Director Destin Daniel Cretton (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”) will no longer be directing Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” Cretton joined the project last year, with the news being announced right after San Diego Comic-Con. Writer Jeff Loveness (“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”) wrote the first draft of the script, but has also left the project.
“Kang Dynasty” reportedly was to center on Kang, a time-traveling villain with many variants across the multiverse. The character first appeared in the MCU in “Loki” season 1, and was in some of season 2. He was the central antagonist in “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.”
Actor Jonathan Majors played the character, but his future with Marvel Studios is unclear at this time. Given that Majors is currently awaiting trial in New York on assault and harassment charges, there is talk the MCU will be moving away from its Kang-centric trajectory all together. But there is always the possibility of the part being recast.
With all of this uncertainty and turmoil around the production, it seems Cretton left due to the shifting release date for “Kang Dynasty.” The film was initially supposed to be released in May 2025, but has been pushed back to May 2026.
Cretton is currently working as director and executive producer on Disney+ series “Wonder Man.” The show will begin filming again in a few weeks now that the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are resolved. And, he’s still working on a “Shang-Chi” sequel. So, Cretton is still very much attached to the MCU, just not “Kang Dynasty.”
We’ll keep you posted on updates about “Kang Dynasty” as they become available.
