Iron Man 3's best character will reportedly return in Shang-Chi


The upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings movie recently premiered, and with it came the news that one major MCU character looks set to return. If you couldn’t tell by the picture above, it’s Sir Ben Kingsley. An actor who has a somewhat spotty past with the MCU.

Kingsley was spotted at the premiere of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings last night(August 16). Kingsley is better known as the original/fake Mandarin Trevor Slattery in Iron Man 3. While it has not been officially announced that Kingsley will reprise the role, several leaks from stills of the film confirm his appearance.

Shang-Chi Leak

Stills of the final battle appeared online a few weeks ago, confirming Kingsley's appearance in Shang-Chi. The stills showed Kingsley aka Slattery, alongside several other villains, confirming his return. It’s unknown how Slattery will affect the story’s narrative, but we can likely assume he is up to no good.

The official Shang-Chi Twitter account also confirmed Slattery’s return in a roundabout way. Posting images of the actor with fans at the premire of the film yesterday. Those two aspects together pretty much confirm Kingsley is certainly in the film.

Read more: Johnny Depp discusses Hollywood boycott amidst Amber Heard’s ongoing success

Kevin Slattery 

Kingsley will reprise his role as Kevin Slattery, an actor who portrayed the Mandarin in Iron Man 3. Fans were critical of the reveal in Iron Man 3 initially, with many believing the twist ruined the movie. Shang-Chi could be a chance for Marvel to redeem the character by reintroducing him to the MCU. A Marvel short released in 2014 showed the character was still alive, although imprisoned. Shang-Chi will probably provide some detail on how Slattery ended up back in the fray. 

Kingsley’s portrayal of a drunken actor in over his head could be there to provide comedic relief, or he may have a deeper connection to the plot. We’re likely to find out more in the coming weeks as details about the film’s plot start to leak online and when the film releases on September 3 in America. It will have a 45-day window of exclusivity in the cinema, before Disney+makes it available through Premiere Access like Black Widow. 

Read more: Disney abandoned planned Deadpool short film

For more articles like this, take a look at our News page.