Simu Liu “Tired” of Being Marvel’s First Asian Superhero – Inside the Magic
Marvel fans were in for a treat on Saturday Night Live, with both Kang the Conqueror and Shang-Chi appearing on the comedy sketch show this month.
From Thor and Loki’s “Get help” game in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) to Drax’s famous line “Why is Gamora?” in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the MCU features multiple laugh-out-loud scenes.
Now, Simu Liu has proven his comedic talent with a sketch on Saturday Night Live poking fun at Asian representation.
SNL has featured many Disney special guests and Disney-related skits in its time, with recent ones mocking ‘Baby Yoda’, Lightning McQueen, and the Disney+ television hit Wandavision.
The satirical news host Colin Jost is married to Black Widow (2021) actress Scarlett Johansson, who has hosted the show multiple times, as has Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), and Chris Hemsworth (Thor).
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) star Simu Liu made his hosting debut on SNL this weekend, alongside Saweetie as the musical guest.
The Shang Chi titular actor and Emmy-nominated SNL comedian joined forces to celebrate the Asian representation on November 20’s episode of the NBC comedy show.
In a sketch titled “Simu and Bowen”, Simu Liu and Bowen Yang satirized Hollywood’s continued celebration of cultural milestones, mocking Liu’s role as Marvel’s first Asian superhero.
It seems both think it’s “weird” that Hollywood reports their achievements as historic firsts, whether that’s being the MCU’s first major Asian hero or becoming the first Chinese American Saturday Night Live Cast Member.
Yang and Liu confessed to being tired of constantly being noted as the “First Asian” in their respective entertainment companies, displaying a magazine proclaiming the Shang-Chi And The Ten Rings star the “First Asian Marvel Lead” and commiserating over what a big deal it is to everyone.
Both actors became competitive comparing their numerous “First Asian” awards, with many becoming more ridiculous.
Simu Liu brought up his “First Asian Man to Deadpan on Splash Mountain” plaque while Yang was honored with the “First Fully Gay Asian Cast Member to Mispronounce Boutique” statuette.
The skit ended with Bowen Yang hilariously telling Liu: “Congratulations. But just remember, Simu—whatever first thing you do, I’ll always be gay.”
Simu Liu leads the cast of Marvel’s Shang-Chi, and The Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), with the Marvel Studios movie breaking all-time Labor Day box office records back in September.
The movie is now available on Disney+ and also stars Awkwafina, Ben Kingsley, and Meng’er Zhang. Shang-Chi 2 is reportedly already in development at Marvel Studios.
You can watch the sketch below:
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What did you think of Simu Liu’s appearance on Saturday Night Live? Let us know in the comments.