Photo: Ryan Emberley/Getty
Simu Liuhad a pretty eventful weekend, makinga record-breaking debutin the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He later retweeted the slow-motion clip of himself sticking the landing at Oracle Park. “That pitchwas like 500% faster in my head,” he wrote. “GO GIANTS!”
Shang-Chidirector Destin Daniel Cretton previously said that Liu — aKim’s Conveniencestar, former stuntman and stock image model — pulled a similar move in his audition for the historic role, according to Slashfilm.
“He did actuallydo that exact back flipinto that pose that is made fun of inBlack Widow,” Cretton said last month in a press conference. “He did a back flip straight into theBlack Widowkneel pose, hair flip up, looking straight to the camera as the closer to his first audition.”
Shang-Chialso had an impressive three-day weekend, becoming the second highest grossing film of the year with $71.4 million, after fellow MCU titleBlack Widowtook the lead with $80.3 million.
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“Many people did not understand that marketing during a pandemic presented unique challenges, or that we worked closely together throughout the entire process,” Liu continued. “Thank you @jrvs.km for this most beautiful artwork. And thank you all for your support. Today, finally, we make history.”
Liu made his breakout movie performance as the titular Shang-Chi, 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.
The blockbuster also made history as the first installment in the MCU with an Asian lead and a predominantly Asian cast. Liu has spoken out about the power of representation and he has condemned bothrising hate crimesagainst the Asian American and Pacific Islander communityand what he called silenceabout anti-Asian racism during theCOVID-19pandemic.
Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings.Courtesy Disney
Earlier this year, Liu 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,” Liu added. “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.”
source: people.com
