Summary
Aftermonths of speculation, Marvel Studios and Sony’sSpider-Man 4has secured a director. Destin Daniel Cretton, who directedShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is set to direct the upcomingSpider-Mansequel. The news comes as Cretton is in post-production on another Marvel Studios project,Wonder Man, which is expected to hit Disney+ sometime next year. Unfortunately, the news of Cretton signing on forSpider-Man 4seems to have a direct impact on yet another Marvel Studios project the busy director was set to work on.
While Marvel Studios has not yet set a release date forShang-Chi 2, the film has all but been confirmed by multiple reports and leading man, Simu Liu. Cretton, who was the director of the first film, was expected to return to helmShang-Chi 2. However, with the director now tied up with theSpider-Mansequel, it would seemShang-Chi 2has been delayed yet again. Is this a fair trade-off for fans who have been eagerly awaiting the return of one of Marvel’s newest heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Shang-Chi and the Ever Delayed Sequel
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringswas released in 2021 to critical acclaim, landing an impressive 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film secured $432.2 million at the worldwide box office, which isn’t necessarily huge, but was enough to secure a sequel for the film. News of the sequel surfaced shortly after the film was released with reports even stating that director Destin Daniel Cretton would return to helm the second installment. Since then, however, little to nothing has become of the sequel. Cretton inked an overall deal with Marvel Studios and Hulu to develop new projects, includingthe upcomingWonder Manseries, which Cretton serves as both a director and producer. That project, which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the titular character, is now in post-production and is expected to premiere sometime next year. It was thought thatShang-Chi 2would be Cretton’s next project followingWonder Man. However, Cretton was announced as the director of the upcoming live-actionNarutomovie, which suggestedShang-Chi 2would be delayed. Sadly, with Cretton nowset to directSpider-Man 4for Marvel Studios and Sony, it’s clearShang-Chi 2isn’t going to happen anytime soon. After all, these movies typically take at least a year or two to bring to life.
More importantly, Sony is going to want togetSpider-Man 4going as soon as possible. This isone of the studio’s biggest franchises, if not its biggest. This means Cretton will need to put his focus ontheSpider-Mansequelgoing forward, rather thanShang-Chi 2. For fans of the latter, it’s certainly a frustrating situation. There is one solution, though, but it might not be one fans want to hear.
Will Marvel Replace Cretton on Shang-Chi?
There is no denying Cretton crafted something special withShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. In fact, most critics noted the stunning visuals and overall tone of the film as standing on its own within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It didn’t have the “Marvel look” to it, and the action was easily noted as some of the best in comic book movies. It’s understandable why the studio wants to bring Cretton back to direct the sequel. However, it’s important to note that Cretton is a busy, and incredibly in-demand director. He’s proven what he’s capable of doing with big-budget films after securing a name for himself in the indie space, and now it seems like it’s time for Marvel Studios tofind another director to do that withShang-Chi 2. Much like how Cretton served as a producer onWonder Man, he could very easily serve as a producer for aShang-Chisequel, while continuing to build upon his own resume. This is a director who was set to direct anAvengersfilm at one point in time for Marvel Studios, and is now set to direct a film starring one of the biggest superheroes in the world. Turning downSpider-Manwould have been a huge mistake for Cretton. As frustrating as the situation is for fans ofShang-Chi, it’s a huge win for Cretton who now gets to help give theSpider-Manfranchise a new lease on life with his artistic eye and style.
Marvel Studios has been great at helping to develop talent, bringing in smaller directors who managed to bring their own style and visuals to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the better. We’ve seen this not only with Cretton, but even James Gunn, who prior toGuardians of the Galaxy,was best known forSlitherandSuper. Bringing in new talent to get theShang-Chisequel back on track wouldn’t be a bad thing. While it would be nice to see Cretton direct aShang-Chitrilogy, tying him down to a trilogy of films when he has other opportunities would be wrong. So, if Marvel Studios can find someone to directaShang-Chisequel, it might be the best thing for the franchise. After all, it doesn’t look like we’re going to see Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi until theAvengersfilms, if even then. It might not necessarily be the best trade-off for fans right now, but it’ll ultimately prove worthwhile when Cretton gets to deliver his own take onSpider-Man.
As of this writing,Spider-Man 4andShang-Chi 2do not yet have release dates.
