Add a new director (on top of potentially a new villain) to the MCU's checklist for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Peace out

MCU Avengers: The Kang Dynasty logo next to Jonathan Majors.

Deadline is reporting that Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, has dropped out of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

That's not to say Cretton is fully leaving Disney and Marvel Studios, though. He is “in talks” to helm directing other projects and just is not in the cards for Kang Dynasty.

The upcoming Avengers film is still slated for a May 1, 2026 release. It will then be followed by another team-up film, Secret Wars, the following year. These two Avengers films will close out Phase 6 of the MCU in grand fashion.

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It's not 100% clear why Cretton is departing the Avengers: Kang Dynasty. After all, it's a huge opportunity to direct such a big project. Deadline indicated that he's stepping away to focus on his other MCU projects. Currently, he is working on developing Wonder Man for the MCU as a Disney+ series. He is co-creating the series with Andrew Guest, who is the showrunner. Cretton is an executive producer on the project and will direct the first two episodes — which will resume filming post-Thanksgiving.

This news comes soon after it was reported that Jeff Loveness exited Kang Dynasty as well. The MCU seems to be unsure of what to do about its Kang problem. Jonathan Majors' controversy is still yet to be resolved. Perhaps the MCU will shift focus away from the titular villain and usher in a new big bad.

Destin Daniel Cretton previously helmed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The film introduced Simu Liu to the MCU as the titular character. It grossed $432 million worldwide in 2021. Additionally, Cretton executive produced and directed a couple of episodes of American Born Chinese for Disney+. He's a fixture there now.

Prior to his MCU stint, Cretton was known for his indie filmmaking. He directed Brie Larson in Short Term 12, The Glass Castle, and Just Mercy. They were likely bound to reunite before his Avengers: Kang Dynasty exit.

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will be released on May 1, 2026.