Earlier in April, Marvel Studios' released the first official trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the company's first film to feature an Asian superhero in the lead role. Taking on the titular role is Simu Liu, a Canadian actor who was born in China, and he recently took to social media to thank fans for their support.
Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings finds the eponymous hero confronting the Ten Rings organization several years after leaving the group. Shang-Chi will be more than a formidable opponent for his adversaries, however, as he became a skilled martial artist after being trained to become an assassin during childhood under the tutelage of his father Wenwu, who also happens to be The Mandarin, leader of the Ten Rings.
After the first official Shang-Chi trailer debuted, fans across the globe voiced their excitement for the upcoming Marvel Studios film, which at this time, will be the first to introduce a new lead superhero to the MCU since Captain Marvel was released in 2019. Of course, not everyone was thrilled by the new Shang-Chi trailer, and unfortunately, some seem to have been actively pulling for the film to flop. Now, Simu Liu has posted a video on his Instagram account in which he expresses his gratitude to Chinese fans while also acknowledging Shang-Chi's detractors. "I want to thank all our Chinese fans for their support and encouragement," Liu said in Chinese, "To the other people, who are rooting for our failure, I don't have much to say, just wait and see..."
This is hardly the first time Liu has spoken to fans on social media, as the actor has been excitedly offering people a glimpse at the Shang-Chi or discussing the film whenever he can. For instance, when Marvel sent Liu a collection of Shang-Chi merchandise for his birthday, the same day the studio released the trailer for the film, the actor shared images of the toys on his Instagram feed for fans to see. Plus, after the film wasn't promoted at all during the Super Bowl in February, Liu posted a video on his official Twitter account to assure fans that a Shang-Chi trailer would arrive soon.
Liu has also used his platform to speak out against anti-Asian hate crimes, which have increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter penned for Variety, Liu called out not only the perpetrators of such racist crimes but also those who stand by without helping or speaking up for what's right.
Despite the negativity towards the film from some, the anticipation for Shang-Chi is palpable and Liu may be the most excited of us all. Time will tell how the film fares with audiences and at the box office, but the trailer alone indicates Shang-Chi will bring something unique to MCU.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is scheduled to be released in theaters on September 3, 2021.
Source: Simu Liu/Instagram (translation via Reddit/marvelstudios)