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This is a story of a few tweets.
“Shang-Chi” star Simu liu was practically giddy with excitement as he posed on the red carpet outside the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood ahead of the world premiere of the first Marvel Studios-led superhero movie.
Hours before Monday night’s red carpet, Liu tweeted to his followers, asking them to “ask me a question so that I don’t start focusing on nerves, anxiety and insecurity.” The roller coaster of emotions is largely understandable given that acting in a Marvel movie is such a defining moment in any actor’s career. But the rising star from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada – best known for her role in “Kim’s Convenience” – kept the event’s utmost importance in mind.
“No pressure, right?” Liu joked, talking to Variety on the responsibility of being ‘the first’, adding, “It’s such an incredible honor. And I hope it’s not the last.
“Because we celebrated a lot of premieres in our community – when ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ came out three years ago, we celebrated it as the first studio film with a mostly Asian cast in almost 25 years.” Liu continued. “I look forward to the moment when we no longer celebrate premieres. We celebrate seconds, thirds, quarters and fifths. So I’ll take this moment for what it is. It is absolutely that defining moment. … But I hope there will be many more like this afterwards.
The time has long since come for Liu, who won the role after insolently tweeting to Marvel a few times about the role. Granted, Liu’s most famous tweet – “OK @Marvel, shall we talk or what #ShangChi” – wasn’t read by studio executives until after he’d already landed the role, but when it premiered from Monday evening, questions persisted on another social post.
Over the weekend, the actor appeared to take offense at Disney CEO Bob Chapek, saying the theatrical-only release strategy for “Shang-Chi” would be “an interesting experience” on a conference call. Thursday with investors. Despite growing concerns about COVID-19, the film, which debuts on September 3, will hit theaters for 45 days before launching on Disney Plus.
Apparently in response to Chapek’s comments, Liu tweeted, “We are not the experience. We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling breakers. We are the celebration of the culture and the joy that will endure after a difficult year. We are the surprise.
On the red carpet, Liu explained why he posted the message.
“I just wanted people to know how excited I was for this movie,” the actor said. “It was a difficult, difficult time for everyone. And, I think sometimes it’s so important to deliver messages that are just emotional. It’s raw.
He continued, “And it shows the world how much I and we all believe in this movie and how amazing it’s going to be. It’s really going to change the world.
Co-written and directed by Destiny Daniel Cretton, the film features a star-studded and almost exclusively Asian cast – with Liu and Awkwafina, with film legends Michelle Yeoh and Tony Leung, as well as Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Benoît Wong, Ronny Chieng, Andy Le, Jodi Long and Dallas liu. And because comic book fans like Liu himself have been waiting decades to see an MCU-centric Asian story, the actor is hopeful fans appreciate the breadth of the film’s themes.
“It’s a celebration of culture. It’s a celebration of the majority, ”Liu explained. “It’s also, by the way, some of the most incredible action sequences you’ve ever seen.” And because his superhero doesn’t wear a mask, armor, or cape, Liu notes, “What you see is what you get,” a phrase that also rings true for the actor himself.
After the film’s premiere, Liu took to Twitter again to share a recap of the evening, writing, “Truly a wonderful night that I will remember forever. My heart is filled with gratitude. I look forward to you. look at guys !! ”
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