Marvel Studios' boss addressed Simu Liu's response to Disney CEO Bob Chapek, as well as Scarlett Johansson's lawsuit against Disney.
On Monday night, the stars of Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings gathered in Hollywood to celebrate the upcoming Marvel Studios tentpole. But in an unusual set of circumstances for the Disney-owned studio, the premiere came 48 hours after its lead, with Simu Liu taking aim at Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who described Shang-Chi's release strategy as an "experiment". was described in. for the company.
Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige addressed the tweet during the premiere, saying of Liu: "He's not a shy guy. I think you can see that in that particular tweet and I think everyone misunderstands." That was not the intention. The proof is in the film and we, as always, swing for the fans. The amount of creative energy and budget we have put in to bring this original story to the screen is at no cost.”
On August 12, Disney CEO Bob Chapek asked a question during an investor call that the company had done with Black Widow, as the company did with Shang-Chi and Free Guy instead of putting the day and date on Disney Premiere Access. As theatrical exclusives, Cruella and Jungle Cruise. Chapek called Shang-Chi "an interesting experiment for us" because the film only has a 45-day theatrical window. "With 45 days to go theatrically, the prospect of being able to take Marvel titles into service will be another data point to inform our actions going forward on our titles," he added.
On August 14, Liu responded to that comment via a statement on Twitter. "We are not an experiment," Liu began. “We are Dalits; been underestimated. We are about to break the roof. We are a celebration of culture and joy that will last even after a struggling year. We are surprised. I got fired from f**k up for making history on Sept 3rd; join us."
Feige also noted that the premiere of Shang-Chi had an equally impressive experience as Black Panther's celebrations. "When you have the opportunity to showcase a hero who looks like a huge section of the world that feels like they haven't been displayed, magic can happen if you deliver. I guess That's what Destin (Daniel Creighton) and Simu have worked on for this film."
Feige said that he saw a superhero quality in Liu after adding "a lot of reading, a lot of auditions" in finding the right person for the Marvel hero. "It's a feeling. It's a feeling of both belonging and the ability to be grounded and, at the same time, take their place in that pantheon of heroes, if everything goes so well in the original story that they'll end up with other Pandemic heroes." .
What could potentially lie ahead for Liu's Shang-Chi, Feige said, "is a straight line to where he leads."
Shang-Chi is a barrier-breaking film for Marvel, as it is the studio's first film to feature a largely Asian cast. It also stars Tony Leung, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Menger Zhang, Florian Munteanu and Ronnie Chiang.
Liu's remarks came as another Disney star was at odds with the company, which is in the midst of a tumultuous lawsuit with Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson, over Disney's decision to release a Marvel title simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ Premiere Access. suing the decision. The actor claimed that the move hurt the box office in favor of affecting Disney's streaming service.