Simu Liuis reveling in the success ofShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings— and laughing at those who doubted it.
In the latest Marvel film, the 32-year-old actor plays the titular character, a skilled martial artist who has been trained as an assassin since childhood. After leaving the Ten Rings organization to pursue a normal life in San Francisco, he’s forced to confront his past once again.
On Monday, Liu poked fun at critics who thought thatShang-Chi, which had a record-breaking opening weekend, would flop.
“LOL,” he wrote on his Instagram Story atop a compilation of past YouTube videos predicting the film’s failure.
Liu also addressed the topic on his Twitter page, posting a photo from when he was astock photo modelthat shows him pointing at a laptop screen and smiling. “me laughing at the people who thought we’d flop,” hewrote.
simu liu/ instagram
Shang-Chipremiered in theaters Friday,breaking box office recordswith an estimated global opening weekend of $139.7 million,Deadlinereported Sunday.
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Additionally, the blockbuster has the second-largest pandemic box office opening with a three-day total of $71.4 million. Narrowly beating outF9’s $70 million June opening,Shang-Chicame in second behind fellow Marvel movie Black Widow’s opening weekend in July, whichgrossed $80.3 million.
Simu Liu inShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.Marvel
In addition to the box office records,Shang-Chiis making history as the first installment in the MCU with an Asian lead and a predominantly Asian cast — a welcome form of representationamid rising hate crimesagainst the AAPI community during the pandemic.
Liu previously spoke to PEOPLE about breaking barriers in the MCU and joining the Avengers. “I’m excited and I think for all of the good and the bad of what’s to come, it’s definitely a journey that Ifeel very privileged to be going on,” he said in May.
“I know how much it would’ve meant to kids and to myself as a kid seeing this when I was younger. I totally understand the importance of it,” he continued. “I know that it’s not going to be easy, but at the same time, I feel so incredibly excited to be a part of this movement that gets to push society forward… It gets to deepen the conversation, it gets to normalize seeing Asian faces on screen and hearing Asian voices and our stories.”
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsis now in theaters.
source: people.com
