How Simu Liu tweeted Marvel for an Asian superhero and got the role of Shang-Chi

'Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings' starring Simu Liu in the lead role has made more than US$430mil (RM1.8bil) in ticket sales worldwide. Photo: AP

When little-known actor Simu Liu tweeted in 2014 asking Marvel for an Asian American superhero, he wasn’t vying for a job – he was venting at Hollywood’s status quo.

“I was experiencing just such a frustration turning on the TV and, as a struggling actor, too, just really seeing the limits of what was possible for people that look like me,” said Liu, who has been named one of AP’s Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year.