It’s no secret that the pandemic royally messed things up all over the world for pretty much an entire year, and the film industry was certainly no different. Marvel had so many projects in the works during this time as the studio struggled to push out the beginning of the MCU’s Phase 4, finally kicking it off with WandaVision on Disney+ earlier this year. After delays, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings star Simu Liu was even worried that his premiere Marvel film wouldn’t get completed, and he explained how COVID was to blame for his concerns.
In an interview with Comicbook.com, Simu Liu revealed that this wasn't just him, as the crew members working on Shang-Chi was also doubting that they would make it to the finish line with all the obstacles of the pandemic. Here’s what the Kim’s Convenience star said in regards to how unsure everyone was on set:
Then it's just been such a long fight with this movie. We shot in Sydney over the course of 13 to 14 months, we shut down for four months in the middle when the whole world shut down, and there was a time where we weren't sure whether we were going to be able to finish it. Even when we started back up and had COVID testing and protocols and all of that, we didn't know if we would make it to the finish line. It's just such an incredible feeling to know we did and to know this movie is now ready for people to watch. It's just such an incredible feeling.
Participating in a Marvel movie is probably one of the more nerve-wracking projects an actor can work on when they haven’t done one before, and having extra procedures in place to make sure everyone is safe surely adds a whole new level of stress to that situation. Even for heavily seasoned actors, working under the pressure of putting a movie out during a time where the world is on red alert is a daunting task.
When you add on the fact that Simu Liu had to train pretty heavily for the part, not only getting completely ripped but also needing to be proficient in the art of Kung Fu, it’s kind of a lot. It would likely have been heartbreaking if Liu did all that just for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to go unfinished.
Thankfully, Simu Liu and the rest of the cast and crew were able to complete the film. Not only that, but according to Liu, he felt like he accomplished something huge and described the feeling of finishing the project as an “incredible” one.
Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is set to release in just a couple months on September 3rd and we’ll be able to see the fruit of Simu Liu and the rest of the cast and crews’ labor then! Don't forget to look through our Marvel movies guide to learn what else the MCU has coming up.
