Liu, best known for his take on Marvel’s Shang-Chi, has been on a hot streak recently. His upward trajectory in Hollywood has recently been highlighted after being selected for Greta Gerwig’sBarbie,where hejoins actors such as Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Being cast in a film with other high profile talent such as Robbie, Gosling, and Gerwig has really showcased how Liu has gone from smaller-profile turns to big, blockbuster movies.
Now, according toThe Hollywood Reporter, Simu Liu and several others have been cast in Netflix’s new project,Atlas,and that the actor is expected to star as a villain in the film - a turn away from his previous superheroic role.
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Atlasis centered on an intelligence analyst who gets stranded on a distant planet, where they must learn to fight inside a military-grade mech suit in order to survive the planet’s harsh environment. Also joining the film with Liu are actors such asThis is Us’Sterling K. Brown, Abraham Popoola, and Jennifer Lopez. The film will be directed by Brad Peyton, while its screenwriter is Aron Eli Coleite, who’s working on an original script by Leo Sardarian.
The project is a part of Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions and Netflix. Netflix, of course, is known for producing original films such asEnola Holmes 2.Meanwhile, Lopez’s production company, which is also run by production partner Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and longtime Lopez manager Benny Medina, aims to produce a slate of films, tv shows, and scripted and unscripted content which support a diverse assortment of female actors, writers, and filmmakers.
Liu’s casting as a villain inAtlaswill likely be the perfect vehicle to showcase his talent. While his most famous casting - asShang-Chi- is that of a superhero, Liu is showing a willingness to branch out and avoid being typecast as the protagonist of the story. The story also sounds quite promising, being a sci-fi take on the concept of man vs. nature.
Liu has, however, courted controversy in the real world in recent weeks. When he apparentlymocked Warner Bros. Discovery’sBatgirlcancellation, some pointed out that the cast and crew of the film were going through some intense emotions about the move. Others flat-out called on Liu to delete the Tweet, saying it was inappropriate to mock the cancellation so close to its announcement. However, some came to the actor’s defense, saying that the Tweet was not meant to mock the cast and crew of the film; instead, it was meant to support the production of the film while poking fun at Warner Bros. Discovery.
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