Simu Liu has high hopes for his new Marvel franchise.
Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hits cinemas next month, but fans are already wondering whether the film will spawn sequels featuring the eponymous martial artist.
Simu Liu plays the fan-favourite comic book character, often dubbed the “master of kung fu”, who was trained to be a deadly fighter from a young age by his super villain father.
Anticipation is high for the project, with producer Kevin Feige confirming at the film’s premiere that Shang-Chi will reappear in the MCU soon, but it’s yet to be confirmed whether he’ll be granted another solo outing – the box office gross is likely to be the deciding factor there.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Liu said that he’s keeping his “fingers crossed” for a Shang-Chi sequel, hinting that the blockbuster leaves the door open for more stories.
“Certainly I hope to be back,” he said. “Where we leave off in the movie certainly kind of alludes to it. Fingers crossed.”
Shang-Chi pushes the Marvel Cinematic Universe into bold new territory and Liu seems keen to do so again with the sequel, pitching the franchise’s first ever musical instalment.
“Is it too early to say a musical? I’ve always been a bit of a karaoke junkie,” he joked. “You saw a little bit of my talent in the movie, and I think that it bodes for a very exciting future for Shang as one of the first musical heroes in the MCU. I think that you would agree.”
Co-star Awkwafina, who plays Shang-Chi’s friend Katy, added that she would “love” to do a sequel, adding that her priority is seeing the dynamic between the two characters evolve.
She said: “I think it would be cool to see if [Katy] develops any interests in anything. But I think, really, I want to see where her and Shang’s relationship goes.”
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings arrives in UK cinemas on Friday 3rd September. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.