Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings star Simu Liu wants to play a Marvel blogger on an episode of What If…? The actor recently made his Marvel Cinematic debut as the master martial artist in his solo film under the direction of Destin Daniel Cretton. Thus far, the film has received positive reviews and continues to dominate the box office.
Following up Black Widow, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings brings the first new headlining superhero to Marvel’s Phase 4. In the film, Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) is an expertly trained fighter living in hiding from his father, The Mandarin (Tony Leung). Though very much an origin story for the hero in the vein of some of Marvel’s Phase 1 installments, Shang-Chi opens several doors for its titular character and leaves him with several different directions that he can go in future MCU adventures.
With the future seemingly looking bright for Simu Liu following Shang-Chi’s massive box office success, eyes are on what the actor will do next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In a recent interview on Comicbook.com’s Phase Zero podcast, the actor was asked where he wants to see Shang-Chi next. Liu explained that he now wants to join What If…? and portray Shang-Chi as an in-universe Marvel blogger trying to get scoops on the heroes. Read what Liu said below:
What If...? I think What If...?. I mean, that's the one place to go to be free of any sort of expectation, any sort of audience preconceived notions. I think you go to What If...? and literally anything is possible, like a multiverse where Shang runs a Marvel blog and you just follow him as he sleuths around in and around the offices and tries to get the inside scoop on all the heroes. It'll be like Gossip Girl, but it'll be Shang. You know what I mean?
To Liu’s point about being free from expectation, it’s true that (as of right now) What If…? remains arguably the only place in the MCU to truly do something outside of canon. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become increasingly complex in the years since Iron Man debuted, but the franchise has remained firm in its commitment to telling a long-form, cohesive story. What makes What If…? unique is that it allows Marvel to deviate from its usual genre trappings, and even tell stories where its biggest characters die.
With all of that said, Simu Liu could still potentially get to tell a multiversal story even if he never gets his What If…? wish. Following the events of Loki and leading up to the multiverse-heavy storylines of films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the main MCU could become more flexible for weirder, off-kilter stories like the one described by Liu. Whether or not that will happen remains to be seen. but audiences can catch Liu as Shang-Chi (sans Marvel blog) in Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings in theaters now, while a new episode of What If…? drops every Wednesday.
Source: Comicbook.com