Disney confirms ‘Shang-Chi’ sequel, Destin Daniel Cretton returning to direct
It looks like we'll be seeing more of MCU superhero Shang-Chi in the future—or at the very least, get to see the film's director flex his creative muscles on Disney Plus and other streaming platforms.
Disney confirmed that box office hit Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is getting a sequel, with Destin Daniel Cretton returning to direct and write the script.
According to a Variety report, Cretton will also be developing a series for Disney Plus. The streamer did not give any details, but according to Deadline, the Shang-Chi director received a straight-to-series order from Disney Branded Television/20th Television for action-comedy American Born Chinese, a 2006 graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang.
These developments happened at the same time Cretton signed an exclusive multi-year deal with Marvel Studios and Hulu's Onyx Collective, allowing him to develop television projects for Disney Plus and the Onyx Collective, as well as other platforms.
A lot was riding on the success of Shang-Chi, being Disney's first feature MCU film with an Asian lead and mostly Asian cast. The film stars Simu Liu, Awkwafina, and legendary Asian cinema icons Michelle Yeoh and Tony Leung.
Shang-Chi went on to earn $224.5 million in the US box office. Worldwide, the film made $431.9 million so far, making it the eigth highest grossing film ever.
Liu, who played Shang-Chi, tweeted out the sequel news with a tounge-in-cheek post to all the haters, “Flopped so hard we got a sequel!!”
Flopped so hard we got a sequel!! https://t.co/69yPeuX2ma
— Simu Liu (刘思慕) (@SimuLiu) December 6, 2021
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in a statement, “Destin is an amazing collaborator who brought a unique perspective and skill to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. We had a fantastic time working together on the film and he has so many intriguing ideas for stories to bring to life on Disney Plus, so we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with him and can’t wait to get started.”
Tara Duncan, president of Freeform and Hulu’s Onyx Collective, also said in a statement, “Destin is a powerhouse storyteller with impeccable taste in material. As we continue to expand our roster, Destin’s unique voice will help usher in an exciting slate of content for our global audience.”
“Working on Shang-Chi with Kevin and the Marvel Studios team was one of the highlights of my life, and I couldn’t be more excited about Tara’s vision for Onyx Collective. I can’t wait to explore new stories and build new worlds with this community,” said Cretton.