Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu has made a tongue-in-cheek joke about why people should think he'll be in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
On Twitter, Liu wrote, "Having played the role of Spider-Man at birthday parties in and around the Greater Toronto Area, I'm a little offended nobody thought I was going to be in No Way Home." He later added, "There's definitely a pocket universe somewhere, that's all I'm saying."
Liu's joke is a reference to speculation that previous actors to play Spider-Man will appear in No Way Home. There have long been persistent rumors Tobey Maguire -- who played Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's original trilogy -- and Andrew Garfield -- who took on the role for two Amazing Spider-Man movies -- will appear in No Way Home. However, Garfield has downplayed any such rumors in recent interviews.
Regardless of just whether Maguire and Garfield do appear in the film, No Way Home will feature a lot of villains from Spider-Man's past series. Following the events of 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter Parker -- played by Tom Holland -- will enlist Doctor Stephen Strange's help in hiding his identity. However, in the process, they'll accidentally break open the multiverse, forcing Spider-Man to fight such classic villains as Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Norman Osborn/Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Flint Marko/Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Max Dillon/Electro (Jamie Foxx).
Previously known for his role as Jung on Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, Liu made his debut as Shaun/Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which released earlier this year. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings proved a success at the worldwide box office, earning more than $431 million against a budget of between $150 and $200 million. The movie was also well-regarded by critics and currently sits at a 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Just when Shang-Chi will next return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't known, but the film's mid-credits scene did set up his entrance into the wider world of superheroes.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is available now on digital and home media. He's not currently slated to appear in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Directed by Jon Watts, that film releases Dec. 17. Tickets for No Way Home are on sale now.