Shang-Chis Simu Liu Has Written Multiseason Plan For X-Men Sunfire

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu has written a multiseason plan for a television show centered on X-Men character Sunfire. Liu, best known for his role on Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, will join the MCU later this year as Shang-Chi, Marvel Comics' famed Master of Kung Fu. Shang-Chi marks the first time the character will be depicted in film, and it'll be the MCU's first Asian-led movie. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the movie also stars Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Meng'er Zhang, and Tony Leung.

Liu's path to the Shang-Chi role is a rather amusing one. Back in 2014, Liu tweeted at Marvel Studios complimenting them on their work with Thor and Captain America, but questioning when an Asian hero would take to the screen. Over the years, he continued to playfully ask the studio about playing Shang-Chi for the MCU. Liu was officially cast in 2019 and presented onstage at San Diego Comic-Con; his past tweets resurfaced, highlighting just how perfect his casting already was. As the wait for Shang-Chi's premiere continues, Liu has cemented himself as an advocate for positive Asian representation.

That desire for representation has bled into his own work, as evidenced by a new profile with Men's Health. While speaking about Asian America rep within entertainment, it's said Liu is looking to further that with projects he can produce, direct, or write, not just star in. One of these potential projects is a series based on X-Men's Sunfire; Liu has written a "multiseason bible" about the character, should Marvel be interested.

Created by Roy Thomas and Don Heck, Sunfire first made his debut in X-Men #64 back in 1970. A Japanese mutant whose real name is Shiro Yoshida, Sunfire has the ability to generate superheated plasma and fly. He was only a member of the X-Men for a brief period of time, but he maintained ties to the team over the years. Sunfire has made small appearances in animated television shows over the years, but has yet to take center stage. Still, with the MCU inching toward introducing the X-Men, there could perhaps be a future for him.

It helps that Marvel is looking to introduce new characters through their Disney+ shows. Heroes like Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) and Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac) will star in their own streaming shows, which could be an excellent platform for someone like Sunfire as well. Liu evidently has already put in the work to develop a television show around the character, and he has the connections within Marvel. Of course, this isn't to say Marvel will pick up Liu on his offer. But should Liu really be interested in developing an X-Men show about Sunfire, who knows what the future holds?

When is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline? For the majority of the MCU's run, it became an unspoken rule that each movie was set in the year they came out in theaters. This included obvious outliers like Captain America: The First Avenger, but it was in Phase 3 that the timeline became extra complicated. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was set in 2014, Captain Marvel took place in 1995, and then Avengers: Endgame jumped five years into the future to 2023 - only to see Spider-Man: Far From Home progress the timeline to 2024.