Eternals has a clue to Shang-Chi’s post-credit scene, Marvel Phase 4

For years, there was only one answer to every dangling plot thread in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: “just wait until Thanos shows up in Avengers: Infinty WarPlease see the following: Avengers: Endgame.” But now, after much delay, Marvel Studios is finally weaving new material into its setting, with movies like EternalsAnd Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings

There’s little in Phase 4 to indicate precisely where all these new roads are leading. But in the spirit of the central promise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — that it’s all connected — let’s ask a pertinent question:

Wait a minute. What are the Ten Rings From? Shang-Chi Eternals technology?

Why I yelled “Shang-Chi’s post-credit scene!” while watching Eternals

Image: Marvel Studios

One of the two credits scenes is shown here Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings The film returned to the plot about the origins of the artifacts. Wenwu found the Ten Rings many thousands years ago, and the legend about that discovery has mutated. Which is to say, we don’t know exactly how he found them, and even he didn’t know who made them.

The end. Shang-ChiWe discover that even the Avengers cannot figure out the meaning of the Rings. They don’t match anybody’s experiences — not Bruce Banner’s scientific understanding, Wong’s magical expertise, or Carol Danvers’ knowledge of alien technology.

It’s very possible that what’s being teed up here is a reveal about the wider story of Shang-Chi — after all, the Ten Rings have a very specific (and weird) origin in Marvel Comics. The rings may not be connected to any other Marvel Cinematic Universe-related items.

But EternalsThis certainly suggests that it may be a clue.

[Ed. note: The rest of this post contains spoilers for Eternals.]

Phastos enjoys giving technology to people

Image: Marvel Studios

Each Eternal is Eternals has their specialties, whether they’re tanks, healers, or a support class. Phastos is their resident engineer and is tempted to accelerate humanity’s technological advancement. One scene from the film EternalsHe suggests giving an engine with steam to people, but has to be persuaded to let them know that they can invent the plough instead.

The other key thing about Phastos, for the purposes of this speculation, is that his powers have a very specific look: spinning constructs of concentric circles that wind in and out of each other, contracting and expanding shapes all colored in the Eternals’ metallic gold.

This sure sounds like the expanding and shrinking, spinning and whizzing look of Shang-Chi’s Ten Rings. Given that the Eternals themselves are unknown to the Avengers, it’s not a stretch to imagine that no one on the team has encountered Celestial technology — and it would also explain why it’s not even similar to anything they’ve seen before. Phastos’ work is that much closer to raw manipulation of the very stuff of the cosmos. Maybe some of this work was what Wenwu found all those years back.

You could think it all is a coincidence. Cool movie detail: Since 1995, concentric CGI shapes have spun when actors wave their hands. Minority ReportThis is a. But remember the promise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: It’s all connected.

Marvel may also want to be connected Shang-ChiTo EternalsIt seems as if it’s paved the way.