‘Shang-Chi’ Star Simu Liu Tears Into Disney Over Streaming Comments: “We Are Not An Experiment”

After Scarlett Johansson’s big lawsuit against the Walt Disney Co., another key Marvel player is firing back against the mouse. Simu Liu, who is set to star as the lead in the MCU’s upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, slammed Disney CEO Bob Chapek for his comments regarding the film’s selection of an in-theater release instead of one on Disney+.

During Disney’s Q3 investors call last Thursday (August 12), Chapek confirmed that upcoming releases like Shang-Chi and Free Guy (which hit theaters this weekend) would still have an exclusive theatrical debut. But that didn’t stop the exec from going so far as to say that with Shang-Chi, the company simply had to “put a stake in the ground” with the theatrical debut.

“When we planned Shang-Chi, that title was planned on being in a much more healthy theatrical environment,” Chapek said, “and at this point, unfortunately, due to distribution agreements that we have and due to just the practicalities of last-minute changes, it wouldn’t be possible.”

Chapek went on to state that the streaming potential for the upcoming Marvel tentpole film was still optimistic: “On Shang-Chi, we actually think it’s going to be an interesting experiment for us, because it’s got only a 45-day window for us,” Chapek said. “The prospect of being able to take a Marvel title to the service after going theatrical for 45 days will be yet another data point to inform our actions going forward on our titles.”

But for stars like Johansson and Liu, that’s where things start to get dicey. While Johansson pushed back against a breach of contract that allegedly lost her over $50 million in earnings at the box office, Liu had an acerbic reaction towards the idea that his film would be an “experiment” for the company.

“We are not an experiment,” Liu wrote in a tweet this past Saturday (August 14). “We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and the joy that will persevere after an embattled year.”

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will mark Marvel’s first foray back into the big screen, exclusively. Black Widow premiered on Disney+ under the streamer’s Premier Access tier, meaning folks had to pay $29.99 a pop to watch it at home.

“We are the surprise,” Liu concluded. “I’m fired the f**k up to make history on September 3rd; JOIN US.”

If the 45-day window is any indicator of when the film will hit Disney+, keep an eye out for Liu’s film on the streaming service sometime around mid-October; though at the current time, Disney has not specified whether the movie will go direct to Disney+, or to PVOD first. Stay tuned for more info regarding the Shang-Chi streaming release schedule.