It’s not every day that the Geeks of Color is treated to a conversation with one of the most prolific names in the history of Marvel Studios. From his introduction to Marvel with 2021’s blockbuster, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Destin Daniel Cretton has left a lasting impact, not only on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but on Asian and POC representation in superhero films. As he continues to do so with the critically lauded, Wonder Man, we were given the chance to learn more about Cretton’s latest project, and his lasting impact on the MCU.
Asian and Pacific Islander representation is such a rare sight to behold, not only in superhero cinema, but in blockbuster cinema as a whole. Even after success stories like Crazy Rich Asians, Shang- Chi, and KPop Demon Hunters, you’d be hard pressed to find many studio-driven tentpoles with Asian stars in lead performances. This is all the more reason why Cretton’s involvement in Marvel matters significantly. The director’s natural ability to blend amazing feats of action and stuntwork with grounded character and relationship driven drama and comedy led the studio and the industry to great success with its first Asian-led superhero film; immediately following the COVID pandemic no less.
As such, BIPOCs everywhere can look to a filmmaker like Cretton and be reassured with absolute certainty that their stories are being told with respect and impeccable taste. This is also the reason why Cretton’s name was being floated around Marvel Studios as a potential shepherd for its post-Endgame creative direction. Cretton was, after all, hand picked by Kevin Feige to helm what would have been Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, before plans for that film got scrapped. Thus, the studio assigned him to something potentially more monumental: Spider-Man: Brand New Day!
While, naturally, we knew and respected that Cretton’s involvement in that film would be completely fortified under lock and key (rightfully so as we wouldn’t want him to get in trouble now with Feige), we still wanted to ask him about what it would be like to be the MCU’s creative shepherd in this upcoming era for the studio. After all, following the success of Shang-Chi, and the brilliant critical and commercial reception of Wonder Man, it’s hard to question whether or not the man can do any wrong.
Here’s what Cretton had to say about Wonder Man and the future of the MCU:
As someone with such a prolific career following Short Term 12 and of course Shang Chi, what was it like going from the big screen to the small screen with Wonder Man? Did the scale feel different and more personal for you?
Cretton: It definitely felt more personal in many ways, primarily because we were shooting in Los Angeles. Which, unfortunately, I don’t get to do very much. Most people don’t get to do that very much. So being able to shoot in the place where I shot my first indie feature was really wonderful. And I also got to work with a lot of the crew I worked with early on, so yes, it felt like a homecoming in many ways.
With Shang-Chi, there’s so much crazy action. With Wonder Man you’re scaling it down. The special effects are the relationship between Simon and Trevor. It’s less action driven and more character driven. What was it like going from something more action driven to something more character driven?Was that a treat for you?
Cretton: I love both. I love great action. But I equally love watching two amazing actors talk. I think both are really exhilarating and creative to do. When you strip away the action scenes you have to lean on character, and real scene creation and storytelling, which Andrew and his writers really embraced. And it allowed us to go to different places you may not usually go to in the superhero genre, which was really exciting for me.
We recently had a chance to talk to Andrew Guest. What was it like working with him? Had you guys met prior to this? And can you talk about what it was like working together?
Cretton: I had not met Andrew before. When we were initially starting to look for our showrunner for the show, we were interviewing a handful of people and hearing their takes on the show. Andrew was one of them. His take on the show, the way he pitched, felt like this beautiful mix of humor and heart. He really went there in his pitch about who these characters could be and what they represent. And really it immediately painted the picture of what the show could be. I adore him. He’s not just a fantastic writer, but he’s a wonderful person and a wonderful friend. He really cares about the other writers in the writer’s room, he really cares about his crew. And I think all of that comes through in the show.
My last question to you – I think in the aftermath of Endgame, I feel like there was this conversation about who could godfather the Marvel Cinematic Universe – the big storylines and everything. And for me, one of the big names to come up was you. Because what you did with Shang-Chi, was incredible. What you went on to do with Wonder Man – incredible! Now you’re doing Spider-Man. So going forward, would you want to be the person who oversees where the MCU goes from a storytelling standpoint, creatively, if the opportunity was afforded to you?
Cretton: I love making movies and telling stories. I have really loved playing in the sandbox of the MCU. I love all the people here, and love the producers from Kevin on down. It’s a wonderful environment to work in. So would I love to continue working in it? Yeah! I think it’d be great!
Putting it out there into the universe that we’ll be seeing much more of Cretton’s work in the MCU as we close this chapter on The Multiverse Saga. His boundless creativity, ability to blend dynamic action scenes and character development seamlessly, and his love and passion for these characters makes him the ideal choice to see this entire franchise through into a new golden age. We BIPOC geeks and Marvel Studios should be so lucky!