Destin Daniel Cretton has been named to direct Marvel’s Shang-Chi, the studio’s first film with an Asian lead, reports Variety.
The 40-year-old filmmaker hails from Maui and has directed three films starring Academy Award winning actress Brie Larson. The first, Short Term 12, debuted at the South by Southwest Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Narrative Feature Award and Narrative Audience Award.
The second, The Glass Castle also starred Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts. His third with Larson, Just Mercy, is currently in production.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Shang Chi joined the Marvel Universe in 1973 with Special Marvel Edition No. 15 which was later renamed
The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu and finally just Master of Kung Fu.
The series has had a troubled past. First Shang Chi was the son of the racist character, Fu Man Chu. Secondly Shang Chi was given a cartoonishly yellow face. A backlash from fans forced editors to later apologize.
The Hollywood Reporter says the movie will be an opportunity for Marvel and Cretton to reinvent the character.
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