Malaysians have reacted positively after Merdeka 118, the second tallest tower in the world, located in Kuala Lumpur was featured in Marvel Studios’ latest superhero film Thunderbolts.
It is the first time that the 678.9-metre-tall skyscraper, owned by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) through its subsidiary PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd, was selected as a location for a Hollywood film, a fact that many Malaysians were so proud of that they left comments like - "Malaysia shining bright", "Malaysia goes global", and the signature cry - "Malaysia Boleh!" - on various social media platforms.
Marvel Studios had set the ball rolling when it previously shared behind-the-scenes footage of Thunderbolts star Florence Pugh jumping from the top of Merdeka 118., which unsurprisingly captured the attention of fans, especially those from Malaysia.
And the feel-good vibe has just gotten stronger since the movie's premiere last week, judging by the comments left by Malaysians on various social media platforms, including one by ApiZ on TikTok, who posted, "Feel proud that Malaysia’s name is part of an international movie.”
Perhaps what most Malaysians felt could be best summed up by fellow Malaysian Saiful Nizam’s simple direct comment - I’m proud to be Malaysian.
Shahril Izzat Rosli echoed such sentiments when he spoke to Bernama, and expressed his pride in seeing the country’s landmark featured in an international movie, something he said showcased Malaysia at the world stage.
"Obviously, I was very excited and proud when I saw our national landmark make its appearance in a Hollywood movie, what more a Marvel film that has its own following throughout the world.
"It wasn’t just once, but Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur were mentioned repeatedly throughout the film, so that’s certainly something to be proud of,” he said.
He pointed out that Marvel film fans who have not heard of Malaysia would indirectly know of it, what with an anti-hero character being created in a lab in the country, according to the film. – Bernama
