Marvel’s next solo superhero movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings released today worldwide to rave reviews. The much-anticipated film is also expected to register a box office haul of $100 million in its opening weekend, which will be a Labor Day record. This news comes as a relief not just to Disney and Marvel but to the entire film industry, which has been struggling since the Covid-19 pandemic struck last year.
Like Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was also supposed to follow the simultaneous streaming and theatrical release model before it was decided otherwise. Disney CEO Bob Chapek last month called the film’s release “an interesting experiment” while confirming that it will have an exclusive theatrical release only. Chapek’s comments rubbed Simu Liu the wrong way, who fired back with a fiery tweet.
We are not an experiment.
We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and joy that will persevere after an embattled year.
We are the surprise.
I’m fired the f**k up to make history on September 3rd; JOIN US. pic.twitter.com/IcyFzh0KIb
— Simu Liu (刘思慕) (@SimuLiu) August 14, 2021
Bob Chapek didn’t really mean to call the film an experiment because he was talking about Shang-Chi‘s release strategy. That being said, he could have chosen his words more carefully. Simu Liu, who plays the titular character in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, didn’t target anyone specifically either, but it was clear who he was talking about. Many fans were surprised with Liu openly targeting the Disney CEO, but the Shang-Chi star recently revealed that his criticism of Chapek went unpunished. Talking to USA Today about his upbringing and how he got his major break in Hollywood, Simu-Liu said the following when asked if he received any flak for his Tweet.
“I just wanted people to know that I was fired up about it. If it’s true that I wouldn’t have had a career if it weren’t for these conversations about diversity, the importance of representation, then I need to continue to fight that battle for the people that come after me. All around me, I saw people who were taught by their parents, as I was, to just toe the line, not ruffle the feathers, not rock the boat too much and just put your head down, do your work and that’s it. And I think that as a community, we’re reaching the limitations of that kind of thinking. I know just how much this movie could mean to so many people.”
“I might be tweeting a lot of things in the future, some of which will be absolute idiocy.” he added jokingly. Liu revealed that he has been outspoken since his childhood days and doesn’t mind calling people out, even if it feels harsh. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone considering how much tweeting Liu has been doing lately. His deleted tweets about Mark Wahlberg also became a big talking point last December. Anyway, don’t expect him to show restraint any time soon. After all, his 2018 tweet, according to many, is what got him the role of Shang-Chi in Marvel’s upcoming solo superhero caper.
Starring Simu-Liu as Marvel’s first Asian superhero in the lead, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is another visually stunning and well-written entry in the MCU. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film also stars Hong Kong cinema icon Tony Leung, Awkwafina, Fala Chen, Michelle Yeoh, and Benedict Wong. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is currently playing in theaters. Be sure to check it out.