The stars and director discuss the making of Hollywood’s first superhero movie with an Asian lead DUBAI: There’s a reason that, 12 years and 25 movies in, nothing packs a movie house quite like a Marvel film. It’s not just the familiar faces and the interconnected stories, the Marvel brand is so strong because, even as the films move across genres and introduce characters you may be unfamiliar with, each one seems to have the same heart, the same thrills, the same good-natured humor, all guaranteed to unite an audience from disparate backgrounds, who end up cheering over their popcorn at the same moments. It’s a brand based on a feeling, and it’s a feeling built to last. Ads by optAd360 For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle “Shang-Chi and Legend of the Ten Rings,” the latest Marvel film to introduce a wholly new character into the established universe, is a superhero movie, but “superhero movie” is really second or third down its list of genres. It’s the story of the son of an ancient, mystically powerful Chinese crime lord. The son has lived the majority of his life in self-exile as an average guy in San Francisco, but is finally forced to confront his father once and for all and, in the process, realize his potential. “It really is a family drama that is draped in the rich history of Kung Fu and martial arts films, and ultimately, after that, a superhero movie. Trying to find that balance was definitely the challenge, but it was very fun,” director Destin Daniel Cretton tells Arab News. The film stars Nora Lum and Simu Liu. (Supplied) Ads by optAd360 “It’s true that Marvel has created its brand around rebranding every movie, but it’s always within the context of characters that make you laugh and cry and relationships that feel real. That’s the common denominator of every Marvel movie — a concentration on character.” For the role of Shang-Chi, Marvel turned to a relative unknown — Simu Liu, a cult favorite from the Canadian sitcom “Kim’s Convenience,” who, much like his character, never dreamed that he could become a superhero. “In the audition, my nerves were sky high. I was an actor from Toronto, and I really had never allowed myself to imagine being a part of the MCU. I mean, it’s the craziest dream that someone can possibly dream,” says Liu. Like Shang-Chi himself, Liu proved more than up to the challenge. Even in a film that is heavy on stunt-work, with perhaps the best and most beautiful fight scenes that Marvel has yet produced, the actor always seemed as if he belonged. Destin Daniel Cretton and Simu Liu. (Supplied) Ads by optAd360 Part of that was due to his dependence on his co-star Awkwafina (real name Nora Lum), who herself has been one of the breakout stars of the last five years, stealing scenes in “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Jumanji: the Next Level,” and Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” as well as proving she has acting chops to spare in the critical darling “The Farewell.” Their relationship also mirrors the one that their characters have on screen, as Awkwafina plays Shang-Chi’s best friend Kat, who sticks with him throughout his journey, no matter how crazy things get. “Nora did such a great job of putting me at ease and just, you know, being in the moment with me. We had such a beautiful chemistry,” says Liu. “I loved stealing moments with Nora and improvising with her. When the tapes were rolling, they let the tapes roll long, because we were having so much fun playing off of each other. Those are the moments I think back to most fondly now that it’s all done.” While the role did not require Awkwafina to become a superhero herself, it did provide new challenges. To match her character’s excellent driving skills, the actress learned stunt driving, including how to drift. It was a boot camp she reveled in. Ads by optAd360 “I’m a very aggressive driver. In general. I like going fast. But it’s hard to learn how to drift on Queens Boulevard. For this film, I went to a racetrack and the guy was like, ‘OK, we"re going learn how to drift today.’ And it was really one of the best days of my life,” says Awkwafina. But “Shang-Chi” is not just another Marvel film, nor just another Kung Fu film. For the Asian-American community, it’s the first time they’ve been able to look at a superhero on screen and see a face that looks like theirs. For Cretton, that was the driving force behind the film. “Growing up in Hawaii, I didn’t have anyone besides Bruce Lee, Rufio from the film ‘Hook’ and wrestler Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat to dress up as on Halloween. Those were my three options. So, the idea of the first Asian superhero was amazing to me.” Perhaps now, Cretton hopes, kids in that community and beyond will have a new character to pose as in the mirror, and dream that they themselves can become something more.