Simu Liu has now ascended to superstar status after the smash-hit Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The MCU blockbuster defied pandemic box office predictions to become a sizable hit, with Marvel Studios quickly confirming that a sequel is in development.
One amusing side note to all this was Simu Liu’s past as a stock photo model coming back to haunt him. Social media was inundated with pictures of Liu as a go-getting and enthusiastic office worker, which he reacted to by turning them against Shang-Chi haters. You’d think that Liu’s fame would cause companies to think twice about using images featuring him, though Toshiba doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo:
But Toshiba may not entirely be at fault here. The photocopier model pictured is the Toshiba e-STUDIO 4508A, which was released in 2015, which is when Liu first started making waves in CBC’s Kim’s Convenience. Judging by the slightly faded instruction booklet I’m betting this comes from around the same time, so the graphic designers weren’t to know they had a future megastar on their hands.
Anyway, it’s hardly surprising that Liu’s stock photos continue to pop up because, simply, they’re good stock photos. Liu clearly put the effort in during the shoot and it’s that work ethic that got him to where he is today.
Liu will next voice a character in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, as well as appear in upcoming thriller Hello Stranger. However, it’s his next MCU appearance that has fans most excited, so let’s hope he’s back in a movie or Disney Plus show sooner rather than later.