Simu Liu, the actor cast as Marvel’s first leading Asian superhero – who exactly is he?

Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu is to become the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first leading Asian superhero.

Liu is set to take on the role of Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, slated for release in February 2021, according to Marvel Studios, which made the announcement over the weekend at Comic Con in San Diego.

But who exactly is Simu Liu?

Born in Harbin, China, in 1989, Liu emigrated to Canada with his whole family at the age of five. According to a report on the Character Media website, which follows Asian-Americans in entertainment, Liu – like many children of Asian immigrants – worked hard to fulfil his parents’ expectations and became an accountant after graduating from the University of Western Ontario's Ivey Business School.

He worked briefly at accounting giant Deloitte before getting laid off “because I was so bad”, Liu said on his Twitter feed.

“I lasted less than a year,” Liu said in an interview with Character Media. “I was miserable at this job, just as I was miserable as a student, and really didn’t feel like I was living the most purposeful version of my life at all.”