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'Shang-Chi' star Simu Liu seemingly fires back at Disney CEO calling film's release 'an interesting experiment'
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu seems to have fired back at Bob Chapek after the Disney CEO called the film's exclusive theatrical release "an interesting experiment" during an investor call earlier this week.
"We are not an experiment," Liu wrote on Twitter Saturday, sharing behind-the-scenes images from production. "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."
The actor framed the words "interesting experiment" in quotation marks for a similar post on Instagram.
SYFY WIRE has reached out to Disney for comment
Shang-Chi will be the very first Marvel Studios project to receive a strictly theatrical release amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To date, the global health crisis has wreaked absolute havoc with blockbuster release dates and box office returns. In order to prevent a backlog of films and a further loss of revenue, studios have either sent titles to streaming, or else adopted an unorthodox hybrid day-and-date model.
For instance, Black Widow opened last month with a dual rollout that has resulted in a little over $362 million worldwide as of today. It's a rather lackluster theatrical performance when compared to previous Marvel outings and even prompted Scarlett Johansson to file a lawsuit against Disney for money that would have otherwise been made at the box office.
Warner Bros. also drew a certain amount of backlash from talent last winter after announcing a similar set-up for all of its 2021 slate, which includes major movies like Godzilla vs. Kong, The Suicide Squad, and Dune.
The first Asian-led tentpole of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (directed by Destin Daniel Cretton) is slated to hit theaters Labor Day Weekend. Per Chapek, it will play on the big screen for a duration of 45 days before making its way to Disney+. Liu's co-stars include: Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, and Tony Leung.
