Director Destin Daniel Cretton exits ‘Avengers’ sequel for ‘Shang-Chi 2,’ ‘Wonder Man’
By Ryan General
November 16, 2023
Filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton has stepped away from helming Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated “Avengers: Kang Dynasty.”
Amicable exit: Cretton’s exit from the fifth “Avengers” film is characterized as amicable, with the director choosing to concentrate on existing Marvel commitments, including the sequel to the blockbuster “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and the Disney+ series “Wonder Man,” according to Deadline.
Having signed an overall deal with Marvel Studios and Hulu’s Onyx Collective in 2021, Cretton’s creative plate remains full, with the upcoming “Wonder Man” show set to resume shooting after Thanksgiving. Cretton also continues as an executive producer on the hit Disney+ series “American Born Chinese,” which he also directed two episodes of this year.
Impact on the MCU: The news has since sparked speculation about the future of “Avengers: Kang Dynasty” and its impact on the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Cretton’s exit coincides with the departure of screenwriter Jeff Loveness and the delayed release of the film, which has now been set for May 1, 2026, and the subsequent conclusion to the Multiverse Saga, “Avengers: Secret Wars,” on May 7, 2027.
The fate of “Kang Dynasty” and its tie to Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror character also remains uncertain in the face of Majors’ swirling legal trouble, with reports that Marvel Studios could be changing the main antagonist of the Multiverse Saga. Marvel’s recent challenges, exemplified by “The Marvels” posting the worst box office debut in MCU history at $47 million, add complexity to the studio’s future endeavors.
Long-awaited Shang-Chi sequel: While “Shang-Chi 2” was announced shortly after the first movie’s debut in 2021, no release date has been established. Simu Liu has previously stated that the sequel was originally intended to follow a future Avengers movie, which could either be “Kang Dynasty” or “Secret Wars.” The recent developments introduce an intriguing layer to potential narrative ties between Shang-Chi’s sequel and the broader Avengers storyline.
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