Simu Liu Responds to Disney CEO: ‘We Are Not An Experiment’

August 15, 2021

During a recent earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek referred to its upcoming film Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings as “another data point” in how the company would be judging how to move forward with releases. Actor Simi Liu wasn’t too pleased with that and took to social media to comment.

In a post made on Twitter along with a handful of photos from his time on set, Liu — who portrays the titular Shang-Chi in the film — said that the film was not an “experiment,” but an “underdog” instead.

“We are not an experiment,” his message read. “We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and joy that will persevere after an embattled year. We are the surprise. I’m fired the f**k up to make history on September 3rd; JOIN US.”

We are not an experiment.

We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and joy that will persevere after an embattled year.

We are the surprise.

I’m fired the f**k up to make history on September 3rd; JOIN US. pic.twitter.com/IcyFzh0KIb

— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) August 14, 2021

Clearly, at least some of the cast were not too happy about Disney’s comments, although it’s unlikely that Chapek truly believes the film is nothing more than an experiment.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars Canadian actor Simu Liu (Kim’s Convenience), who is set to take on the mantle of the titular hero in Marvel Studios’ first Asian superhero-led movie. Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization. Joining Liu are Awkwafina as Katy, Tony Leung as Wenwu/ The Mandarin, Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan, Meng’er Zhang as Xialing, Fala Chen as Jiang Li, Ronny Chieng, Florian Munteanu as Razor Fist, and MCU alum Benedict Wong, who is reprising his role as Wong.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12) from a screenplay he co-wrote with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham. It is produced by Kevin Feige and Jonathan Schwartz, with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Charles Newirth serving as executive producers.