Simu Liu says ‘It’s about goddamn time’, hinting at his appearance as Shang Chi in Avengers: Doomsday

Written by Allen Macaraeg

New York, NY– With all eyes turned to Avengers: Doomsday, it was no secret that fans would be tuning into New York Comic Con for some answers. On Friday, October 10, Simu Liu and Meng’er Zhang took their family reunion to the stage for “Shang Chi Legend of the Hidden Panel”, sharing heartfelt memories from their time on set and teasing some details about the upcoming 2026 movie.

Liu described pure exhilaration when asked how he felt when he got the Avengers: Doomsday call, hiding from the opportunity to name drop who would join the screen with him. He earned a collective cheer from the crowd, saying “It’s about goddamn time” before adding, “Let the records show that I was just kidding”.

This theme of hiding carried through to Zhang’s experience auditioning for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, where the actress noted that she needed to sign an NDA without even knowing that she was auditioning for Marvel. 

The actors also walked the audience down their memory lane, talking about having a strong sibling dynamic despite being only children and how contradictory it was that Liu took care of Zhang like an older brother despite her being 2 years older than him.

After being asked about his part in Marvel’s What If… series, he also mentioned how meaningful it was that “in every universe Shang Chi is looking for his sister”.

During the panel, both actors shared their love for Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Liu said he’s been chasing the warmth of belonging they had created on set, and Zhang agreed, saying “We hung out every weekend — played VR games, watched movies, just like a real family,” she said. “I really miss that.”

One excited fan introduced himself as Asian-American and asked Liu the age-old question: “Does your family finally accept acting as a career?”. The question earned an echo of laughter from the audience and the stars, with Liu offering a reluctant nod and a smile. He responded that it was difficult at first and that they had accepted that they would be funding his entire life, but with time they grew to see his success. 

Shang Chi is set to return to the screen in Avengers: Doomsday set to release in 2026.