NEED TO KNOW
Fans won’t have to wait long to see Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi back in action.
The Barbie actor, 36, told PEOPLE in an exclusive conversation at New York Comic Con that a follow-up to his 2021 Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings — which grossed over $432 million worldwide following its release — is in the works.
“There’s not a whole lot to tease right now, other than I think, I sound like a broken record at this point, but it is happening,” Liu said.
Marvel
“But I think the more immediate tease is of course, is [Avengers:] Doomsday,” he added. “Yeah, which comes out next year, which I was lucky enough to be a part of and will be lucky enough to be a part of its successor in Secret Wars.”
Doomsday is set for a December 2026 and Secret Wars is set for a December 2027 release, according to Marvel’s film schedule.
While he stayed tight-lipped about his exact role in the upcoming superhero films, he did share which costar he connected with most while working alongside the star-studded ensemble.
“I came away from Doomsday with like, a lot of, a lot of really fantastic friendships,” shared the Kim’s Convenience actor.
“Channing Tatum … I wanted to shout him out because he’s just one of my favorite human beings. And, um, I just had such a phenomenal time with him, on-set, off-set. He’s just, you know, such an admirable person,” he added.
Marvel Studios
Liu previously teased his work on Avengers: Doomsday by sharing a photo posing alongside Tatum, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie and new additions to the MCU: Vanessa Kirby and Ebon Moss-Bachrach on Instagram in May.
Downey also shared similar snaps to his Instagram grid, writing, “Just wow!!! Dinner and a show with the Old Avengers. So cool, fresh, and deep. Big congrats to the New Avengers (and Bob). #thunderbolts.”
The cast members confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday includes Pedro Pascal, Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tom Hiddleston, Letitia Wright, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn and Kelsey Grammer.
Liu shared at Comic Con that he had been particularly excited for the “opportunity” of getting “to do scenes” with McKellen [and] Stewart, who he “grew up watching and idolizing.” He also likened starring in Avengers: Doomsday to “turning on your TV on a Saturday morning.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
©Marvel Studios 2021
“[Because] I just feel like every single person I was working with through it — that I was fortunate enough to consider a colleague — was somebody that I had literally grown up watching,” he said.
“And then also just the fun of being in a playground where all of those people were somehow wearing spandex, and we’re all there to [play] make believe. It was just an incredible, incredible time,” he added.
Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to be directed by Avengers: Endgame filmmakers Anthony and Joe Russo, is slated to hit theaters on Dec. 18, 2026, as part of the MCU’s Phase 6. Secret Wars is slated to come out a year later on Dec. 17, 2027.
