Director Destin Daniel Cretton isn’t necessarily the first name you’d think about when imagining filmmakers who would make the big leap from indies to superhero features. However, with “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Cretton is the latest young filmmaker snatched up by Marvel Studios to helm a $200 million blockbuster. And he joins The Playlist Podcast to talk about that transition, what he hopes people get out of ‘Shang-Chi,’ and much more.
Destin Daniel Cretton is the director of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” the new Marvel Studios superhero epic that introduces the title character into the MCU and puts him firmly in the same world as the Avengers, with perhaps some familiar faces showing up during the film. But Cretton isn’t known for his blockbuster superhero films. Before ‘Shang-Chi,’ he was best known for helming films such as the great indie drama “Short Term 12,” “The Glass Castle,” and last year’s “Just Mercy.”
And in the interview, we talk about what it’s like making the jump from indie films and dramatic features to big superhero blockbusters. Of course, we talk about ‘Shang-Chi’ and what Cretton hopes is the message people get from the film.
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“I hope people connect with the journey of Shang-Chi,” Cretton said. “He’s not splashed with a chemical or bitten by an insect to get his superpower. It is a journey in this movie to learn to look into his painful past and redefine what he considers his weakness, what he considers all the things he’s running from. When he learns to redefine them and see them in a different way, that becomes his superpower.”
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The filmmaker also took the time to dispel any myths that people might have about Marvel Studios being this huge studio ruled by Kevin Feige’s authoritarian fist. Instead, he couldn’t help but talk about just how collaborative the studio is with filmmakers and why he loved working with Marvel.
“I think everyone has this idea—I know I certainly did—from an outside perspective, it’s easy to think that these young, fresh voices are being pulled in by the big bad studio and manipulated into making a movie the studio wants,” he said. “When you watch the films closely that do come from Marvel Studios, they’re all very different. They all really hold the stamp of the directors who are helming them. It’s an incredibly collaborative process. There isn’t any God-like President that says, ‘Eff you, do it my way or get out.’”
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is now available in theaters. You can hear our full discussion below:
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