Simu Liu wanted to change direction after Shang-Chi role

Simu Liu wanted to do something "completely different" after starring in 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'.

The 32-year-old star became the first Asian actor to lead a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie in the recent superhero flick but will now star in the upcoming romantic flick 'One True Loves' as he felt a change of direction was needed.

Simu added that he didn't want to be trapped doing "kung-fu films" in a similar manner to Jackie Chan and the late Bruce Lee.

Asked about his decision to shift genres, he told The Hollywood Reporter: "To quote Monty Python, 'and now for something completely different!'

"Coming off an action film/martial arts spectacle like 'Shang-Chi', I knew that much of the world was going to expect me to do more kung fu films."

Simu continued: "It's always been important to me to constantly challenge people's perceptions of myself, as well as of Asian people as a whole.

"While I celebrate legendary actors such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Bruce Lee, I know that my path is very different. I am not a master of kung-fu, after all; I am an actor who trained very hard to embody the character that I was hired to play."

The star admits that he wants to continue to challenge the perception of Asian characters during his career and describes it as "avant-garde" to be playing a typical human being.

Simu said: "I want to play characters that people can connect to, and that continue to challenge people's expectations of what Asian people can be.

"It sounds strange, but sometimes it feels like the most avant-garde thing I can do as an Asian actor is to play a human being. No martial arts, no stereotypes, no accent... just a flawed, messy, insecure human."