Simu Liu has reacted to the launch of Shang-Chi 2 with a funny dig at the film’s box office criticism. The new Marvel hero debuted as Shang-Chi earlier this year to great acclaim, and despite only being on the scene for a short time, Liu has already amassed a sizable fan base. Shang-Chi 2 is in the works at Disney, with the original filmmaker, Destin Daniel Cretton, returning to lead the sequel.
After multiple delays due to the epidemic, the picture was finally released in early September to critical acclaim and a strong box office performance, grossing over $431 million against a budget of $150 million.
Now, Disney has confirmed the production of Shang-Chi 2, which will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who also directed the first film. Simu Liu himself is looking forward to it, so it’s not just the fans who are enthusiastic. Simu turned to Twitter to mock online critics who minimised the film’s financial success in comparison to pre-pandemic Marvel productions, in a hilarious reaction to the news of a sequel.
Simu Liu said, “We flopped so hard, we got a sequel!!” The tweet drew a lot of attention from fans and celebrities alike. “Yes,” wrote Kumail Nanjiani of Eternals fame. Yes, of course. Oh, certainly,” he exclaimed, showing his enthusiasm for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 2. Simu’s message was also retweeted by Gemma Chan and Chrissy Teigen.
According to one source, the film’s director has agreed to a multi-year deal with Marvel Studios and Hulu’s Onyx Collective. The source did not specify a release date for the Shang-Chi sequel, but given that Marvel has already announced its Phase 4 roster, fans won’t be able to watch it until 2023.
Awkwafina, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Meng’er Zhang, Ben Kingsley, and a slew of other performers appeared in the first film alongside Simu Liu. The cast for Shang-Chi 2 has yet to be confirmed.