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."