Shang-Chi Director Reveals Why He Cast Simu Liu as the Film’s Lead

The 2019 Toronto International Film Festival is currently in full swing and has seen various big Hollywood names in attendance. One person promoting their latest film is Destin Daniel Cretton, the director best known for Short Term 12 and The Glass Castle. Cretton is attending TIFF for his newest film, Just Mercy, which stars Michael B. Jordan and Brie Larson. The upcoming drama won’t be Cretton’s last time working with Marvel actors. In fact, he’s going to be helming his own Marvel film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which is set to star Simu Liu in the titular role. While on the red carpet at TIFF, MTV News caught up with Cretton and asked what made Liu the perfect choice for the role.

“Can you just tell me what you saw in your leading man, after a long search, why he was the guy?,” Josh Horowitz of MTV News asked.

“He’s awesome,” Cretton replied. “There’s just an undefined thing that when somebody pops, everybody’s in agreement, and they’re just really excited.”

Ever since Liu was announced as the next big Marvel star, the actor has been winning over Marvel fans on social media. He’s tweeted plenty of great things about the casting news, most recently joking that Marvel could be playing an elaborate prank on him.

In the comics, Shang-Chi is raised to become a deadly assassin, and his life gets turned upside down when he discovers nefarious details about his father. Shang-Chi then sets out to right his father’s wrongs, becoming Marvel’s “Master of Kung Fu” and serves as a member of Heroes for Hire and the Avengers.

Shang-Chi will be written by Wonder Woman 1984’s David Callaham, and also feature Awkwafina and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, with the latter playing The Mandarin.

Are you excited for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings? Tell us in the comments!

Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, WandaVision in Spring 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, What If…? in Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, and Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022. Marvel Studios Disney+ series without release dates include Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk.