Shang-Chi Director Destin Daniel Cretton Reflects on Comic-Con 2019 in Touching Post

Back in 2019, it was announced at San Diego Comic-Con that Kim’s Convenience star Simu Liu had been cast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Shang-Chi. After over two years of waiting, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings finally hit theaters this weekend. We’ve been seeing a lot of great social media posts from the movie’s cast and crew in honor of its release, including an extremely touching post from the director. Destin Daniel Cretton took to Instagram this week to share a photo of himself with Liu and reflect on the Comic-Con that changed everything.

“This picture was taken in 2019 during the whirlwind of ComicCon. Simu had only found out he would be Marvel’s next big superhero a few days earlier. And suddenly, we found ourselves being pushed onto a stage in front of 10,000 screaming fans and told to say something interesting. The moment I saw him take that stage, speaking in two languages with ease and openness and charm, I was filled with so much joy,” Cretton wrote.

“The two guys in this photo had no idea what was ahead of them the next two years— the challenges, the joys, the team we would grow to love, the story we would pour ourselves into… we didn’t know our production would be shut down for a pandemic that would shift the weight of the world, and we didn’t know we would start back up again stronger and more determined to finish this film for a new generation of kids like us. And tonight, as @shangchi is being experienced for the first time by many of you all over the globe, this photo suddenly means so much more to me. Because I see how much we’ve grown through all of this, as I believe many of you did too. It’s been a crazy journey, and I am so grateful to have walked through it with this man by my side. So proud of you @simuliu. You are the superhero I wish I had when I was a kid,” he added. “Love you, my brother,” Liu replied. You can check out the post below:

Not only has Shang-Chi been met with positive reviews from critics, earning a 92% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes after 238 reviews, but it also has a 98% audience score after 5,000+ reviews. ComicBook.com gave the movie a 4.5 out of 5, calling it “one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best origin stories to date.” In addition to Liu, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars Tony Leung as Wenwu, Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan, Awkwafina as Katy, Meng’er Zhang as Xialing, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, and Ronny Chieng. The movie was released with a 45-day exclusive theatrical window.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now playing in theaters.