Marvel Studios has locked down a director for their first Asian-led superhero franchise. According to Deadline, Destin Daniel Cretton is set to direct Shang-Chi.

Cretton is currently hard at work directing a film he wrote called Just Mercy, which stars Marvel actors Brie Larson and Michael B. Jordan. The film is a biographical drama, based on the memoir by Bryan Stevenson which sees Stevenson – an attorney – take the case of Walter McMillian, a man imprisoned for murder, despite having evidence to prove otherwise.

Chinese-American writer David Callaham is penning the script for Shang-Chi. Callaham will have the challenge of modernizing the character, who first debuted at a time where stereotypes ran rampant in comics.

Shang-Chi first appeared in Special Marvel Edition #15 in December 1973, written by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin. Since then the character has appeared in various titles including Heroes For Hire, Avengers, and Marvel Knights.

Other names that were in consideration for the directing job were Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), Alan Yang (Tigertail), and Justin Tipping (Dear White People).

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