Simu Liu has spoken out about the lack of Asian representation in Hollywood, sparking a viral discussion across social media.
The Barbie actor reposted a Threads post calling for more Asian men to be cast in romantic comedies. He added a damning statement of his own, which quickly gained traction—garnering 12,100 likes and more than 174,000 views.
“Put some Asians in literally anything right now. the amount of backslide in our representation onscreen is f***** appalling. Studios think we’re ‘risky,'” he wrote.
He referenced Crazy Rich Asians, Minari, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and The Farewell all as being financial successes.
“No Asian actor has ever lost a studio even close to 100 million dollars, but a white dude will lose 200 million TWICE and roll right into the next tentpole lead. We’re fighting a deeply prejudiced system. and most days it SUCKS,” he wrote.
Newsweek has reached out to Simu Liu’s publicist via email for comment.
The Track Record: Asian-Led Films Have Been Commercial Successes
The films Liu referenced—Crazy Rich Asians, Minari, The Farewell, Past Lives, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Everything Everywhere All at Once—have all been critical and financial successes relative to their budgets.
Crazy Rich Asians earned around $239 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing romantic comedy in almost a decade, according to Awards Daily.
Shang-Chi made roughly $432 million globally, despite debuting during the pandemic. Everything Everywhere All at Once made $143 million worldwide and later swept the Oscars with seven wins.
Simu Liu’s History of Advocacy
Liu has long been outspoken about on-screen representation. Since rising to global recognition through Marvel’s Shang-Chi, he has frequently highlighted systemic gaps in the industry and challenged Hollywood’s assumptions about what stories and which actors are considered “marketable.”
Simu Liu is a Chinese Canadian actor, author, and former stunt performer best known for playing the lead role in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to feature an Asian superhero protagonist.
Born in Harbin, China, and raised in Ontario, Canada, Liu worked as an accountant before transitioning into entertainment, getting his start as an extra and stunt performer.
He first gained recognition for his role as Jung in the Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience, which ran from 2016 to 2021.
Threads Users Respond
Liu’s post prompted an outpouring of responses from Threads users who echoed his concerns and pointed to broader patterns across film, TV, and beyond.
One user referenced Marvel’s recent promotional strategy, writing: “Why does this also feel tied to the fact that Thunderbolts, with its majority white cast, was marketed as ‘the future of the MCU’ and a ‘new direction.’ Meanwhile we don’t even get to see Sam put Shang-Chi on his Avengers until Doomsday? And offscreen apparently? Why does it feel like this ‘new direction’ is away from the more recent push for more diverse heroes?”
Another commenter urged collective action: “We gotta start our own studios chief. Sometimes you gotta be a part of the community to look out for the community. And it def starts with people like you with the platform and resources.”
Others lamented how many talented actors remain underutilized.
“Daniel Dae Kim should be one of the biggest stars of this century. Manny should be on a Pedro Pascal-type run. Hollywood is wasting generational talents,” wrote one user.
Several expressed disappointment that groundbreaking moments have not translated into long-term change: “I was so sure we’d see an explosion after Shang Chi and Crazy Rich Asians. But Everything, Everywhere was treated as a surprise hit. And even after that it’s dry out here. They say Hollywood is greedy. But they’re dumber than they are greedy.”
The frustration extended beyond film. Author Kat Lieu connected Simu Liu’s comments to her own industry: “Yep. This touches the book industry too. I authored the very first Asian cookie cookbook and while readers love it, the media has been so quiet about it. National morning shows bring on white male authors, but keep saying no to me despite my book selling, me being a TEDx speaker, and pretty vocal in the food world. We need to keep speaking up about this and lifting each other.”
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