Simu Liu Says It's 'Extremely Meaningful' To See Kids Dressed Up As Shang-Chi

Canadian actor and Marvel star Simu Liu recently chatted about Asian representation and he got candid about his experiences as a kid and how far diversity has come.

In an interview with BuzzFeed on Monday, December 6, the actor was asked about the first movie or TV character he identified with.

"Probably like the Yellow Ranger in the original Power Rangers. You know, it wasn’t subtle, it was like the early '90s version of diversity," he said. "Like, the Yellow Ranger was Asian."

Although it perhaps wasn't an ideal representation, Liu said "it was pretty cool."

"I remember how that made me feel," he said about seeing someone Asian on screen. "It kind of just sent a jolt of electricity through me seeing that for the first time."

And when he was asked how it feels to get to be that character for Asian kids as the hero Shang-Chi in Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Liu had a pretty heartfelt response.

"It kind of means the world…" he said, trailing off.

"It’s a tremendous honour just because we didn't have a lot of that representation when I was younger, so to see kids dressing up as Shang-Chi for Halloween, being fans, and seeing themselves reflected in that way I think is extremely meaningful."

It seems like he'll have another chance to be a role model for little ones as it appears Shang-Chi is getting a sequel.

According to Variety, the franchise is set for a second installment and Liu had the best reaction to the news. "Flopped so hard we got a sequel," he joked, likely in response to critics who said the original film would flop.

You tell 'em, Simu!

As for how Liu landed the job as the movie superhero in the first place, it all started with some good old-fashioned manners.

"The truth is, I got Shang-Chi how every Canadian gets their big break — by asking politely. For real, for real," he said during his monologue on Saturday Night Live on November 20. "Back in 2014 — and this is a true story — I tweeted, 'Hey Marvel, great job with Captain America and Thor. Now how about an Asian superhero?'"

"After I got the part, I went online and tweeted, 'Thanks for getting back to me,'" he shared.

So polite!

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.