Marvel’s ‘Shang-Chi’ Finds Director in Destin Daniel Cretton
As Marvel Studios moves toward creating a more representative lineup of characters as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the company has sought out diverse talent behind the scenes as well to be more inclusive. Now, the forthcoming Shang-Chi project has a director in the form of Destin Daniel Cretton.
One of the trades has brought us another announcement about the Phase 4 slate ahead of Marvel Studios themselves, and this time, it’s The Hollywood Reporter. Their newest report confirms that Cretton, acclaimed for his short film Short Term 12 and more widely known for his adaptation of The Glass Castle, is set to direct. After The Eternals‘s Chloe Zhao, he will be the second director with Asian heritage to take control of a Marvel Studios movie. Cretton has also worked with Captain Marvel lead actress Brie Larson, and is currently working with Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan on a new film.
Shang-Chi is known for being one of Marvel’s first Asian superheroes, but the premise associated with the character has been seen as antiquated and unintentionally-offensive in a few places; as such, the new adaptation, which is being scripted by Dave Callaham (Wonder Woman 1984), will modernize the character. Marvel’s approach is to create a film similar in nature to Black Panther, which means that they’ll hire a majority-Asian cast and crew on a big-budget project to represent a demographic that remains underrepresented on films and television. As such, all the other directors who were in the running to helm the project were of Asian descent; they include Justin Tipping (Dear White People), Alan Yang (Master of None), and Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones).
Shang-Chi is in development at Marvel Studios as part of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. No release date has been scheduled, and it’s expected that there will be no announcements for future Marvel Cinematic Universe dates until the San Diego Comic Con or Disney D23.
Grant Davis is a freelance writer who has covered entertainment news for more than seven years. His articles have frequently appeared in Star Wars News Net as well as as other entertainment-related websites. As someone who grew up on Star Wars and comic book movies, he’s completely thrilled with the current era of genre entertainment.
