Shang-Chi star Simu Liu spoke for the first time about his return to the MCU for a new 2025 project.
Liu broke onto the MCU scene in 2021 with his leading role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the second theatrical release of the MCU's Phase 4. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the film broke box office records and became an instant fan-favorite largely thanks to Liu's passionate performance.
Since then, Liu has been limited to only one subsequent MCU appearance, that being in a pair of episodes from the animated What If...? Season 3. While he's been clear that he'll play Shang-Chi for as long as he possibly can, fans are still waiting for Marvel Studios to utilize him more often.
Simu Liu's First Comments on 2025 MCU Return
Speaking with AP Entertainment, MCU star Simu Liu addressed his 2025 return to the MCU for the first time during the promotional tour for Last Breath.
While reflecting on playing Shang-Chi in two episodes of What If...? Season 3 in late 2024, Liu reflected on being "in the voice booth" for that show, 2025's Marvel Zombies, set to release October 3. While he did not share any details on what will come in Zombies, he did not hold back on saying he is "excited for people to see the next one:"
AP: "You are doing [Marvel] Zombies, right?"
Liu: "Has that been confirmed?"
AP: "That's what I heard."
Liu: "You know, I think, yeah... I think that's been confirmed... We had a couple of What If...? episodes come out recently and... I had the opportunity to be in the voice booth a little bit for that and also potentially for other things. So, it was a lot of fun and I'm excited for people to see the next one...
Simu Liu's Future in the MCU
While details are still largely being kept under wraps on Marvel Zombies, Shang-Chi is expected to be one of the main players alongside an exciting team of heroes tackling the undead. Following that show, fans should expect to see much more of the martial arts experts in the near future.
When Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton was in line to direct Avengers 5, Liu was teased for a big role in the MCU's next Avengers-centric outing. While the movie is now called Avengers: Doomsday and is led by The Russo Brothers, Liu should still be in line for a major role considering how popular the character is.
Meanwhile, anticipation still continues to build for a follow-up effort to 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, often said to be one of the Multiverse Saga's best films.
At one point, Liu said Shang-Chi 2 was in line to release after the next two Avengers films, but that was before multiple delays across the MCU's slate. Also important to remember is that director Destin Daniel Cretton is now directing Spider-Man 4, seemingly putting Shang-Chi 2 further away from being released.
All things considered, while Liu's MCU tenure had a major gap after his initial solo film, it appears he will be back with a vengeance over the next few years.
