Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu gives Ice Cube a lesson on the Marvel hero's comic book origins on social media. Liu joined the MCU last year at San Diego Comic-Con, when Marvel head Kevin Feige introduced him to fans as the new Shang-Chi. Amusingly, Liu had previously campaigned for the role online, and he had only received word that he had been cast mere days before his appearance at SDCC. As the third film in the MCU's Phase 4, Shang-Chi will be the first Marvel film centered on an Asian hero. In addition to Liu, Shang-Chi will star Tony Leung as the Mandarin and Awkwafina in an undisclosed role.

Like any other Marvel project, much of Shang-Chi remains shrouded in secrecy. Fans were thrilled to learn that, after the Mandarin fake-out in Iron Man 3, Leung will be playing the true Mandarin, but that's one of the few details about the film that have been revealed. In the comics, Shang-Chi is extremely gifted at martial arts, hence why he is often referred to as the "Master of Kung Fu". His likeness was also inspired by Bruce Lee, which is what prompted Liu to playfully educate Ice Cube online.

Related: Shang-Chi Faces The REAL Mandarin In Fan-Made Marvel Movie Poster

On Sunday night, ESPN aired the documentary Be Water, which focuses on Lee's career and struggles. That night, Ice Cube posted a photo of Lee and captioned it by saying, "MARVEL is cool. But give me Bruce Lee. Real life superhero." Liu saw this and was quick to appeal to Ice Cube's interests with the reply, "What if I told you there was a character loosely based on him in the comic books????"

Once upon a time, Stan Lee was actually interested in casting Bruce Lee's son as Shang-Chi, though those plans fell through. Liu's Shang-Chi was initially scheduled for release in February 2021, but since production on the film was shut down in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, it was moved to May 2021. Liu was thrilled with the new date, and many are hoping it won't get delayed again. However, Shang-Chi remains on hold for the time being, despite some major films starting to get back to work.

Reports suggest big movies like Shang-Chi will have issues picking back up because of the size of their productions. This could mean Shang-Chi will remain postponed for even longer while Marvel figures out the safest way to resume. The extended delay would be enough to dampen anyone's spirits, but Liu clearly still holds a lot of enthusiasm for the role. Marvel fans are eager to see him take on the character and make his mark on the MCU; only time will tell if he can get Ice Cube on board too.

More: Shang-Chi Set Video Reveals First Look At Simu Liu & Awkwafina

Source: Simu Liu/Twitter