Simu Liu has opened up about Shang-Chi’s long-awaited return to the MCU, sharing new details about his character’s clash with Gambit in Avengers: Doomsday and explaining why the role finally feels right after five years away from the screen.
Simu Liu reacts to Shang-Chi’s new photo from Avengers: Doomsday
Four collectible covers for Avengers: Doomsday have been released, anchoring a January 2027 Empire issue that will hit stands November 19 and carries a 22-page feature on the film. Between those pages are also new comments from Simu Liu about Shang-Chi’s battle with Channing Tatum’s Gambit, alongside remarks from the Russos, Robert Downey Jr., and Kevin Feige on Doctor Doom.
Liu likened his showdown with Gambit, which was previewed in the Avengers: Doomsday trailers, to a standout moment from his 2021 debut. “It really reminded me of [the] bus fight,” Liu said. “Not in the structure, but the way that the filmmakers approached it.” He further added, “I have two comfort zones. One is comedy, and one is action. This movie gave me an opportunity to do both. Shang will kick as much a– as he possibly can.”
The role is Shang-Chi’s first since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and he now operates alongside Sam Wilson’s New Avengers. “I was so stunned by the fan response to the first film,” Liu said, noting that the reaction created an expectation the character’s journey would be paid off. “When Doomsday came around, I was like, ‘This feels right.’” Liu also shared Empire’s new Shang-Chi photo on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Wow.. I really missed you guys.”
Apart from him, among the featurette, Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom commands a solo cover, while the heroes divide the remaining three. Subscribers receive a fifth cover honoring the late Patrick Stewart. Every cover sets the cast against the green stained glass of Doom’s Latverian throne room, accompanied by the tagline, “One villain. An army of heroes.”
Avengers: Doomsday is releasing in cinemas on December 18.