'Shang-Chi' director Destin Daniel Cretton hopes the movie is first of many to 'represent the world we live in'
In 2021, Marvel is set to release its first Asian-led superhero film, 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'. It will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who spoke with the Hollywood Reporter about the movie while being interviewed about his recent movie, 'Just Mercy'.
The director talked about what inspired him to join the world of superhero films, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in particular. "I grew up without a superhero to look up to," he said.
"I gravitated to Spider-Man when I was a kid, primarily because he had a mask covering his face and I could imagine myself under that mask. I would love to give my son a superhero to look up to. I feel very privileged to be a part of telling that story," he shared.
Destin was asked about his thoughts on the way Hollywood is opening up to be more inclusive of creators with different backgrounds. "I'm always optimistic that it will go in the right direction. I think we're in a transition now," he said.
"Even when we were trying to crew up for 'Just Mercy', there's a realization that there are not enough minorities just in the positions that you would want them to be to hire minorities. So on 'Just Mercy' we were giving so many people their first opportunities to be the heads of a department, which is so exciting."
Destin went on to talk about casting actors of Asian descent in 'Shang-Chi'. "On this movie with Marvel, just in terms of casting — how many famous Asian actors are there?" he asked.
"It's really exciting to be able to make some new famous faces for other films to choose from. It would be a failure if Shang-Chi was, like, the first and last. That would suck. But I hope it's the first of many more movies that represent the world that we live in."
'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung as the Mandarin. It is set to release in theaters on February 12, 2021.