It was a Twitter thread that changed Simu Liu’s life. The Chinese–born, Toronto–raised accountant–turned–actor was already known for his role as Jung on CBC’s hit sitcom Kim’s Convenience when he challenged Marvel, via social media, to consider an Asian superhero. It worked. In July 2019, the comic–book franchise announced Liu as the star of Shang–Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – the first Asian actor to lead a Marvel Studios film. We caught up with him to chat about training to be a superhero, exploring Australia with his parents and the advice he got from a Toronto Raptor.
This interview was originally published in December 2019 and was updated in September 2021.