Simu Liu is a Chinese-Canadian actor who has built an impressive film career across action, science fiction, comedy, drama, and animation. Before becoming an international star, Liu began with small screen appearances and worked as a background extra in the 2013 blockbuster Pacific Rim. His major breakthrough came with Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, where he played the title superhero and became one of the MCU’s leading stars. Since then, Liu has expanded his movie career with projects including One True Loves, Simulant, Barbie, Arthur the King, Atlas, and Jackpot!. His filmography also includes animated voice performances, allowing him to demonstrate a broader range beyond live-action roles. This complete guide to Simu Liu movies by year covers his released feature-film appearances chronologically, including his early uncredited work and voice roles.
2013 — Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim marked Simu Liu’s earliest credited film-industry appearance, although his role was an uncredited extra rather than a conventional acting part. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the 2013 science-fiction action blockbuster follows humanity’s battle against giant monsters known as Kaiju using enormous mechanized weapons called Jaegers. Liu has recalled working as a background extra on the Toronto production before he had established himself as a professional actor. Although his appearance was extremely small, Pacific Rim is notable in Simu Liu movies by year because it represents his first movie experience and an early step toward his eventual Hollywood career.
2015 — Antisocial 2
In 2015, Liu appeared in the Canadian horror sequel Antisocial 2, directed by Cody Calahan. He played a male nurse in the film, which follows survivors and victims of a deadly infection connected to the Redroom social-media network. The movie blends horror, science fiction, and thriller elements as its characters struggle against the increasingly dangerous virus. While Liu’s part was relatively small, Antisocial 2 was an important early feature-film acting credit before his television breakthrough and eventual move into major studio productions.
2021 — Women Is Losers
Women Is Losers is a 2021 drama written and directed by Lissette Feliciano, with Liu playing Gilbert. The story centers on Celina Guerrera, a young woman in 1960s San Francisco who works to overcome poverty, social restrictions, and difficult personal circumstances. Gilbert becomes connected to Celina’s professional life and offers financial advice while their relationship develops in complicated ways. The film gave Liu a grounded dramatic role and showed a different side of his acting shortly before his Marvel breakthrough.
2021 — Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings became the defining movie of Liu’s career when it was released in 2021. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the Marvel Studios superhero film stars Liu as Shaun/Shang-Chi, a martial artist forced to confront his family’s history and his father, Wenwu, played by Tony Leung. Combining superhero action, fantasy, martial arts, and family drama, the movie introduced Shang-Chi as a major new character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its success transformed Liu into an international leading man and made the film the most significant entry in Simu Liu movies by year.
2021 — Bright: Samurai Soul
Liu also provided the English-language voice of Izou in Bright: Samurai Soul, a 2021 animated fantasy action film directed by Kyōhei Ishiguro. Set in a fantastical version of feudal Japan, the movie follows a human ronin and an orc who become involved in a dangerous mission involving a young elf and a magical wand. Liu’s performance was part of the film’s English dub, making this a voice role rather than a live-action appearance. The animated feature expanded his filmography into fantasy and Japanese-inspired animation while connecting to the world established by Netflix’s Bright.
2023 — One True Loves
In 2023, Liu starred as Sam in the romantic comedy-drama One True Loves, directed by Andy Fickman. Based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel, the film follows Emma, played by Phillipa Soo, whose life is complicated when her husband Jesse, long presumed dead after a helicopter accident, unexpectedly returns while she is engaged to Sam. Liu brings a more restrained romantic-drama performance to the story, sharing the central love triangle with Soo and Luke Bracey. The film was an important change of pace following his action-heavy Marvel debut.
2023 — Simulant
Simulant is a 2023 science-fiction thriller directed by April Mullen, with Liu playing Casey, a highly skilled hacker. The story takes place in a near future where artificial humanoids called simulants are created to resemble and replace deceased people, eventually raising questions about artificial intelligence and human control. Casey helps an android named Evan remove restrictions on its abilities, setting off a dangerous conflict with authorities. Liu also served as an executive producer on the film, making Simulant one of the projects where his involvement extended beyond acting.
2023 — Barbie
Liu joined the enormous ensemble of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie in 2023 as Rival Ken, one of the Kens competing with Ryan Gosling’s version of the character. The comedy-fantasy film follows Margot Robbie’s Barbie as she travels from Barbieland into the real world while confronting questions about identity, gender roles, and what it means to be human. Liu’s Ken becomes a comic rival to Gosling’s Ken and participates in the film’s memorable Barbieland conflicts. Barbie became a worldwide cultural phenomenon and gave Liu one of his most recognizable non-Marvel movie roles.
2024 — Arthur the King
In 2024, Liu appeared in the adventure drama Arthur the King as Leo, a member of an adventure-racing team. Directed by Simon Cellan Jones and led by Mark Wahlberg, the film is based on Mikael Lindnord’s memoir about an endurance racer who forms an extraordinary bond with a stray dog during a grueling race. The story combines sports adventure, survival, and emotional drama as the team travels through difficult terrain in the Dominican Republic. Liu’s role as Leo placed him in a strong ensemble alongside Wahlberg, Juliet Rylance, and Nathalie Emmanuel.
2024 — Atlas
Atlas is a 2024 science-fiction action film directed by Brad Peyton, starring Jennifer Lopez as intelligence analyst Atlas Shepherd. Liu plays Harlan Shepherd, a character whose connection to Atlas becomes central to the film’s larger mystery involving artificial intelligence and a dangerous rogue machine. The story follows Atlas as she joins a mission to capture a renegade AI before being forced to reconsider her deep distrust of technology. The Netflix production allowed Liu to return to the science-fiction genre while playing a significant supporting role opposite Lopez, Sterling K. Brown, and Mark Strong.
2024 — Jackpot!
Liu took on a more comedic role in the 2024 action comedy Jackpot!, directed by Paul Feig. He plays Louis Lewis, a slick rival to John Cena’s character, Noel Cassidy, as they compete over the protection of Awkwafina’s lottery-winning character. The film is set in a near-future California where a newly established lottery allows people to legally kill the winner before sundown and claim the enormous prize. Liu’s performance combines physical comedy, action, and exaggerated villainous charm, making Jackpot! a lighter addition to his increasingly varied movie career.
2025 — Last Breath
Last Breath was released in 2025 as a survival thriller based on a true deep-sea diving incident. Directed by Alex Parkinson, the film stars Liu as Dave Yuasa, one of the divers involved in a desperate attempt to save colleague Chris Lemons after a catastrophic accident hundreds of feet beneath the North Sea. Liu stars alongside Finn Cole, Woody Harrelson, and Cliff Curtis in a tense story built around isolation, teamwork, and survival against extreme conditions. The film was particularly notable because Parkinson had previously directed the acclaimed 2019 documentary of the same name about the real incident.
2025 — In Your Dreams
In 2025, Liu provided the voice of Michael Ting, or Dad, in the animated adventure comedy In Your Dreams. Directed by Alex Woo and co-directed by Erik Benson, the Netflix film follows siblings Stevie and Elliot as they enter a surreal dream world in search of the Sandman and a way to create their ideal family. Liu voices their fun-loving father, Michael, a musician who continues pursuing his dreams while trying to set an example for his children. The role adds another family-oriented animated performance to Liu’s filmography and demonstrates his range beyond live-action action and comedy.
Conclusion
Simu Liu’s movie career has developed from a tiny background appearance in Pacific Rim into a diverse filmography spanning superhero blockbusters, horror, romance, science fiction, action comedy, survival thrillers, and animation. His breakthrough as Shang-Chi established him as a major international star, while films such as Barbie, Arthur the King, Atlas, and Jackpot! have shown his ability to move comfortably between genres. His voice performances in Bright: Samurai Soul and In Your Dreams have also broadened his work beyond traditional live-action roles. Looking at Simu Liu movies by year shows a relatively compact but increasingly varied film career, with the actor continuing to expand his range across major Hollywood productions.
