Marvel's
Shang-Chi movie now has a director!
According to
THR, Destin Daniel Cretton (
Short Term 12, Just Mercy) will helm the feature, which already had
Wonder Woman 1984 writer Dave Callaham on board to pen the screenplay. Justin Tipping (
Dear White People), Alan Yang (
Tigertail), and Deborah Chow
(Reign, Jessica Jones, The Mandalorian) were also in the running to land the gig.
The studio is currently preparing to assemble a largely Asian-American and Asian cast.
With
Black Panther, director Ryan Coogler and a predominantly black cast managed to tap into African and African American culture with great success, and Marvel is hoping
Shang-Chi will follow a similar path by "introducing a new hero who blends Asian and Asian American themes, crafted by Asian and Asian American filmmakers."
In the comics, Shang-Chi is the son of Fu Manchu, and his considerable martial arts skills earn him the title "Master of Kung Fu." He has been a member of The Avengers and Heroes for Hire. Apparently, the script will "modernize the hero to avoid stereotypes that many comic characters of the era were saddled with."
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.