The ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe is back in theaters with one of the most anticipated blockbusters of 2021. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the franchise’s first film to focus on a majority Asian cast and introduces Marvel’s first lead Asian superhero. It’s a major moment for Marvel’s Asian-American fans, who have been craving representation in comic book movies for decades. And it sure doesn’t hurt that critics are praising the film as well.
“It felt kinda…warming,” says Dallas Liu of seeing the film for the first time. Fans of Hulu’s PEN15 will recognize the 20-year-old as Maya Erskine’s stoner older brother Shuji, but in Shang-Chi he plays Ruihua, the younger brother of the hero’s slacker bestie Katy (Awkwafina). Despite his experience playing opposite hilarious women like Erskine and Awkwafina, Liu (no relation to the film’s star Simu) hope Shang-Chi will be a launch pad for more action fare. And that seems likely. A skilled martial artist in his own right, Liu already has his next major role lined up: as Prince Zuko in Netfix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Ahead of Shang-Chi’s opening weekend, Liu spoke to GRAZIA about the film’s significance for young Asian fans, growing up on Marvel movies and how martial arts lead him to acting.
What kind of relationship did you have to Marvel? Were you a fan of these characters growing up?
I was a superfan, just like everyone else watching these movies, absolutely. I love Marvel. I even had a Marvel marathon with some of my friends where we watched all the movies in chronological order. And to be a part of it—it’s like a dream.
Were there characters that resonated with you particularly?
I wouldn’t say I could relate to the characters, but a character that I really like was Quicksilver from Age of Ultron. Yeah, I thought his character in that movie was incredible. I’m also a fan of speedsters, so getting to see him onscreen was awesome. And [Aaron Taylor-Johnson] was incredible as well.
How aware were you of the absence of Asian or Asian-American heroes in the Marvel universe—either the films or the comics—growing up? Did that impact your enjoyment of these stories at all?
When I watched the Marvel movies as a kid, it’s not something that I was aware of at all. I didn’t pay attention to the looks of the superheroes because I was a kid. I was just happy to get the experience of watching a superhero movie in theaters. But after having seen Shang-Chi, it still impacted my enjoyment of the movie in an extremely positive way. Times are changing as we all move forward together as a society.
Were you familiar with Shang-Chi?
No. I had never heard of it until I found out that I was working on this movie. I mean, it’s kind of weird, because he is a pretty prominent superhero in the comics. You see him quite a bit. So, to have never even hear of him was surprising to me. And I’m not sure how much of an impact he had on the story over all, but it’s nice to know there is an Asian superhero in the Marvel comics!
In terms of your own career, was being in a superhero movie a priority for you?
Oh, absolutely. One hundred percent. I have a background in martial arts, so being able to display the years of training that I had in karate and being able to do that onscreen is definitely something that I’ve wanted. Being in Shang-Chi is amazing, but I think my next goal is to be that guy: be the next Shang-Chi, you know?
It’s funny, as a fan of PEN15, I associate you so much more with comedy. So, I was wondering what it was like to get to work with Awkwafina.
I had a ton of fun. It was a blast. I mean, as everyone knows, Awkwafina is extremely talented and hard working. On set, she always came ready and was paying attention to details. Overall, it was just such a great learning experience for me to see her and Simu in the flesh!
And as someone with a background in martial arts, working with Simu must have been pretty thrilling as well. Did the two of you get to chat about martial arts and the stunts he was doing in the rest of the film?
I had some conversations with him. I was actually able to show him some of my martial arts and tricking videos that were on YouTube. He was super impressed, and I found out later that he’s also into tricking, which is a form of acrobatics, basically. Gymnastics, karate and breakdancing all in one style. He was telling me about what they had in mind for some of the fight scenes. So, I was just super excited to see it come out. I know for a fact that everyone will be super impressed with what they’ve done.
Obviously, Shang-Chi is a big deal in that it’s the first Marvel film that is entirely focused on Asian characters. So, what was it like seeing this film for the first time?
I just felt proud of everyone that had put their hard work into the project, all that time and energy. To see Simu up there, and Awkwafina, and really taking the lead on this film—it felt kinda…warming. I feel like this is a great project for the younger Asian audience to have someone to look up to in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It felt very comforting.
Was there a sense on set of the larger significance of the project? Do you think that was on everyone’s mind?
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it wasn’t like, “Oh, we’re Asian! Nice!” [Laughs] It was just like, we’re doing this Asian superhero movie, you know? And I know that the Asian community is definitely moving forward in the industry. And I just hope we’re making everyone proud with this project.
You’ve also been cast in another big project: Netflix’s live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender. What can you say about that at this point?
I can’t really say anything to be quite honest. All I can really say is that [I play] Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. If you’ve seen the animated series, then you know who he is.
So, were you familiar with the animated series?
Oh, absolutely. I’m a huge fan of the series. I watched it as a kid, and the animated series is a project that anyone, any age, can watch and enjoy. When you really get down to the underlying message of the animated series, it’s pretty mature. It reaches you a lot of great life lessons.
Obviously, you can’t say much about your version of Zuko. But how would you describe the original character?
I think Prince Zuko is probably one of the most complex characters in the entire show. He’s been through a lot in his life. He battles his own inner demons throughout the series, and we get to see that. We get to see the development in his character. So, I think that’s why he’s loved so much. Zuko, in the animated series, is a soft soul deep down, and he puts on this tough shell to protect that.
What sort of training are you having to do to prepare?
In my personal life, yeah, since probably the beginning of August I’ve had a personal trainer and I’m on a no-carb diet on the weekdays. Just the weekdays! Weekends I can’t control myself, you know? I wake up every morning and hit the gym with my personal trainer, and then I go run up and down hills for about 30 minutes. I just wanna have my body fully prepared for whatever’s thrown at me.
Are there particular styles of martial arts that you know you’ll be working with?
I’m not too sure. I have no idea what Netflix has in mind for this, but I’ve just been doing some sparring and some boxing here and there, just to really stay on my feet and, like I said, be prepared.
So, was your interest in martial arts early on related to acting?
Yeah, one hundred percent. A lot of people in karate tend to go into the industry following stunts. Personally, that wasn’t something I was interested in. I had enjoyed martial arts all my life, but it wasn’t something that I had any interest in anymore by the time I turned 12, 13. And a fellow martial artist and actor—his name is Leo Howard, he was on DisneyXD’s Kickin’ It—I used to train with him occasionally at the same dojo, and I guess I just wanted to be like him. I wanted to become an actor and do martial arts at the same time. And obviously, now I’m really focused on acting in general, but at the time he was doing both and I thought that was really cool. Going into the entertainment industry, as everyone knows, it’s an extremely risky path. It’s super unpredictable. So, thankfully, I have a great support system. It definitely wasn’t an easy transition, but I was willing to work my butt off until I got it done.
We’ve talked a lot about action and martial arts, but like I said, I’m a huge fan of PEN15. So, I’m curious, what’s tougher: martial arts or comedy?
Ooh, getting laughs! It either comes naturally to you or you don’t got it, you know? Martial arts is something I’ve done my whole life, so I’ve been able to work at it. It’s not really a challenge. It’s more about having the discipline to work out every day and stay in shape. For comedy, like I said, are you funny or just…whatever? [Laughs] My family doesn’t think I’m funny, but I guess I can make it work onscreen.
