Marvel Star Simu Liu Brings Calm and Serenity to Chase Center’s New ‘Sensory Room’

If you ever feel overwhelmed by loud music or a capacity crowd at a Warriors game, you now have a place to go.

Marvel Cinematic Universe star Simu Liu, who plays the titular Asian superhero in the 2021 blockbuster Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, helped unveil an upgraded “sensory room” at Chase Center on Monday. The room is also named after Liu, who provided the funds for its construction.

With carpeted, noise-canceling walls, bean bag chairs, games and controllable lights, the room will become a calming oasis for basketball fans seeking quiet amid the overstimulation of a home game. There’s also a refrigerator in the room for nursing mothers to store milk.

“Instantly, you feel removed from the fans, the stadium, the lights, the sounds,” Liu said in a video interview.

The room, which Liu described as small but cozy, is designed and built by KultureCity, a nonprofit that advocates for greater acceptance of those with “invisible disabilities.” It's part of a movement designed to make cultural experiences more accessible to people with certain sensory sensitivities.

Guests can stay in the room for up to 15 minutes.

The 33-year-old Liu, a Chinese Canadian actor, has been outspoken about mental health since he rose to fame after the huge success of Shang-Chi, part of which takes place in San Francisco. A sequel is currently in the works. 

“Sometimes you just need a place that’s nice and quiet,” he told reporters. “Calming down, looking at some of the lights, taking a breath and taking a moment.”

Liu also rang the bell Monday night to kick off Bruce Lee Night at the Warriors' game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors won, 141-114.