Simu Liu became a household name after starring in 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but his fighting skills weren't quite as good before landing the part. Liu recently admitted that he "exaggerated" his martial expertise to get the role in the highly-successful Marvel Studios film.
Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings featured what many called the most exciting action scenes of any MCU film. In order to deliver these action sequences, the Shang-Chi stunt team trained the actors, but Liu has only now admitted that his martial arts experience was limited at the time of his audition for the lead role.
"When I got the part, they asked me about my martial-arts background and experience, which of course I exaggerated because I wanted the job really badly," the 32-year-old actor said while chatting with West Side Story star Ariana DeBose as part of Variety's "Actors on Actors" series. Liu also revealed that, while he occasionally worked as a stuntman in the past, he thinks of himself as more of a dancer than a martial artist. Still, the star didn't want to let go of the opportunity to take part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and become the MCU's first Asian superhero, so he began working with trainers and improving his flexibility for the demanding action sequences as soon as he was cast.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings follows Liu's character, known in the comics as the Master of Kung Fu, as he's forced to confront the past he thought he left behind when he's drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization, led by his estranged father. In addition to Liu, the film stars Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Meng'er Zhang, and Florian Munteanu. Shang-Chi was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.
Released in September 2021, Shang-Chi became a box office hit, breaking the record for the largest Labor Day weekend opening ever after earning $94.67 million upon its release. In addition, it grossed $432 million from screenings all over the world. Moreover, the film received praise for its fighting sequences, many of which were grounded in traditional martial-arts stunt work, a refreshing choice for a franchise that's famous for its reliance on CGI.
Although Liu led the filmmakers to believe that he had more experience in martial arts than he actually did, his training ultimately paid off, as he and the stunt team carried out some impressive action sequences, including Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' iconic bus fight scene. The decision to cast Liu also proved successful, given that a Shang-Chi sequel has been approved as part of a multi-year deal between Marvel Studios, Hulu’s Onyx Collective, and Cretton, who will return to the director's chair for the upcoming project.
Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: Variety