Simu Liu cast as Marvel's 'Shang-Chi'

Canadian-Chinese actor Simu Liu has been cast as martial arts superhero Shang-Chi in Marvel Studios long-in-the-works film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Liu, best known for his performance in CBS sitcom Kim's Convenience, will be starring alongside Awkwafina and veteran actor Tony Leung in the Shang-Chi stand-alone.

The announcements were made at Marvel's presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, where Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige also announced that the film will be hitting the theatres on Feb. 12, 2021.

According to Variety, Destin Daniel Cretton is directing the film.

The character Shang-Chi, born in China to a Chinese father and a white American mother, first appeared in 1973's Special Marvel Edition No. 15.

The character was created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin after Marvel failed to acquire the comic book rights to the television series Kung Fu.

Shang-Chi was trained as a martial artist assassin by his father, the infamous pulp villain Fu Manchu, but later became a hero after rebelling against his father's ways.

Wonder Woman 1984 screenwriter Dave Callaham is penning the script for Shang-Chi.