Simu Liu Says Avengers: Doomsday Is the Ultimate Love Letter to Superhero Cinema
Stakes are sky-high for Avengers: Doomsday — and Simu Liu says this epic is a love letter to the entire superhero genre.
Can we dial the hype down on Avengers: Doomsday for, like, one second? Every time someone from this movie talks, it sounds like the biggest, most reality-shattering event in cinema history. Maybe it will be. But man, that is a lot to live up to.
Simu Liu sums it up
Simu Liu is back as Shang-Chi, and when ScreenRant asked him to describe Doomsday in three words, he went with:
'Dream come true.'
And he called the movie 'a love letter to the entire genre of superhero movies.'
He also talked about how many actors are packed into this thing, and how surreal it is to work alongside people he grew up watching — now as peers. Totally fair. That part of these mega-crossovers can still feel special.
The stakes, realistically
None of this will matter if the movie is just cameos and vibes. Marvel has been trying to find its footing again. Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps look like course corrections, but there is still a mountain of pressure on Avengers: Doomsday — and Avengers: Secret Wars right after it — to deliver something on the level of Infinity War and Endgame, if not bigger. Tall order.
Who is in this thing?
Marvel has lined up a wild roster. Current cast list includes:
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor
- Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm
- Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes
- Letitia Wright as Shuri
- Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson
- Paul Rudd as Scott Lang
- Wyatt Russell as John Walker
- Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm
- Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
- Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
- Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy
- Lewis Pullman as Bob
- Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres
- Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm
- David Harbour as Red Guardian
- Winston Duke as M'Baku
- Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost
- Tom Hiddleston as Loki
- Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier
- Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr
- Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner
- Rebecca Romijn as Raven Darkholme
- James Marsden as Scott Summers
- Channing Tatum as Remy LeBeau
- Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards
- Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom
Yes, that last pairing is exactly what it sounds like.
Will Andrew Garfield show up?
People keep asking if Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man is swinging into this one. The question is out there. No answer yet.
When does it land?
Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026.
So yeah, the cast is stacked and Simu Liu is over the moon. I just hope the movie has the story and punch to match the promises. If it does, great. If not, no amount of trailer money shots will fix it.