Avengers: The Kang Dynasty Loses Shang-Chi Director Destin Daniel Cretton
One of the biggest upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe projects was just hit by a major setback. Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously directed "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," has officially exited the director's chair for the upcoming film. Cretton was previously announced as the director of the film last summer, but now, more than a year later, the director's chair is empty once again.
According to Deadline, Marvel Studios and Cretton agreed to a mutual parting of ways with "The Kang Dynasty." The movie is still nearly three years away (assuming it sticks to its current release date) and things feel pretty uncertain with the project right now. As a result, Cretton will focus his attention elsewhere and the studio will, presumably, look for another director to fill the void when the time comes. This follows recent reports that Jeff Loveness ("Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania") is also no longer writing the screenplay for the film. So it very much could be back to square one here.
When the project was originally announced, it was believed that Jonathan Majors' Kang would be a huge part of the MCU's future. However, the actor has since been embroiled in controversy after being accused of assault earlier this year. That has left not only this movie in limbo, but several other MCU projects that were expected to be centered on Majors. As of right now, Disney and Marvel Studios have announced no official decision on how they intend to handle the Kang of it all. They could pivot away from Kang entirely, or they could recast the role. But until that is decided, this movie is in an awkward position.
Destin Daniel Cretton is still a big part of the MCU's future
Cretton, meanwhile, still seems to be a major part of the MCU moving forward. He is still attached to "Shang-Chi 2," which is in development. The filmmaker is also actively working on the "Wonder Man" series for Disney+, which is due to resume filming later this month following the resolution of the Screen Actors Guild strike. Things seem fine between Cretton and Marvel — it's "The Kang Dynasty" that seems to be the issue.
The MCU, overall, is in a pretty precarious situation right now. Not only is one of the actors anchoring the next two phases of this franchise in serious legal trouble, but movies like "Quantumania" and "The Marvels" have suffered at the box office relative to the highs that the MCU experienced for so long. Recently, Disney delayed most of the Phase 5 slate into 2025, with "Deadpool 3" now the only movie on the release calendar for 2024. That could give the studio time to take a breath and get things straightened out before keeping the train rolling down the tracks.
"The Kang Dynasty" is just one of two major events that the franchise is currently building to. The studio also has "Avengers: Secret Wars" on deck for May 7, 2027. While Kang previously figured to be the new Thanos, so to speak, recent reports have suggested that Marvel may pivot to another villain, such as Doctor Doom. If that does happen, "The Kang Dynasty" could be given a new title to reflect the change. We'll see how it all shakes out.
"Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" is currency set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026.