Simu Liu will hit the big screen this September as the titular superhero of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and a new interview with the Kim's Convenience star reveals his goal of increasing Asian and Asian-American representation in entertainment extends to another character that could appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A profile from Men's Health notes that Liu's desire to create opportunities for others through writing, producing and directing himself has resulted in the creation of a "multiseason bible" for Marvel character Sunfire, the Japanese mutant born Shiro Yoshida who first appeared in a 1970 issue of X-Men.
Created by Roy Thomas and Don Heck, Sunfire has the ability to fly and absorb solar radiation, which he turns into superheated plasma that he can then fire through his hands.
The character has previously appeared in episodes of 1980s animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, along with the animated X-Men series from the early 1990s. From the sounds of things, Liu's "bible" may be just the ticket to bringing the solar superhero to the MCU.
The profile also reveals that Liu has written a memoir, due to be published in 2022. He said of his burgeoning stardom, "Ultimately, when it's all said and done, it will be more than just the roles that I took on as an actor. It'll be what I'm able to contribute to the world in terms of stories, in terms of culture."
Liu shared that more roles in kung fu films won't follow his turn in Shang-Chi.
"On the shoulders of all that's come before me, with Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan and Jet Li, to finally be in an opportunity where we can explore uncharted territory for Asian faces, to then stay in the martial-arts realm, it wouldn't be a good move," he said. "I think you'll see me in something that's not distinctly Asian. And pretty soon you're going to start seeing my name pop up in projects I'm not acting in."
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings arrives in theatres September 3.
A profile from Men's Health notes that Liu's desire to create opportunities for others through writing, producing and directing himself has resulted in the creation of a "multiseason bible" for Marvel character Sunfire, the Japanese mutant born Shiro Yoshida who first appeared in a 1970 issue of X-Men.
Created by Roy Thomas and Don Heck, Sunfire has the ability to fly and absorb solar radiation, which he turns into superheated plasma that he can then fire through his hands.
The character has previously appeared in episodes of 1980s animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, along with the animated X-Men series from the early 1990s. From the sounds of things, Liu's "bible" may be just the ticket to bringing the solar superhero to the MCU.
The profile also reveals that Liu has written a memoir, due to be published in 2022. He said of his burgeoning stardom, "Ultimately, when it's all said and done, it will be more than just the roles that I took on as an actor. It'll be what I'm able to contribute to the world in terms of stories, in terms of culture."
Liu shared that more roles in kung fu films won't follow his turn in Shang-Chi.
"On the shoulders of all that's come before me, with Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan and Jet Li, to finally be in an opportunity where we can explore uncharted territory for Asian faces, to then stay in the martial-arts realm, it wouldn't be a good move," he said. "I think you'll see me in something that's not distinctly Asian. And pretty soon you're going to start seeing my name pop up in projects I'm not acting in."
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings arrives in theatres September 3.
