Simu Liu and Iman Vellani Share a Marvel Moment: New Photo Reunites Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel Ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Marvel’s Canadian contingent has quietly become one of the most beloved corners of the MCU. Simu Liu burst onto the scene as Shang-Chi, the studio’s first Asian lead superhero, while Iman Vellani brought a lifelong fan’s energy to Kamala Khan, better known as Ms. Marvel.

Both actors have openly talked about how surreal it was to step into a franchise they grew up loving. That shared story has made the pair a favorite among fans, even though their characters have yet to share the screen in live action.

Now, a newly shared photo has put the two back together and set the fan community buzzing. The picture shows Liu and Vellani posing in a Marvel-decorated space, with comic covers and collectibles on the shelves behind them. Vellani holds up a small Ms. Marvel figure beside Liu’s head, and the image landed at a moment when Marvel’s next big chapter is just around the corner.

Simu Liu and Iman Vellani in newly shared photo. https://t.co/tTql1F0EUA

— MCU Film News (@MCUFilmNews) October 22, 2026

The snapshot is simple and playful. Liu glances off to the side in a denim jacket while Vellani peeks out from behind him with the action figure, a collector’s setup that fits the actors’ well-known love for the franchise. A Marvel encyclopedia and other collectibles can be spotted in the background.

It isn’t tied to any official announcement, which is part of why fans are reading so much into it. Any time these two appear in the same frame, the reaction tends to be immediate.

The pairing isn’t new to Liu. Years ago, he said that if he could choose any MCU star to work with, it would be Vellani, partly because she is a fellow Canadian and partly because of how impressed he was by her. He also noted that their Marvel journeys felt similar, since both were big fans of this world before getting the chance to be part of it.

That sentiment has aged well. Today, both stars sit at an interesting point in the franchise, with plenty of anticipation about where their characters go next.

Liu’s path is much clearer. Shang-Chi is part of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, which opens in theaters on December 18, and Liu has said he will also appear in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ in December 2027. In a September interview, he laid out the order, with ‘Doomsday’ first, then ‘Secret Wars’, then a sequel to ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’.

Vellani’s situation is more mysterious. She wasn’t part of Marvel’s originally announced ‘Doomsday’ cast, and Marvel Studios has not confirmed her return. Still, speculation has grown. During a Cinemahub interview about the animated film ‘Animal Farm’, Andy Serkis told her he was excited to see her in ‘Doomsday’, and Vellani quickly responded that he couldn’t say that.

She has also been given a bigger role around the film as the host of the 5-episode ‘Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday’ podcast with Frank Alvarez, which began on August 27. That hosting job has only added to the questions about whether she appears in the movie itself.

Part of the excitement comes from the larger story around Kamala. ‘The Marvels’ ended with her beginning to recruit a team of young heroes, and fans have long expected a ‘Young Avengers’ storyline to follow. Insiders have claimed that members of that team could turn up in ‘Doomsday’, and one even teased that Kamala has “a new fam now,” though none of it is confirmed.

If a team-up does come together, it would finally give Liu his wish and bring two of Marvel’s most passionate fans together on screen. For now, the new photo is a fun reminder of how much goodwill surrounds the two stars.

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