There's no denying that Chadwick Boseman and the success of the Black Panther franchise paved the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to champion representation, and actors like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu have benefited from it. Now, with Boseman gone, the MCU newcomer has seemingly felt a sense of pride in carrying the legacy the late actor left behind.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at the premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Simu addressed the apparent Chadwick comparisons, saying that he knows very well that he's following in the actor's footsteps. He said: "I think what I’m reminded of more and more, especially being on this carpet, is the importance of allyship and the importance of coming together and celebrating not only our own cultures but also each others, and each other’s battles and fights, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be here."
In a follow-up comment, he said: "I know that I very much follow in Chadwick’s footsteps so I’m very grateful that you made that comparison and I’m hoping that I can live up to it."
Shockingly enough, Marvel fans took his comments the wrong way and most of them believe that the actor is ego-tripping. On Twitter, Simu drew major flak for his comments with his apparent acceptance of the comparisons leaving a bad taste in fans' mouths. What do you think? Is Simu hogging the spotlight a little too much? Check out some of the reactions below:
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To be fair, I don't think Simu ever claimed that he's the flagbearer of Chadwick's legacy, and if anything, he was just simply sharing his thoughts regarding the comparisons that the interviewer probably insinuated in the first place. It's just another case of someone's comments being taken out of context which isn't exactly all that surprising, especially in the age of "cancel culture".
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits cinemas on November 11th. Meanwhile, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is streaming on Disney+.
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