Simu Liu is one of the young actors of Hollywood who is quickly rising to prominence with his role in box office hits movies. The actor recently rose to global prominence with the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. It was the first film by Marvel which features an Asian superhero. After the success of the film, he donned a completely different role with his entry into Barbieland.
The story of the actor’s selection for the character of Shang-Chi is quite astounding and unbelievable. The star revealed how a mysterious phone call changed his life.
Simu Liu reveals his casting process for Shang-Chi involved just a phone call
Simu Liu is known for his work in Blood and Water and other Canadian projects. However, he became part of the mainstream Hollywood industry with his role in the Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The actor once revealed in a press conference the unconventional way he was recruited for the character of Shang-Chi by Marvel President Kevin Feige,
“I remember very clearly it was 6:30 pm. I was in my underwear and had just woken up from a nap. I was eating shrimp crackers, not doing anything. And then I got a phone call from an unknown number in Burbank, California. I remember my heart skipped a beat because it was so mysterious. I feel like I knew who it was. It was Kevin Feige, and he offered me the role.”
“It was such an insane moment because I knew that my life would never be the same. And he said, ‘Look, in four days, I want you to go to Comic Con. And we’re going to bring you out in front of everybody. You’re going to be announced to the world as our very own all-new Shang Chi.’ And that’s what he did. He flew me down and my life really was never the same after that.”
The film was released in 2021, and it is very different from Marvel’s familiar formula, and it is an original story of the MCU.
Did Simu Liu’s tweet improve his chances of being cast in a Marvel film?
Before the Barbie star was selected as Shang-chi, it seemed like he was manifesting the role for some time. Many fans believe that his tweet in 2018 may have increased his chances of being a Marvel star.
He tweeted,
“OK @Marvel, are we gonna talk or what #ShangChi.”
When he was cast for the role, he quote-tweeted the original tweet and write,
“Thanks for getting back to me.”
However, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige shared that the tweet was not the reason for casting the actor. He also shared that he found the viral tweet long after Liu was cast as Shang-Chi.
Feige shared during the film’s premiere,
“Along with our casting director Sarah Finn, (we) scoured the Earth looking for Shang-Chi. He tweeted, which we found out after he was cast; but he had an amazing audition, had an amazing reel, and did some great work up in Canada. And just brought as you will find soon a relatability to it that all Marvel heroes need, but he can also achieve, we believe, that sort of iconic status to stand within the pantheon of Marvel heroes.”
The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and received positive critics reviews. It grossed over $432 million worldwide and became the 9th-highest-grossing film of 2021.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is available for streaming on Disney+.
Source- Screen Rant
