Spider-Man: Brand New Day is all anyone is talking about. Now, The Wrap has caught up with filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton to discuss casting Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, the truth surrounding some of the biggest rumours and misconceptions about the movie, and what his MCU future could look like following Wonder Man's cancellation.
Unsurprisingly, using the mutant as an antagonist in a Spider-Man movie has become a major sticking point for some fans. However, for Cretton, it was all about finding the right character for the story he, not Marvel Studios, wanted to tell.
"We want to really concentrate the lens on Peter Parker and find a real character journey for him to take centre stage and not have a Tony Stark and not have other characters taking away from his spotlight," he said of avoiding the trope of giving Tom Holland's web-slinger a mentor like Tony Stark, Nick Fury, or Mysterio.
"Even though this movie does have many characters in it, the design of it was to make sure that every character that’s in this was a reflection of his journey and had a very clear reason to be there, because of Peter," Cretton added. "[Jean Grey] was not a mandate; it was a request. We asked."
"I’m not personally trying to set up anything for Kevin. I just want the best story possible that makes sense for Spidey, and Jean Grey was one of the options on the table," he noted, confirming that he wanted to tell Jean's story. "And then when we brought up Sadie Sink, I was just like, 'Oh, that feels perfect for this movie.'"
Cretton also took the opportunity to set the record straight on some inaccurate reports, including claims that Holland "hated" an early cut of Spider-Man: Brand New Day shown at test screenings.
"You try things. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don’t. The screening that he called a disaster still scored in the 90s and is actually not that different than the movie that’s out," the director stated. "But we were trying some things. We overcut it. I would run down that road, but I don’t want to tell you something false."
There was a version of the movie that was 15 minutes shorter, and another that was 30 minutes longer. Ultimately, the one we watched this weekend was Cretton's preferred choice.
"We’re just trying to find the best version of the movie, and to me that is the living, breathing part of the movie. Sometimes you finish a screening, and you’re just like, 'Damn, that sucked.' But then the audience tells you something a little different, and something in your gut is just like, 'Oh, that did not feel good.' That happens to me all the time."
Cretton also revealed that Jackie Chan's stunt team did not work on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The action legend visited the set, but Peng Zhang was in charge of the movie's impressive set pieces. He also briefly commented on a photo of Skaar—a production still from She-Hulk: Attorney at Law—being on Bruce Banner's desk, laughing, "I'm glad people are finding it."
Later promising that fans "will find out" what the movie's post-credits scene (which appears to reveal a second Spider-Man being discovered by Ned Leeds' Spider-Tracker) means somewhere down the line, he acknowledged, "I do think it’s frustrating when these things are like left out in the open, and you never see them."
"And 'Shang-Chi' is one of those," Cretton said, referencing the lingering cliffhanger about the origin of the Ten Rings once thought to be tied to Kang. "It’s still hanging out there. I have every intention of answering the question."
As for where things stand with a sequel to the 2021 movie, Cretton mused, "When you really look at what happened to the industry, at least from my perspective, it was just like everything went to s–t after that. I feel like if Marvel was where it was before, we would have had maybe two sequels already. Who knows?"
Talk then turned to Wonder Man, which was recently cancelled despite being renewed for Season 2. Cretton has spoken briefly about the news on social media, but absolved Kevin Feige of any blame in this interview.
"I love that show to death. If it were up to me, we would be making that show. And I do believe that if – and I know this sounds weird – but if it were up to Kevin [Feige], we would be doing that show," he explained. "And I’m just talking, I don’t fully understand the business of streaming, but if the business was right, we would be making that show because I know [Feige] loves that show as much as I do."
"It’s a bummer. I’m heartbroken about it. But I need to fully understand the why," Cretton said, saying the prospect of making a Wonder Man movie is an "interesting question" because "then we can clearly know if it’s a success or not. It’s just very clear numbers."
Despite the plug being pulled on Wonder Man, Cretton sounds eager to step behind the camera for Spider-Man 5. "I’ll say that I had an amazing experience. I loved working with Tom and Z and this entire cast. I actually had a pretty great time working with these two studios, with Rothman and Kevin and Amy. They’ve all become like family. Would I be open to doing another movie with this family? Definitely."
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now playing in theaters.