From Kim's Convenience to Shang-Chi: meet Simu Liu, Marvel's new superhero

Canadian actor Simu Liu set to star in Marvel's ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'.

Image | Simu Liu Marvel Shang-Chi

Caption: Canadian actor Simu Liu is set to play the fictional martial artist Shang-Chi in the live action Marvel movie.

When a young Simu Liu first laid eyes on Bruce Lee, his destiny was set.
"I got kind of like a jolt" says Liu(external link), who was electrified by Lee's performance.
Once dreaming of being a leading man like Lee, it has come to pass with the news that Liu will be Marvel's first Asian-American superhero on the silver screen.
You may recognize him from the CBC sit-com Kim's Convenience as Jung.

Embed | YouTube

Open Full Embed in New Tab (external link)Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage.
Liu's co-star Andrew Phung recalls how long Liu has aspired to be a lead in a superhero movie.

Embed | Twitter

Open Full Embed in New Tab (external link)Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage.
Andrea Bang reacted to the news in character as Jung's sister in Kim's Convenience.

Embed | Twitter

Open Full Embed in New Tab (external link)Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage.
Growing up in Mississauga, Ontario, Liu's thing was sports – he wanted to be a jock, not the schoolboy that his parents wanted him to be. Liu studied finance and accounting at Ivey Business School and worked as an accountant for nine months until he got laid off.
After getting fired, he set off to take a risk and start his acting career (he also side-hustled as a stock photo model(external link) at one point.)
While in production for the fourth season of Kim's Convenience, Liu flew to New York for the Shang-Chi audition and came back to Toronto to continue shooting on Kim's. After he got the part, he announced the good news to fans at San Diego's Comic-Con on Saturday.

Image | 1163292481

Caption: Simu Liu will play Shang-Chi, Marvel's first Chinese superhero. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Back in 2018, Liu tweeted at Marvel about casting for Shang-Chi.

Embed | Twitter

Open Full Embed in New Tab (external link)Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage.
It's no secret that Simu Liu is a total heartthrob, challenging the Hollywood stereotype that Asian males can't play romantic leads.
In the short digital series An Awkward Girl Dates, Liu plays "The Hot Guy" (yes, that's literally the character's name.)

Embed | YouTube

Open Full Embed in New Tab (external link)Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage.
After Black Panther made strides for diverse representation of black actors on screen, Shang-Chi aims to do the same for Asian actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Embed | Twitter

Open Full Embed in New Tab (external link)Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is slated for release in 2021.
Can't get enough of Simu Liu? Stream Kim's Convenience(external link) for free on CBC Gem while you wait for his Marvel debut.

Embed | Other