Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings star, Simu Liu, says he wanted his first post-Marvel project to be something drastically different than the action-adventure film. As Marvel comes down from the success of Shang-Chi and reportedly gears up for a Shang-Chi sequel, Liu found himself with an offer to play a leading man in the romantic-comedy, One True Loves. Liu has a history of comedic roles, including his 6-year stint on Canadian sitcom, Kim’s Convenience, guest spots on Fresh Off the Boat, and alongside Shang-Chi costar in Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens. However, the shift away from his newly found career in action-adventure isn’t what was expected from Liu.
The upcoming film is an adaptation of Taylor Jenkin Reid’s 2016 novel, One True Loves. The confirmed cast of One True Loves include Phillipa Soo (Hamilton), Luke Bracey (Little Fires Everywhere and Holidate), and Michaela Conlin (Bones). The narrative follows Emma Blair (Soo) after her husband Jesse (Bracey) goes missing and is presumed dead. Jesse returns years later when Emma is engaged to Sam (Liu) causing her to choose between her husband who she believed was dead and her fiancé. The screenplay was adapted by Reid and her husband, Alex Jenkins Reid, and will be directed by Andy Fickman (She’s the Man). Reid has other viral successes including The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
In an interview with THR, Liu says he chose something so different from Shang-Chi because he wanted to the opportunity to "challenge people’s perceptions of myself, as well as of Asian people as a whole." Liu says he knows fans expected him to continue doing kung-fu and martial arts films, but that is not who he is as an actor. The choice to pick up a role in a rom-com also allows Liu to the opportunity to defy being placed into a typecast while adding value to a new IP. Read Liu’s full comment below:
“To quote Monty Python, “and now, for something completely different!” Coming off of an action/martial arts spectacle like Shang-Chi, I knew that much of the world was going to expect me to do more kung-fu films. It’s always been important to me to constantly challenge people’s perceptions of myself, as well as of Asian people as a whole. While I celebrate legendary actors such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Bruce Lee, I know that my path is very different. I am not a master of kung-fu, after all; I am an actor who trained very hard to embody the character that I was hired to play. As such, I’m beyond excited to step into Sam’s shoes for this movie that I am deeply in love with.”
The script was sent to Liu by Sarah Finn, a major casting director for Marvel with credits including upcoming Marvel projects Ironheart, Moon Knight, and Thor: Love and Thunder. Liu was initially offered his choice between Sam and Jesse, but after reading the script, he decided he liked the arc between Emma and Sam. The novel did not originally include BIPOC characters, but the adaptation’s inclusion of Soo made Liu believe their ethnicities in relation to the narrative added depth to the story that wasn’t there when all the characters were presumed white.
Moving forward from an action-packed film like Shang-Chi has the potential to typecast Liu into the action-adventure/martial arts roles, but by breaking the expectation early, Liu affords himself the freedom to pursue other projects he is passionate about. This move shouldn’t be unexpected from Marvel stars, because many actors go on to do films in other genres of film, like Chris Evans’ work in Knives Out and What’s Your Number. Outside of the Marvel franchise, Henry Golding, a British-Malaysian actor, has diversified his credits to include rom-com franchise Crazy Rich Asians, action films like Snake Eyes and Golding's upcoming film, The Tiger’s Apprentice. Liu seems genuinely excited about One True Loves, and the role makes sense given his previous comedic credits. The choice to stay true to his vocation as a multi-talented actor instead of a solely martial arts actor is admirable and shows an understanding of his career ambitions beyond and outside of Marvel.
Source: THR