Simu Liu Brings The ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Countdown To Hong Kong As Shang-Chi’s Return Nears
Marvel has spent the better part of a year turning a simple ticking clock into one of the most recognizable pieces of its marketing. Now that the clock is winding down, it is showing up in cinemas and promotional displays around the world, and it has found its way into a fresh photo of Simu Liu.
The actor, who plays Shang-Chi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, posted a new picture from Hong Kong, where a promotional display for the movie features a Chinese-language countdown to ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. Standing in front of the backdrop with his hands in his pockets, Liu joked that the doomsday clock is now live in Hong Kong. The display pairs the glowing timer with the Avengers logo and local branding for the film.
The image lands at a moment when anticipation for the crossover is building fast. Marvel lists the movie as a theatrical release on Dec. 18, with Joe and Anthony Russo directing and Robert Downey Jr. returning to the franchise as Victor von Doom. That date was not always the plan, since Disney postponed the film about seven months from its previous May 1 date.
The countdown itself has a long history. The first teaser trailer ended with a countdown, and fans debated whether it was more than a simple timer. The Russos later posted a short clip on Instagram marking exactly one year until release, with a clock that glitched to reveal the message DOOMSDAY.
Marvel then went a step further. The studio launched a YouTube stream titled ‘DOOMSDAY CLOCK’, featuring the Avengers logo, the phrase “DOOMSDAY IS COMING” and the countdown graphic from the weekly teasers. It had also been widely reported that there will be an in-universe countdown to the final Incursion, similar to what happened in Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers runs. Whether that comparison holds up on screen remains to be seen.
For Liu, the appearance is a reminder of how long he has waited to return. He is reprising Shang-Chi for the first live-action appearance since his 2021 solo debut. He announced his involvement by joking about poking his head out of a karaoke booth, a nod to a memorable scene from his first film.
He has also been open about how the experience felt. Liu has said that acting alongside Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen left him the most starstruck he has ever felt, and he likened filming to playing with action figures as a child. Speaking to ScreenRant, he described the movie as a love letter to the entire genre of superhero films and summed it up as a dream come true.
The cast he is joining is enormous. Marvel’s livestreamed reveal showed a stacked ensemble that includes legacy MCU actors, post-Endgame heroes, plus X-Men, Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four actors. That list also includes Chris Hemsworth, Sebastian Stan and Tom Hiddleston.
The stakes are high for the studio, too. The movie is the first Avengers sequel since 2019’s Endgame, and it marks the return of the Russo brothers to Marvel. The trailer drew over 1 billion views, and the film arrives a few months after Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
He used to be different. Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters everywhere December 18. Get your tickets now: https://t.co/J5PUbxvAkc https://t.co/OUutSMZneq
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 15, 2026
Box office competition will not be light either. Warner Bros. secured IMAX theaters for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part III for 3 weeks following the premieres of both films on Dec. 18. That sets up a big holiday weekend for moviegoers, and a real test for Marvel’s biggest team-up in years.
Shang-Chi’s future also looks bright beyond this film. Shang-Chi 2 remains in development, and a prominent role in the crossover could help set up whatever comes next. Liu has already shared a behind-the-scenes picture from the set, though Marvel has kept everything else under wraps.
For now, the Hong Kong countdown is a fun snapshot of a franchise leaning into its biggest event in years. With only weeks left before the premiere, every new photo, poster and display adds to the sense that the clock is nearly out.
What are you most excited to see in Avengers: Doomsday?
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