Awkwafina talks joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe: ''Shang-Chi' is going to mean a lot to people'
Marvel Studios recently announced a slew of exciting projects coming in the next years for phase 4.
Among the impressive lineup? Films with women taking center stage, like "Black Widow," starring Scarlett Johansson, and "Thor: Love and Thunder," with Natalie Portman taking on the lead role. Movies pushing representation to the forefront are also coming.
"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" will be the studio's first film with an Asian superhero lead, with actor Simu Liu taking on that role.
"Ocean's 8" and "Crazy Rich Asians" actress Awkwafina will also star in the film in an unannounced role. The actress recently told "Good Morning America" that she is "really, really proud and honored to be a part of it."
"I found out relatively recently about it, and I was floored," she shared. "I couldn't believe it, and I met with Destin [Daniel Cretton], who will be directing us, and he's just an incredible dude with such an insane vision."
She said she believes the film has the power to make a major impact.
"'Shang-Chi' is going to mean a lot to people. It's going to mean a lot for where we're going and for my community as well," she said.
"I think we're getting a lot of firsts in the past couple of years, and I think that there is an audience for our stories," she continued. "It's going to mean a lot for the generations to come to have a hero like that."
She said she believes Liu is an amazing choice to take on the lead role because of how much he does for her community.
"He really represents, I think, what a lot of people want to be proud of," she said.
Awkwafina is also thrilled about powerful female actresses taking leading roles in several upcoming projects in the MCU.
"It seems obvious because a lot of the heroes in my life are women too, and I think that we're entering a phase right now where we are realizing that we represent a lot of this country and that it's important to show that we have power as well," she said.
"I think that I'm a part of something that I hope will make a lasting change not only in this industry but as we progress as a society," she added. "I really hope that that carries on and that people will continue to do it."
Along with the exciting Marvel casting announcement, the actress is also starring in "The Farewell," a drama about a family saying goodbye to their sick grandmother, which premiered earlier this month.
She wanted to get involved with the Lulu Wang project after being impressed by the script.
"I'd never read anything like it," she said. "It was shortly after I did 'Oceans 8' and I was kind of wondering what was next. I was raised by my grandma, and I also know what it's like to go back to Asia and to feel lost there as well -- it meant a lot to me."
She hopes that the emotional film will "move people and cause people to think about their own lives, their own families and the love in their own families."
"It's been an incredible ride," she said.
She hopes to lift young talent starting out in the business up as her career grows.
"In five or 10 years, if I do have any platform at all, I'd like to use it to work with people who may not have previously had the chance -- new voices, new writers, new directors, new talent," she explained.
"I really want to use whatever I have to help usher in the next generation," she added.
She said one thing that's really played a role in her success is being true to herself.
"Just really aggressively being yourself -- whether people understand who you are or if they don't -- it's always better to be authentic than to be someone who later you're not," she advised. "Because if they really don't like you for you then what are you gonna do?"
With such a hectic career as of late, the star says she's a fan of a nice staycation every now and then to unwind.
She recently partnered with online travel app HotelTonight because of how much she enjoys the relaxation method.
"My perfect staycation is always somewhere I know and I'm familiar with," she said, adding two of her favorite spots to do so are in NYC and LA.
