Hong Kong star Tony Leung, who is winning hearts with the portrayal of Wenwu in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings“, said in a recent interview that starring in a superhero movie was something that he always wanted to do. He also revealed that he is a fan of classic Marvel characters Iron Man and Deadpool. 

“I watch a lot of Marvel movies, and I have my favourite characters too. Deadpool and Iron Man are my favourite characters. I didn’t expect that I would have a chance to be a member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” Leung said in a transcript shared with PTI by Marvel Studios.

The 59-year-old actor is immensely popular for his many collaborations with filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai that gave the world cinematic gems such as “Chungking Express”, “Happy Together”, “In the Mood for Love” and “2046”.

“Shang-Chi“, which is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and features Chinese-Canadian star Simu Liu as Marvel’s first Asian superhero, is set after the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’. It follows Shang-Chi who is drawn into the clandestine Ten Rings organisation, and is forced to confront the past he thought he left behind.

Leung revealed it was Cretton who persuaded him to come aboard the film. He added he felt he could trust the director.

“I had a phone meeting with him and, of course, he couldn’t tell me much about the story at that time, so I had only little hints about my character and the story. But I felt very good talking to him, and I thought I could trust him,” he said. 

Also Read: Feels like a moment in culture: ‘Shang-Chi’ star Simu Liu on playing Marvel’s first Asian superhero

On the film’s set in Sydney, Australia, Leung said that the filmmaker made him feel very relaxed and worry free.

“He used to encourage me a lot after a take. He would say that my performance was perfect, or so good. It really made me build up a lot of confidence, especially at the beginning of shooting. “Sometimes he would give me some adjustments, but I liked that very much as well. It was really nice working with him,” he added.

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, which also stars Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu and Benedict Wong, released in India on Friday.