Simu Liu: Marvel Keeps Cast in Dark Due to Holland, Ruffalo

It's official: Shang-Chi is making a triumphant return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday livestream confirmed that Simu Liu will reprise his role in the upcoming ensemble film. However, due to Marvel Studios' notorious secrecy around spoilers, Liu remained tight-lipped about his involvement, only revealing that his name would appear alongside other MCU legends on the back of a chair.

Last month's Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal was dominated by veteran X-Men actors, signaling a major inclusion of the X-Men in the film. Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, and James Marsden are all set to appear, with Grammer reprising his role as Beast after his MCU debut in The Marvels' post-credits scene. Stewart, who portrayed Charles Xavier/Professor X in the X-Men films, made a brief appearance in the MCU in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a member of the Illuminati. Meanwhile, McKellen, Cumming, Romijn, and Marsden, who played Magneto, Nightcrawler, Mystique, and Cyclops respectively, have yet to make their MCU debuts. This raises the intriguing question: is Avengers: Doomsday secretly an Avengers vs. X-Men movie?

"I knew I was going to be involved in it to some capacity,” Liu shared during a recent appearance on the Jennifer Hudson Show. “But I didn't know who else they were announcing. They don't tell us anything. Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo ruined it for all of us. Now, they don't tell us.” Liu was referencing the well-known leaks by Holland about the MCU’s Spider-Man series and Ruffalo's habit of spilling plot points for the Avengers. Since these incidents, Marvel has tightened its grip on spoilers, keeping even the cast in the dark.

In addition to his MCU role, Liu also starred as one of the Kens in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. He expressed his awe at seeing the names of Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart announced as part of the cast. “These are two of the greatest actors to have ever walked the face of the Earth. That blew my mind a little bit,” he remarked during the interview.

Liu first appeared as Shang-Chi in Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021, but fans have been eagerly awaiting his return. With a release date set for May 1, 2026, and a star-studded cast, Avengers: Doomsday remains shrouded in mystery. However, more details are expected to emerge within the next year, whether through official channels or unintended leaks.

Meanwhile, MCU fans have also been buzzing about Robert Downey Jr’s recent Doctor Doom-themed invitation for his 60th birthday party, further fueling speculation and excitement about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.