‘Shang-Chi’ Star Simu Liu and Iman Vellani Turn Up Together in a New Photo, and MCU Fans Are Reading Into It
Marvel’s Canadian contingent has quietly become one of the franchise’s most beloved corners, and two names sit at the center of it. Any time Simu Liu and Iman Vellani appear in the same frame, the fan response tends to be immediate, because their respective heroes have never actually shared the screen in live action. A newly shared photo of the pair has landed right in the middle of Marvel’s busiest stretch in years.
Both actors arrived in the MCU as outspoken fans first. Liu rose to prominence starring as Shang-Chi in ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ in 2021, while Vellani made her onscreen debut as Kamala Khan in the Disney+ series ‘Ms. Marvel’ in 2022, becoming the MCU’s first Muslim superhero to lead a title.
The image, shared by MCU Film News on October 22, shows the two in what appears to be a Marvel-decorated space, with comic covers mounted behind them and Vellani holding up an action figure beside Liu’s head. Within hours, it had already pulled in the attention of many fans, which tells you how closely this particular pairing is watched.
The interest isn’t new. Back in 2023, while speaking to Men’s Health, Liu was asked which newer MCU star he’d most like to work with, and he singled out Vellani, pointing to their shared Canadian roots and calling her a genuinely wonderful person. He added that her fandom reminded him of himself, noting the role was every bit as surreal a dream for her as it was for him.
Their paths have crossed in animation already. Both reprised their characters in the Disney+ series ‘Marvel Zombies’, which premiered in 2025, alongside Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd and David Harbour.
Simu Liu and Iman Vellani in newly shared photo. https://t.co/tTql1F0EUA
— MCU Film News (@MCUFilmNews) October 22, 2026
Liu is heading into one of the busiest periods of his Marvel tenure. He’s part of the stacked ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ ensemble arriving in theaters this December, joining Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd and a long list of returning and debuting heroes.
He’s also been candid about what comes next. At a recent signing, Liu laid out the order as ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ first, then ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’, and only after that a ‘Shang-Chi’ sequel, which effectively confirmed Shang-Chi survives the first of those two films.
Vellani, meanwhile, has arguably become Marvel’s most visible in-house superfan. She currently co-hosts the ‘Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday Official Podcast’ with Frank Alvarez of ‘The Basement Yard’, a video series on Disney+ in which the two rewatch and break down films from the Infinity Saga ahead of ‘Doomsday’. The pair also serve as producers on the show, which is produced in partnership with Omaha Productions.
Her fandom extends well past acting. She’s written Ms. Marvel comics with co-writer Sabir Pirzada, and this year made her solo writing debut on the Image Comics series ‘Chachu’. She’s been busy outside Marvel, too. Vellani appeared in the 2026 release ‘Animal Farm’ and has been cast in ‘Shiver’, ‘Mouse’, and ‘Suffering is Optional’, the last marking her first leading role in a feature film.
New trailer for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ In theaters December 18 https://t.co/1wsiTk1Nnv
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) August 15, 2026
Here’s the part that makes the photo fun rather than mysterious: Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel are both listed among the heroes converging in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’, which is slated for December 2027. That means Liu’s long-stated wish to share scenes with Vellani is already penciled in.
The pair have a history of public mutual support going back to the beginning. When Vellani’s casting was announced in 2020, Liu was among the first to congratulate her, writing that he couldn’t wait to see what she’d do for audiences everywhere.
Which Marvel project would you most like to see Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel team up in?
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