Marvel debuts 1st trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on star Simu Liu's birthday

Disney and Marvel Studios released the first trailer and poster for the upcoming martial arts movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on Monday, marking the birthday of Canadian star Simu Liu.

The movie will mark the first major film role for the Kim's Convenience star, who leads a cast that includes Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Awkwafina and Michelle Yeoh.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton — who previously made the dramas Short Term 12 and Just Mercy — Shang-Chi is slated to release on Sept. 3. It was originally scheduled to open in July, but was delayed due to COVID-19 theatre closures.

Shang-Chi will be the first entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with an Asian lead, a responsibility Liu says comes with serious pressure. 

"It was very clear and very important to [Cretton] that I go in feeling as free as possible. Because I think it's very normal to feel nervous and it's very normal to feel like you want to do a really good job," Liu said in a 2020 interview with CBC News. 

"He really helped me realize that, as much as you can put pressure on yourself, in any other time of the day when you're on set and you're ready to work, you've got to just throw it all away and be free."

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will follow the titular hero, a peace-loving master of kung fu, as he is "drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization," according to the studio. Marvel revealed last year that it would feature the villain the Mandarin, who had a role in the previous Iron Man trilogy.

WATCH | Actor Simu Liu on snagging lead role in upcoming Marvel film:

'It's a decisive victory for us:' Simu Liu on being cast as a Marvel superhero

5 years ago

Duration 1:46

Canadian actor Simu Liu talks to The National's Andrew Chang about the importance of his upcoming lead role in an upcoming Marvel Studios film.