Awkwafina Could Have a Very Bright Future in the MCU After Starring in 'Shang-Chi'

At the heart of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is Shang-Chi’s best friend, Katy. Awkwafina portrays the character with humor and heart, bringing that dose of comic relief we have come to expect from MCU movies. While in most Marvel movies, we have an idea of where the characters are headed based on their comic book counterparts, there’s really no roadmap for Katy.

We have no way of knowing for certain what will come in Awkwafina’s future, but we do know that she has one. Based on the post-credits scene in Shang-Chi, it’s safe to assume that we’ll see Katy again. But will Awkwafina become a superhero?

In the post-credits scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Wong (Benedict Wong) pulls Katy (Awkwafina) and Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) out of San Francisco. The trio then virtually meets with Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson).

Although it’s not explained why Wong wants Katy to come along — whether as continued emotional support for Shang-Chi or as her own heroic self — it’s clear that she’s going to be in the MCU’s future.

We Got This Covered reports that there are rumors “that Awkwafina will be back for more appearances as Shang-Chi’s friend Katy Bashir.” Even Awkwafina has some ideas about her Marvel future.

“I have no idea what we can expect in the future. I think the mind is kind of left to wonder after you watch the movie,” she told Digital Spy. “But I will say that I would like to see her not without Shang-Chi. I think that their friendship is really important for each of them individually.”

From what we see in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Awkwafina’s character, Katy, has all the makings of a future hero. She is an expert driver who goes on wild driving sprees throughout the movie — most essentially when she takes Shang-Chi and his sister to Ta Lo. Once in Ta Lo, Katy wants to make herself useful as more than a sidekick, and she takes up archery.

Michelle Yeoh, who plays Shang-Li’s Aunt Ying Nan, ruminated that all the main women of Shang-Chi have remarkable abilities, Katy included. “We're strong, we're independent, and we're smart,” she told Marvel. “We have abilities, and we won't allow anybody to tell us any differently.”

Many Marvel aficionados have discounted Katy Bashir as a human friend and not a supernatural sidekick, but there are still a lot of possibilities for Katy’s future in the MCU. Her name actually does come from the comic books. Katy and Timothy Bashir are the aliases of the hero, Apex, who appears in several Avengers comic books.

Apex’s powers include switching identities between Katy and Tim. Katy and Tim share one body, which can be a bit complicated to portray on-screen, so Shang-Chi opted to only introduce Katy.

Regardless, Katy could be our first foray into an MCU Apex. For one, Apex’s powers also include technopathic abilities, meaning that they can control and manipulate machines, not unlike a superhuman version of Katy’s driving skills. In addition, Apex as Katy has master manipulation abilities, and Katy’s extreme empathy and loyalty in Shang-Chi could prove to be a very useful power in that realm.

Plus, now that Katy knows Bruce Banner, Captain Marvel, and Wong, she could easily be fitted with her own superhero getup and weaponry. After all, Avengers Black Widow and Hawkeye were both normal humans before they became superheroes. As we get deeper into the MCU’s Phase Four, all eyes are on Awkwafina.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now available to stream on Disney Plus.