By Rachel LaBonte, 25th July 2021
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu recalls the key Marvel advice Tom Hiddleston gave him at Comic-Con two years ago. In a little over a month from now, Liu will become the MCU's latest star with Shang-Chi. The Kim's Convenience actor was officially cast in the title role in 2019, making his grand debut during Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic-Con presentation. Liu's Shang-Chi is poised to play a major role in the franchise going forward, but he first has to arrive in his long-awaited solo movie.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Shang-Chi will pick up with the hero years after he walked away from the criminal organization run by his father. In a change from the comics, Shang-Chi's father is now Wenwu, aka the Mandarin (Tony Leung) instead of the more controversial Fu Manchu. Shang-Chi also stars Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Meng'er Zhang, and Benedict Wong, who will reprise his Doctor Strange character Wong for the movie. His role was revealed in the most recent Shang-Chi trailer, which also confirmed the return of The Incredible Hulk's Abomination.
Liu is on the verge of reaching a new level of international stardom. Luckily, he was prepared for this by a fellow MCU star. While speaking to Variety on the Jungle Cruise red carpet, Liu revealed he talked to Tom Hiddleston after he was first announced at Comic-Con, and that the Loki star gave him a key piece of advice for dealing with Marvel fame. Liu recalled:
"I had a wonderful conversation with Tom Hiddleston the day that I was announced at Comic-Con. And he was just so great. He's first of all just such a gentle human, the kind of perfect person to kind of just get your head straight. And he was just like, 'You've got to enjoy it, you've got to just accept the good with all the other stuff, and just accept the fact that if you go on vacation somewhere to a random island, that people are still gonna know where you're from. Because that is how far-reaching and pervasive Marvel movies are.' And there's something really beautiful about that, but there's also, you know... there's just a different lifestyle that you have to grow very accustomed to."
If there's anyone who knows how life-changing Marvel fame can be, it's Hiddleston. He was a relative newcomer when he was cast as Loki in 2011's Thor, but over the years has become one of the biggest celebrities in the world. Hiddleston is still a vital part of the MCU ten years later, having just completed the first season of his Disney+ series Loki. It's actually quite sweet to see an MCU vet helping the next generation of heroes; perhaps Liu will do the same for someone in the future.
Due to Shang-Chi's multiple delays, fans have had to wait even longer than expected to see Liu's proper MCU debut. Luckily, the movie is currently slated to premiere in early September. Where Shang-Chi will go after that remains to be seen, but perhaps his solo film can give some clues. Liu is already becoming quite popular, but the release of Shang-Chi will surely give him an even bigger boost. Hopefully, he'll take Hiddleston's advice and remember to appreciate the good things as they come. He's only going up from here.
