Marvel’s Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu Shows off Massive Billboard in Times Square

Despite rises in COVID-19 cases, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings remains set to open [...]

By Jamie Lovett

Despite rises in COVID-19 cases, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings remains set to open only in theaters in September. That means Disney's marketing machine is mobilizing to raise awareness of the next big Marvel Studios movie. Shang-Chi himself, star Simu Liu, spotted a massive digital billboard for the film playing in New York City's Times Square. He stopped to appreciate the sight and shared it with his fans and followers on Twitter. You can see the video of the billboard for yourself below.

Marvel Studios first scheduled Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to release in February 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the studio to push the film back, first by months and eventually into late 2021. Liu has said that he wasn't sure how they'd finish making the movie during the pandemic.

"It's been a wild ride," Liu said at the red carpet premiere for Disney's Jungle Cruise. "I mean, those parts don't just come upon those people like me, and it's such an incredible honor to be put in that position in the beginning.

"Then it's just been such a long fight with this movie. We shot in Sydney over the course of 13 to 14 months, we shut down for four months in the middle when the whole world shut down, and there was a time where we weren't sure whether we were going to be able to finish it. Even when we started back up and had COVID testing and protocols and all of that, we didn't know if we would make it to the finish line. It's just such an incredible feeling to know we did and to know this movie is now ready for people to watch. It's just such an incredible feeling."

Should Disney weigh shifting Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to a dual theatrical and Disney+ Premier Access debut, Scarlett Johansson's lawsuit against the corporation for pursuing such a release with Black Widow may factor into the decision-making process. Johansson's suit claims that she's entitled to a cut of the profit from the Premier Access subscriptions. Disney publicly touted that Black Widow brought in $60 million in new Premier Access activations.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opens in theaters on September 3rd.

0comments
Start the Conversation

of