‘Shang-Chi’s Simu Liu Puts Disney’s “Theatrical Experiment” Comments On Blast

On Friday, Disney held an earnings call that featured CEO Bob Chapek speaking on behalf of the company about their various things from the theme parks, the streaming service Disney+, and theatrical releases. One poorly worded statement by Chapek seemed to raise many eyebrows in the industry, likely at Marvel too, and even provoked some ire from “Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings” star Simu Liu.

READ MORE: Disney Will Only Commit To A 45-Day Exclusive Theatrical Run For ‘Shang-Chi’ & ‘Free Guy’

When asked directly why “Shang Chi” wasn’t receiving a hybrid release in theaters and Premier Access like “Black Widow,” Chapek sounded regretful and said that the 45-day window—the shortened amount of days it would be in theaters exclusively—was set in contract stone and was unmovable. Attempting to put a positive spin on the idea of a huge Marvel Studios release only receiving a 45-day theatrical window, he called the move an “an interesting experiment.”

This seemingly dismissive “experiment” line led ‘Shang Chi’ star Simu Liu to counter with a Twitter and Instagram post taking issue with that term.

READ MORE: Marvel Phase 4: The Films & Shows That Will Lead The MCU Into The Future

Stating the following on social media:

“We are not an ‘interesting experiment.’ We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and joy that will persevere after an embattled year. We are the surprise. I’m fired the f**k up to make history on September 3rd; JOIN US.”

This isn’t the first time Chapek—seemingly no Bob Iger in the talent relations department—has seemingly pissed off the talent at Disney and Marvel. Currently, he seems to be taking on a very ill-advised public fight with Scarlett Johansson and taking passive-aggressive swipes at her, which Iger and Kevin Feige are likely wincing over.

As for Liu, he’s extremely outspoken on social media. He actually shot his shot at Marvel Studios, originally asking about giving him the “Shang-Chi” role in 2018, and it actually happened. He also doesn’t shy away from sharing his opinions about projects he’s worked on, including his Canadian sitcom “Kim’s Convenience.”

READ MORE: ‘Shang-Chi’: Simu Liu Says Marvel Was “Very Sensitive” To Not Have The Film Go Into Any Stereotypical Territory

Chapek seems ill-suited for the finesse and light touch needed with talent relations. These comments could simply be more poorly worded statements, but after more than a year of Asian folks being assaulted, harassed, threatened, and blamed for the pandemic in both the United States and Canada, you could maybe understand why phrasing might be important at this point.

Simu wrote a guest column for Variety expressing his concerns about the rising violence against the Asian community back in March.

READ MORE: ‘Shang-Chi’ Director Destin Daniel Cretton Says Action Scenes Were Inspired By Jackie Chan Movies & Ang Lee’s ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’

We should note that the “Shang Chi” cast and crew are still mourning the recent death of stunt coordinator/second unit director Brad Allan, who was a huge part of the Marvel action film system and worked directly with cast members. Everyone, I’m sure, is dealing with a lot of mixed emotions at the moment between making the film during the pandemic in Australia, the multiple release dates, the sudden death of Brad Allan (protege of Jackie Chan), and now the wording of Chapek rubbing cast members like Liu the wrong way. Watch this space to see if the war of words continues or if Chapek receives some media training.