‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Director Reveals Reaction to Film’s Collapse
One canceled Marvel movie unexpectedly cleared the way for another.
Destin Daniel Cretton first joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the director and co-writer of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). Led by Simu Liu, the film received positive reviews and earned more than $430 million worldwide.
Its success led Marvel Studios to deepen its relationship with Cretton. He began developing a Shang-Chi sequel, worked on the Disney+ series Wonder Man, and was eventually hired to direct one of the studio’s biggest planned releases.
That project was Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, originally intended to continue the MCU’s multiverse storyline after Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
The film ultimately collapsed before reaching production. Cretton has now revealed how he reacted to losing the project — and how Spider-Man: Brand New Day soon entered the conversation.
Cretton Was Unsure the Avengers Film Would Survive
The Kang Dynasty was expected to center on Kang the Conqueror and his Variants, portrayed by Jonathan Majors. Marvel had already introduced the character across Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
However, the movie’s development coincided with a difficult period for Hollywood. Writers and actors went on strike in 2023, bringing numerous film and television productions to a halt.
In an interview with IndieWire, Cretton said he spent the strikes questioning whether his Avengers film would still happen.
“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.”
Marvel fired Majors in December 2023 after he was convicted of one assault charge and a harassment violation. The studio later abandoned The Kang Dynasty and shifted its Avengers plans in a new direction.
The replacement, Avengers: Doomsday, will feature Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Anthony and Joe Russo, who previously directed Infinity War and Endgame, were brought back to oversee the film.
Cretton did not directly address Majors or the studio’s decision to move away from Kang. He instead said he tries “not to hang my emotions too much about circumstances outside of my control.”
Losing the film still left him uncertain about his future at Marvel.
“When ‘Avengers’ wasn’t going to happen, I was a little bit scared that my relationship with Kevin maybe was going to change,” Cretton said. “But it didn’t at all.”
Spider-Man Emerged on the Same Day
According to Cretton, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige began discussing other possibilities with him immediately. Spider-Man was raised on the same day that the Avengers project fell apart.
“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.”
He added, “From the inside looking out, it’s not nearly as dramatic as it is from the outside looking in.”
Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios officially announced Cretton as the director of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in 2024. The film marks Tom Holland’s fourth solo appearance as Peter Parker in the MCU.
Cretton follows Jon Watts, who directed Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Marvel and Sony have not yet confirmed whether he will remain for any potential fifth or sixth films.
His involvement with Spider-Man has also raised questions about the long-awaited Shang-Chi sequel. The project remains in development, although Marvel has not announced a release date.
Cretton recently told Rolling Stone that he was “talking to Dave Callaham, our writer, about it just a few weeks ago, so fingers crossed.”
Liu has also insisted that Spider-Man: Brand New Day has not disrupted 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.”
The film currently lacks a release timeframe.
Are you excited for Destin Daniel Cretton’s take on Spider-Man?
