What If…? season 2, episode 7 is now streaming on Disney+.