Simu Liu, the star of Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, made fun of Warner Bros. and DC Films for recently cancelling Batgirl.
Recently, Warner Bros. Discovery has made headlines for cancelling the $90 million Batgirl television series because they "didn't believe in it." The Batgirl cast and crew have received support from some actors and filmmakers. While James Gunn and others have assured their audiences that their projects are safe, Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings protagonist had a quite different reaction to the cancellation of Batgirl.
Liu tweeted the following criticisms of Warner Bros. Discovery:
"I'm sorry to inform you guys that Disney has decided to scrap the Shang-Chi Holiday Special due to quality control concerns. I had already filmed the entire thing. I even designed an all-gingerbread Ta Lo. RIP Shang Chi and the Legend of the TEEEN GOLDEN RIIIIINGS."
I'm sorry to inform you guys that Disney has decided to scrap the Shang-Chi Holiday Special due to quality control concerns. I had already filmed the entire thing. I even designed an all-gingerbread Ta Lo. RIP Shang Chi and the Legend of the TEEEN GOLDEN RIIIIINGS
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) August 5, 2022
Funny? Yes. too soon and in poor taste? Also, yeah, at least based on the comments of the vast majority. Simu Liu's tweet drew immediate criticism, with users criticising him for being unkind to those in his own sector. To be fair, Liu is making fun of Warner Bros. Discovery, which has recently drawn attention for making contentious decisions. Although Liu could have waited a few more days, doing so would not have been typical of him.
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Simu Liu has a reputation for being fairly outspoken online and has also previously gotten himself into trouble after questionable old tweets were discovered by internet sleuths. Additionally, he criticised Mark Wahlberg for his racist attack in the 1980s but then took the criticism down after joining the Boogie Nights actor in the upcoming action movie Arthur the King. For labelling Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings "an experiment" without suffering any repercussions from the studio, Liu also criticised Disney CEO Bob Chapek.
Simu Liu is eager to make a comeback in Shang-Chi 2
In 2021, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings outperformed Black Widow and Eternals as Marvel's sleeper smash. It was also praised highly by critics and is possibly the best Phase Four film. Fans didn't initially have great hopes for the movie because Shang-Chi is a relatively unknown figure, which may have contributed to the film's incredibly positive reviews and reception. A sequel was necessary since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a box office hit.
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Just a few months later, Marvel gave the go-ahead for Shang-Chi 2, with Destin Daniel Cretton once again set to helm. Additionally, Cretton has been confirmed as the film's director for the 2025 release Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Although Marvel has not yet disclosed the release date for Shang-Chi 2, it would be difficult to direct two high-budget films in three years. I'm hoping it won't take long.
As hinted at in the mid-credits sequence in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Simu Liu is thrilled to make a comeback in Shang-Chi 2 and subsequent MCU films. Shang-Chi 2's plot is unknown to Liu as well as to the viewers, but she has hinted at more intense drama and the thrilling fight scenes that propelled the first movie to fame.
"I guess I wasn't the most surprised, given everything that had happened. I'm so relieved to hear that [Cretton] was confirmed to come back, again not a surprise, but it's just so good to feel the engine turning again, and to be like, okay, great, we get to tell more story and delve deeper into the characters, and hopefully provide more of those badass fight sequences."
There is no information available regarding Liu's upcoming Shang-Chi MCU cameo, but keep a watch out for She-Hulk and The Marvels. For Liu, Greta Gerwig's Barbie will be her next project after appearing in Kim's Convenience.