Marvel superstar Simu Liu is receiving backlash from fans for seemingly benign comments he made on the red carpet of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiere when discussing the legacy of Chadwick Boseman.
Sporting an all-black fitted suit and matching black spectacles, Liu expressed his excitement at seeing how the upcoming Black Panther movie plans to explore this next phase of its story sans Boseman. In speaking with The Hollywood Reporter Liu 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.”
However, it was Liu’s follow-up comment that struck the wrong chord with fans:
“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.”
The reactions from fans were immediate, pouring in through every crevice of Twitter. Several criticized Liu for hogging the spotlight and having the gall to compare himself to Boseman, who passed away in Aug 2020 from colon cancer.
Liu, who rose to fame with his portrayal of Marvel’s first Asian superhero in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, has not been without a marred past, bagging criticism for comments he supposedly made in a long-deleted Reddit post years before landing his Marvel gig; a post in which he supposedly compared pedophiles to gay people, and being gay to having a mutation. The comments were never substantiated by Liu and were only ever tied to him because the writer of the post claimed to be a Canadian actor. However, Liu did “shut down trolls” on a Twitter post shortly thereafter, and all the “bad faith actors who want to drag your name through the mud.”
A few Twitter users attempted to see through Liu’s potential fumble on the red carpet by explaining that Black Panther, Marvel’s first Black superhero — and by extension, Boseman — made it possible for Liu, Marvel’s first Asian superhero, to exist in mainstream media.
It’s clear Liu meant no harm with his comments, especially when watching a separate clip of him on the red carpet offering up nothing but praise for Boseman and his legacy. Yet, even here Liu somehow manages to make the moment about himself, saying Boseman’s passing affected him “personally” as if to insinuate “more so than others.”
Simu Liu may be a rising star in Hollywood with a growing list of acting credits to his name, but given his experience with scrambling words and mixing up meanings, it’s high time the 33 year-old actor either gets his PR representative to walk him through choreographed scenarios of interview questions, or simply to think more deeply before he speaks.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters around the world on Nov. 11, 2022
Published: Oct 27, 2022 06:08 pm