Finally, some vindication for “Iron Man 3.”

With 24 movies under their belt, Marvel super-producer Kevin Feige and company have come to realize the only way to make their less popular movies matter—and by “less popular,” I mean in the back half of movies as ranked by Rotten Tomatoes—is to connect them to something bigger. They made “Thor: The Dark World” essential to the plot of “Avengers: Endgame.”

And now they’ve made “Iron Man 3” matter in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

We’ll come back to that in a moment.

With a title that feels like Marvel’s attempt at a kung-fu version of “Lord of the Rings,” and a cast of Chinese actors including the legendary Tony Leung (“Hard Boiled,” “Chungking Express,” “The Grandmaster”), “Shang-Chi” is one of the franchise’s most ambitious films. Instead of focusing on an origin story about a hard luck hero, or a group of dysfunctional dynamos, “Shang-Chi,” delights with an outright epic fantasy that weaves superhero tropes into a tapestry of Chinese mythology.

As with all of Marvel’s movies, we are introduced to the relatable Shaun (Simu Liu), who spends his days working as a valet at an upscale San Franciscan hotel and his nights getting drunk and performing karaoke with his slacker BFF Katy (Awkwafina). They have a will-they-or-won’t-they energy made more frustrating by the fact that neither seems to have any ambition whatsoever, which is constantly brought to their attention by Katy’s traditional family.

Right around the time we should expect something to draw Shaun into the movie’s plot—something that imbues him with special gifts, or meeting a mentor who unlocks inner truths—we are treated to a big reveal: Shaun is actually Shang-Chi, a well-trained martial artist in hiding from his father and his father’s insidious terrorist organization, the Ten Rings. They have tracked Shang-Chi down and want plot stuff from him.

While I love MCU movies, I am seldom surprised by them. Like Katy, though, watching Shaun transform into Shang-Chi and start ripping into a band of bad guys on a city bus like Jason Bourne or Bruce Lee or Captain America ignited the cheering section in my heart.

From there, this thrill ride goes to some other unexpected places, and it is an absolute joy ride. Awkwafina, in particular, makes this one of Marvel’s finer efforts. Her chemistry with Liu is truly charming, even if at times it feels like we’re watching her movie instead of his. Not that I would mind. Katy is right up there with Korg (from “Thor: Ragnarok”) and Luis (from “Ant-Man”) as one of the best supporting characters in the MCU.

Now, back to “Iron Man 3.”

The greatest reveal in MCU history is still the moment—spoiler alert!—we discover the leader of the terrorist Ten Rings organization known as The Mandarin is a goofy old drunken white actor named Trevor. While some fans were angry because they wanted the stereotypical Chinese villain from the 1960s comic books, this reveal injected a freshness into what was an otherwise by-the-numbers superhero sequel. Yet, at the time it also felt like a throwaway idea, a way to get around offending Asian fans.

“Shang-Chi” both flips and deepens the script by bringing us into the world of the Ten Rings and introducing us to Shang-Chi’s father, Xu Wenwu, whose possession of the titular ten rings gives him incredible power and immortality. Wenwu is easily with Killmonger, Hel, and Thanos on the Mt. Rushmore of MCU villains. Leung brings his brand of badass soul to the power-hungry villain whose Achilles’ heel is a desire for love and family.

What makes “Shang-Chi” one of the highlights of the MCU to this point is that while it brings the superheroics and CG battle scenes, it is really grounded in character and family. This has been a running theme throughout all the MCU films, from “The Avengers” to “Guardians of the Galaxy,” but in “Shang-Chi” the idea of family also carries with it the weight of history, expectation, and legacy. These are not themes Feige and his crew have really sought to explore up until now, and with “The Eternals” on the horizon, here’s hoping they can dig even deeper.

If not, maybe they can work on vindicating “The Incredible Hulk.”