It's official. We have a Shang-Chi. Simu Liu will star as Marvel's Master of Kung-Fu in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The casting was announced Saturday afternoon at Marvel's highly anticipated Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, in which the studio announced continuing plans for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The cast of Shang Chi will also include Awkwafina and Tony Leung. Exclamation points!
Liu, who hails from Toronto, is best known for playing Jung on the hit Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, which recently wrapped its fourth season. He's also had various guest starring and recurring roles on Taken, The Expanse, Blood and Water, Fresh Off The Boat, and several Wong Fu films, among others.
And if you're wondering if Simu's got the moves to play Shang Chi, yeah, he's got the moves.
Just announced in Hall H at #SDCC, Marvel Studios’ SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, with Simu Liu, Awkwafina and Tony Leung, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. In theaters February 12, 2021. pic.twitter.com/VXaqJ5uN6B
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 21, 2019
Created in 1973 by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin in a thinly-veiled attempt to cash in on the martial arts movie boom, Shang-Chi is the Master of Kung Fu. He has no superhuman abilities; he's just really really really good at kicking ass. Originally introduced as a son of the pulp villain Fu Manchu, his origin was later reinterpreted as the son of ancient Chinese sorcerer named Zheng Zhu. I'm curious to see how a contemporary re-telling of the Shang-Chi story integrates him into the larger established Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Shang-Chi movie, set for release on February 12, 2021, will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, from screenplay by David Callaham. There are presumably more roles to cast, so hopefully we'll get to see a lot more Asian American (and Canadian) talent added to the ensemble.
