Simu Liu is opening up about how an old tweet paved the way for him to be cast as Shang-Chi, Marvel's newest superhero. The 31-year-old actor stars in the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, slated to be released in theaters on Sept. 3. Liu is best known for his role in the hit Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, which tells the story of a Korean family in Toronto that runs a convenience store.

In Shang-Chi, Liu will play the titular character based on the 1973 comics, a martial arts expert trained to be an assassin since childhood. The reluctant superhero tries to bury his past and start a new, ordinary life in America, but he soon gets caught up in his father's criminal organization. The film also stars Hong Kong superstar Tony Leung as Wenwu, the real Mandarin and Shang-Chi's villainous dad. Shang-Chi is the first movie in the MCU to feature a lead Asian-American superhero. As such, Liu's casting is both relevant and meaningful for the whole Asian community. As it turns out, the actor had a hand in campaigning for his biggest role yet.

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Fans have unearthed a series of Liu's tweets dating as far back as 2014, when the young actor first tagged Marvel about joining the franchise: "Hey Marvel, great job with Captain America and Thor. Now how about an Asian-American hero?" He followed up his tweet four years later when Marvel finally announced Shang-Chi the movie: "Ok Marvel, are we gonna talk or what?" Speaking to EW, Liu said that while he's always dreamed of donning a superhero suit, his tweets were only a joke. According to the actor, he certainly did not expect to get a call from Marvel inviting him to audition for the role. "What was definitely not going through my head was, 'Hey, I'm going to tweet Marvel and they're going to get back to me, and I'm going to get this role,'" he said.

Joke or not, Liu is clearly meant to play the historical role and join the MCU as its first Asian superhero. In making the film, Marvel made sure to include a diverse crew led by director Destin Daniel Cretton, who is part-Japanese. Also joining the cast is Crazy Rich Asians star Awkwafina, who plays Katy, Shang-Chi's closest friend.

Fans can expect Shang-Chi to feature epic kung fu fight scenes and amazing cinematography. But behind all the action, the movie's relevance lies in its opportunity to carve a whole new level of representation in Hollywood. With Shang-Chi being a maskless hero, the film will surely speak to many fans around the globe, most especially to Asian kids who will now have a superhero that they can relate to.

Next: Shang-Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings Trailer Breakdown: 15 Story Reveals & Secrets

Source: EW