Marvel’s Simu Lui To Co-Star In “Arthur The King”

Simu Lui recently wrapped filming on his role in Marvel’s Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but the actor isn’t slowing down. It was just announced that the actor has signed on to star opposite Mark Wahlberg in Arthur the King, which will also feature Ali Suliman and Rob Collins.

The movie is based on the true story of a captain of a Swedish adventure racing team. Said captain would rescue a wounded stray dog during a 400-mile race through the Ecuadoran jungle and he would help the animal recover as the passed through some of the most dangerous terrain in the world. Wahlberg will be playing the titular Swedish captain, named Lindnord, while Liu will assume the role of Liam.

The project will be helmed by Simon Cellan Jones, who’s taking over from the departing Baltasar Kormakur, who was forced to exit due to scheduling conflicts. Sierra/Affinity will be producing the film, but there is no distribution for the film as of yet. Paramount was originally set for that position, but bowed out early in the process, leading to Lionsgate stepping in. However, the mini-major has also stepped away from the production, which is now in a state of distribution limbo.

Even though there seems to be some behind-the-scenes turmoil, the casting of Lui is a strong show of confidence from producers. The MCU actor has been often discussed in film circles since he was cast as Shang Chi, Marvel’s newest big screen hero. That superhero film will certainly be a test for Lui as a leading man, and there is a small amount of concern about that film, as Shang Chi is a very deep cut from Marvel’s catalog.

It seems smart by Lui to follow that up with a project with such a strong, broadly appealing story behind it. And it doesn’t hurt that ever-reliable Mark Wahlberg will be leading the cast. There is no timetable for production on Arthur the King and with Lui’s commitments to promote his Marvel film, it’ll likely won’t film until sometime next summer.