Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu Shares Gratitude for Movie Crew in New Wrap Photo

While most of the film industry has been attempting to get things going once again in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Marvel’s upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has found a way to succeed in the midst of uncertainty. The cast and crew returned to production in July, after a four-month hiatus due to COVID-19, and filmed for more than 13 weeks with no issues whatsoever. In a time where other productions have struggled to figure out a winning formula, Shang-Chi has apparently soared.

Simu Liu, who stars as the titular Shang-Chi in the new Marvel film, recently took to Instagram to hype up the cast and crew that worked alongside him on the project. In all of their weeks shooting, under the leadership of director Destin Daniel Cretton, there wasn’t a single positive COVID test on the set.

“Our crew came to get it DONE,” Liu wrote in the post. “This shoot was a marathon like no other, broken up by a massive four-month hiatus during which the world completely and irrevocably changed. We finally returned to principle photography in July with a promise that we were going to do it right, emphasizing the health and safety of our hundreds of crew members. Through the thirteen-odd weeks back we made on-set safety an absolute priority, starting with masks and frequent sanitization to rapid testing and pod systems. Everyone sacrificed, and in the end? Over 40,000 COVID tests without a SINGLE positve.

“From the lights to the sound, behind the screen and in front, I’m so proud of this crew of people and I can’t wait to show you what we made with [Destin Daniel Cretton].”

This is especially impressive given the challenges that have faced other large productions that have tried to return to filming in recent months. Both Jurassic World: Dominion and The Batman have had to temporarily shut down sets due to positive tests.

Shang-Chi is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 9, 2021.