Simu Liu Initially Didn’t Want Shang-Chi To Wear Air Jordans
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu reveals that initially he did not want Shang-Chi to wear Air Jordans as part of his costume.
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu has revealed that he was initially apprehensive about having the titular character wear Air Jordans. The movie was a huge hit for Marvel Studios, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Shang-Chi was the first movie to reach $200 million domestically, and ended up grossing $431.9 million worldwide. While its total box office could have been higher if not for the pandemic, it was still a massive and impressive feat. It was critically acclaimed by critics and the general audience, getting some of the best MCU reviews yet, and the best for any Phase 4 MCU movie so far.
Shang-Chi followed the titular character on a journey as he reconnected with his father Wenwu (Tony Leung), the leader of the Ten Rings organization, and attempted to stop him. He teams up with his friend Katy (Awkwafina) and his sister Xu Xialing (Meng’er Zhang) to get this done. The film had massive scale in the third act, which is not uncommon for an MCU entry, but was very fresh in Shang-Chi. The emphasis on and usage of Chinese culture was acclaimed, and helped elevate the movie to new levels.
Now, Liu has opened up about how he did not want Shang-Chi wearing Air Jordans as part of his superhero costume. In an interview with Inverse (via CBR), Liu reveals the apprehension he had with this aspect of Shang-Chi’s costume and the comics version of it, saying: “‘Well, that’s offensive.’ I wrote it off right away.” He shares that he had other ideas for what type of footwear should have been worn, but that he quickly enjoyed the Jordans once seeing the costume together. Check out Liu’s full quote below:
“I fought against it initially. I remember doing the costume fitting and being like, ‘Is he the first superhero to wear running shoes? He should be wearing, like, battle boots or something.’ I didn’t see it the way they saw it.
“As we got into production, I was like, ‘Oh, it’s actually really cool.’ It makes him relatable.”
While Liu had his reasons for not wanting to wear the Air Jordans, it ended up being one of the most exciting parts of the character and the costume. This gave the character a sense of relatability and a fun way to connect to the audiences. Many modern day superheroes have similar looks to their costumes, opting for the tactical-style boots that Liu mentions. This is yet another way that Shang-Chi’s costume sets itself apart from others, which seems to be a trend with recent MCU Phase 4 costumes.
Concept art designer Andy Park also mentions that the Air Jordans were important, saying “That’s why I added the shoes, to have something from the west that is his. That’s the story of him. You see it on his costume.” This gives the movie a new way to show the representation that Shang-Chi has from every aspect of his life, which is developmental for his character. Through this, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was able to develop a costume for the new hero that felt authentic to him while also a part of the MCU.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/shang-chi-costume-simu-liu-air-jordans-shoes/