As he says goodbye to 2021, Simu Liu shares a sweet behind the scenes photo from the set of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings featuring Awkwafina, and Benedict Wong. Previously best known for his role in the beloved Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, Liu was officially cast as the MCU's Shang-Chi back in 2019. There was much excitement over the prospect of the martial arts hero joining the ever-expanding universe, but the coronavirus pandemic would end up delaying Shang-Chi multiple times from its original February 2021 release date. At long last, the movie debuted in theaters in early September.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Shang-Chi explores its titular character's origins as the son of fearsome crime lord Wenwu (Tony Leung). When Shang-Chi was a teen, he slipped away from Wenwu and his organization the Ten Rings, starting a new life for himself in America. However, post-Avengers: Endgame, his past comes calling, and Shang-Chi must return home to settle things between him and his father once and for all. Luckily, he's aided by his best friend Katy (Awkwafina) and estranged sister Xialing (Meng'er Zhang).

Related: Shang-Chi Ending Explained: 6 Biggest Questions, Answered

Thanks to Shang-Chi, Liu had a very fruitful 2021, and he made sure to commemorate it as the new year settled in. He shared a slew of photos on social media, including one with him, Awkwafina, and Wong (who plays Wong in the MCU). The picture looks to have been taken during the filming of Shang-Chi's final scene, wherein Wong comes to collect Shang-Chi and Katy for a meeting. "Finished additional photography for our little movie," Liu wrote in the caption. "They said we saved cinema at the time but we mostly just kept cinema warm until No Way Home came out." Check out his full post below; the Shang-Chi picture comes second.

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Liu's reference to Shang-Chi saving cinema for a time isn't too off the mark. When Shang-Chi was first released, the continuing pandemic cast doubt on whether the box office was truly recovering after promising signs in early summer. Disney gave Shang-Chi an exclusive theatrical run, a move that felt like a major gamble. Luckily, the movie pulled in well ahead of expectations as it went on to gross over $224.5 million domestically. It was the highest-grossing movie of 2021 for some time until blockbuster behemoth Spider-Man: No Way Home flew past it in just one weekend.

Nevertheless, Shang-Chi is by far the strongest MCU movie to be released this year, and Liu's newfound popularity is proof of it. Audiences and critics alike praised the movie's action scenes, unique story, and its portrayal of the MCU's first lead Asian hero. Shang-Chi 2 is already in development at Marvel Studios, so hopefully it won't be long before Liu returns to the big screen. Perhaps that sequel will allow Liu to have another epic year like 2021.

More: Shang-Chi Marvel Future: Sequel, Avengers, MCU Cameos

Source: Simu Liu/Instagram