Director Destin Daniel Cretton has finally spoken openly about Marvel's decision to cancel Avengers: The Kang Dynasty — and how that door closing ultimately led him to Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).

From Shang-Chi to the Multiverse Saga

Cretton first made his mark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the director and co-writer of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). The film starred Simu Liu in the lead role, with Awkwafina as his best friend Katy, Meng'er Zhang as his sister Xu Xialing, and Tony Leung as Xu Wenwu. It earned strong reviews from critics and fans and took in more than $430 million at the worldwide box office.

Fresh off that success, Cretton signed a deal with Marvel Studios and Hulu's Onyx Collective to develop a Shang-Chi sequel, as well as a Disney+ series that became Wonder Man. He was then confirmed as the director of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in 2022, and in 2024, Marvel announced him as the director of Spider-Man: Brand New Day for Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios.

Cretton Discusses the Film 'Falling Through'

In a recent interview with IndieWire, conducted just a week before Brand New Day's planned release, Cretton was asked about what happened to his planned Avengers film. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty had been set to follow Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), with a focus on Kang the Conqueror and his Variants, portrayed by Jonathan Majors. The project was ultimately axed and replaced with Avengers: Doomsday (2026), with the Russo Brothers stepping in as directors.

Cretton described 2023 as an unusual and turbulent period for Hollywood, with writers and actors going on strike. "The whole time during the strike, I was wondering if this thing was going to happen," he said. "When that wound up falling through, yeah, I was sad."

Notably, Jonathan Majors was fired from Marvel in December 2023 after being convicted of one assault charge and a harassment violation. Avengers: Doomsday has since replaced Kang with Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr.

While Cretton didn't address that situation directly, he did say that he tries "not to hang my emotions too much about circumstances outside of my control."

Kevin Feige Kept the Door Open

Fortunately for fans, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige reached out to Cretton about directing Spider-Man: Brand New Day instead. "When 'Avengers' wasn't going to happen, I was a little bit scared that my relationship with Kevin maybe was going to change," Cretton told IndieWire. "But it didn't at all."

He also revealed to the outlet that Feige actually brought up Spider-Man on the very same day that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was canceled. "On the day that wasn't going to work out, we were talking about what could work out," Cretton said. "And Spidey was mentioned, but it wasn't like an offer by any means. It took a bit before that happened. From the inside looking out, it's not nearly as dramatic as it is from the outside looking in."

While confirmed release dates for Spider-Man 5 and Spider-Man 6 have not yet been announced, the commonly held belief is that Tom Holland will reprise his role to complete a second MCU trilogy as the superhero — and that Cretton will lead all three projects, much like Jon Watts directed the first trilogy.

What's the Status of Shang-Chi 2?

There is currently no release date for Shang-Chi 2, but Cretton confirmed to Rolling Stone that the project is still in development. "Talking to Dave Callaham, our writer, about it just a few weeks ago, so fingers crossed," he said.

The sequel has been a topic of some tension. Marvel recently sparked controversy by removing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (along with Deadpool & Wolverine) from its recommended pre-Avengers: Doomsday watchlist on Disney+. Simu Liu responded to a post highlighting the film's absence on Threads with a simple: "Typical."

It wasn't the first time Liu — who is set to reprise his role in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars — has commented on Marvel's handling of the Shang-Chi franchise. In 2024, he liked a social media comment that read, "Marvel did you dirty by not making a [sequel]." He has also noted that Hollywood has experienced a "backslide" when it comes to Asian representation, writing on Threads: "Put some Asians in literally anything right now. The amount of backslide in our representation onscreen is fucking appalling. Studios think we are risky."

Still, in 2025, Liu offered an encouraging update, saying that Spider-Man: Brand New Day had not impacted plans for the sequel. "I don't think anything's been impacted," he said. "I think we're all — I speak to Destin often and there's nothing coming out of both of us but excitement to make this film."

Do you think Marvel made the right move axing Avengers: The Kang Dynasty? Let us know your thoughts!