Kevin Feige Calls Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu's Tweet About Disney CEO's 'Experiment' Comment a 'Misunderstanding'

Kevin Feige Calls Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu’s Tweet About Disney CEO’s ‘Experiment’ Comment a ‘Misunderstanding’

Simu Liu posted an impassioned statement on social media Saturday, seemingly taking aim at Disney CEO Bob Chapek for his comments during an earnings call last week

Kevin Feige attends Disney’s Premiere of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” at El Capitan Theatre on August 16, 2021 in Los Angeles, California

Kevin Feige attends Disney’s Premiere of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” at El Capitan Theatre on August 16, 2021 in Los Angeles, California

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is addressing the recent controversy surrounding the release strategy for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Two days before the film’s Hollywood premiere on Monday, Simu Liu posted an impassioned statement on social media, seemingly taking aim at Disney CEO Bob Chapek for calling the film’s release “an interesting experiment.”

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During the premiere Monday, Feige told The Hollywood Reporter that Liu is “not a shy man.”

“I think in that particular tweet you can see — and I think everyone does — a misunderstanding,” he said. “It was not the intention. The proof is in the movie, and we swing for the fences as we always do. With the amount of creative energy we put in and the budget, there’s no expense spared to bring this origin story to the screen.”

Chapek’s comments about Shang-Chi reportedly came during Thursday’s Q3 earnings call. The Disney exec may have been referring to the 45-day window during which the movie will be exclusively available in theaters before it streams on Disney+.

Simu Liu attends the “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” World Premiere at El Capitan Theatre on August 16, 2021 in Los Angeles, California Credit: Jesse Grant/Getty

Chapek went on to call the release “another data point” after releasing such films as Jungle Cruise, Black Widow, and Cruella simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Saturday, Liu posted on social media: “We are not an experiment.”

“We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and joy that will persevere after an embattled year. We are the surprise,” the actor wrote. “I’m fired the f— up to make history on September 3rd; JOIN US.”

Liu’s post, which included behind-the-scenes photos from the upcoming Marvel blockbuster, was met with praise from friends and fans.

“Let’s f—in' goooooo,” wrote Good Trouble star Sherry Cola. “I’ll be there!” Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Vincent Rodriguez III commented. Chrishell Stause also responded with the “100” emoji.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is making history as the first installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with an Asian lead and a predominantly Asian cast. It’s earned praise as a welcome form of representation amid rising hate crimes against the AAPI community during the pandemic.

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Liu previously spoke to PEOPLE about making history in the MCU and joining the Avengers. “I’m excited and I think for all of the good and the bad of what’s to come, it’s definitely a journey that I feel very privileged to be going on,” he said in May.

“I know how much it would’ve meant to kids and to myself as a kid seeing this when I was younger. I totally understand the importance of it,” Liu added. “I know that it’s not going to be easy, but at the same time, I feel so incredibly excited to be a part of this movement that gets to push society forward… It gets to deepen the conversation, it gets to normalize seeing Asian faces on screen and hearing Asian voices and our stories.”

RELATED VIDEO: Awkwafina is ‘Optimistic’ About Hollywood Finding a Balance Between Diversity and Representation

Liu plays Shang-Chi, a skilled martial artist, who has been trained as an assassin since childhood. After leaving the Ten Rings organization to pursue a normal life in San Francisco, he’s forced to confront his past once again. Liu stars alongside Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, and Benedict Wong.

Marvel’s Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings Has Screened, Here’s What People Are Saying About The Blockbuster

Marvel fans certainly have a lot to look forward to this year, as Phase Four of the MCU is well underway. The long-awaited Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is finally almost here, making history as the first Asian-led Marvel film. Simu Liu (who has set the record straight on how to correctly pronounce his name and the name of the film) stars as the titular Shang-Chi, a skilled martial artist who was trained at a young age to be an assassin by his father, Wenwu. But when he is drawn into the Ten Rings organization (yes, that same Ten Rings featured in Iron Man), he’s forced to confront the past he thought he left behind. The superhero film also features Awkwafina, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Michelle Yeoh, and Meng’er Zhang.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be released Friday, September 3, only in theaters and with NO immediate Disney+ release. The 45-day theater exclusive window has been called an “interesting experiment” by Disney CEO Bob Chapek, and those comments have been divisive, to say the least, with Simu Liu himself firing back. So we’ll have to wait to see how the action movie will perform at the in-theater box office. For now, however, the social media embargo has lifted and people have started to share their thoughts. Let’s check out what they’re saying.

Eternals Could Release on Disney+ According to Kevin Feige

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has hinted at a possible Disney+ for release for upcoming MCU movie Eternals. Asked whether “fans be watching #Eternals at home or at the theaters?” Feige responded with a typically vague answer, suggesting that the studio is somewhat winging it when it comes to release plans, and will bend and sway as the ongoing situation dictates.

Will fans be watching #Eternals at home or at the theaters? “I think a theater would be my preference and Chloe [Zhao]’s preference. We will see where we go with it,” says Kevin Feige. https://t.co/Tgq3Td0b9lpic.twitter.com/GyCIz04kjs — Variety (@Variety) August 17, 2021

“I think a theater would be my preference and [Eternals director] Chloe [Zhao’s] preference,” Kevin Feige said when asked about a Disney+ release for the movie, before adding a teasing, “We will see where we go with it.”

Over the last year and however many months (does time even mean anything anymore?) the world has been thrown into turmoil. Constantly brought to a standstill, even the powerhouse of Hollywood has been affected by the current circumstances, with the industry leaning heavily into streaming in order to get their movies into people’s homes amid theater closures. Marvel Studios is one such studio, and while their upcoming MCU installment Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is being an exclusive theatrical release, Feige has now hinted that things could quickly change going forward, even as soon as upcoming cosmic adventure, Eternals.

Several major studios have vastly changed their release strategies amid the current circumstances, but so far Marvel Studios has only released one theatrical feature to Disney+, Black Widow, to mixed results. While the movie saw success on the streaming platform, it has been met with a lawsuit from lead star Scarlett Johansson, which alleged that Disney had breached her contract with regards to traditional box office bonuses.

There has been further controversy from Disney regarding the next MCU installment, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, with Disney CEO Bob Chapek referring to the movie’s release as an “interesting experiment,” words which have not been met will by lead actor Simu Liu. The experiment in question refers to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings being Marvel’s first project to be released under the new 45-day theatrical window, something which could have a detrimental effect on the box office takings, particularly with audiences still nervous about returning to theaters.

Whatever Marvel Studios decide when the release date for Eternals comes around, Kevin Feige is confident it will be the right one saying, “I love the movies. I love going to the movies,” he added. “I love making movies for people to see in a shared environment in a theater together. To us, that’s what it’s about. The hybrid release can also be good - you want customers to have a choice. In this case, the choice is in theaters for 45 days. Here’s what I know: there’s an opening weekend, and you can go see a movie.”

Directed by Oscar winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao, Eternals will introduce audiences to the titular characters, an immortal alien race created by the Celestials who have secretly lived on Earth for over 7,000 years, who must now reunite to protect humanity from their evil counterparts, the Deviants. Eternals is currently scheduled to be released in the United States on November 5, 2021, as part of Phase Four of the MCU, though there has recently been rumblings about another delay. This comes to us from Variety.