One of the roles that Tan lost was that of Shang-Chi in the upcoming Marvel movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Shang-Chi, also known as the Master of Kung Fu is played by Simu Liu. Though Tan lost the role to Liu, he didn’t hold back his praise for Liu, who is also his friend.
A friend of mine, Simu, got that part. And I think he’s going to do a fantastic job with the material.
When Tan first got word that he didn’t land the leading role in Shang-Chi, he was devastated. When talking to ET, he revealed how losing that role paved his way to playing Cole Young in Mortal Kombat.
Roughly three weeks after learning he didn't land the role of Shang-Chi, Tan was on his way to Nashville, Tennessee, to race Cars at Nascar.
On his way, he learned he had gotten the role in Mortal Kombat and that while he could not portray the Master of Kung Fu, he would play a brand new character in the much-loved franchise.
Mortal Kombat has since received very favorable ratings and praises from fans and critics alike. Its teaser also became the most viewed red band trailer of all time, amassing 116 million views in the first week alone.
