Marvel actor Simu Liu will soon have to change his name to Mr. Confidence if his latest claim about his MCU character, Shang-Chi, is to be believed. Recently while being interviewed by Toronto Life, Liu proclaimed that Shang-Chi could defeat heroes like Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, and Black Widow, in a fight. Is he high? Does he know something we don't? Or is Shang-Chi really that much of a badass? If anyone would know, it's Liu, though perhaps we should see his entire statement before we pass too much judgment, yeah?
When asked who would win in a superhero smackdown between Shang-Chi, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, and the Black Widow, Liu said:
"I win! Shang-Chi. I could debate this as a fan for hours, but now that I’ve got some skin in the game, I have to think I could take any of these guys on. Shang-Chi can definitely throw a punch. As for his other skills and powers, you’ll have to wait and see."
In addition to making a bold claim about Shang-Chi's ability to conquer someone as formidable as the Incredible Hulk – a character that only grows stronger the more you piss him off – Liu says that taking his shirt off in front of the camera could be seen by some as a political act.
"Asians have never been portrayed as the romantic lead. We’re always the dorky sidekick. These are really harmful depictions, so I want to fly in the face of that and challenge people to update their thinking about what Asian people look like, what we sound like, and what we can do. If that means taking my shirt off every once in a while…"
While Liu leaves the conclusion of his above statement up to interpretation, I think I know what he's getting at. Asian actors are almost always misrepresented in American-made films, and something on the level of Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings can do a lot to change that demeaning tradition.
Alright, now's the time for you all to weigh in. Do you think Shang-Chi could put heroes like Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, and Black Widow on the ground? Let us know if you think Liu is out of his mind or right on the money in the comments section below.