Announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2022, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was going to put Kang the Conqueror and his Variants front and centre for a battle with the Multiverse's Mightiest Heroes.
However, in a confusing move, the Kang we expected to be the Multiverse Saga's endgame was soundly defeated by the title heroes in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. That movie received a tepid response, reportedly leading to Marvel Studios reassessing its options.
Then, rising star Jonathan Majors was dropped from the role after a well-publicised domestic abuse trial. While Loki Season 2 deepened the Kang mystery with Victor Timely and He Who Remains' return, his story arc will likely remain unfinished as the spotlight shifts to Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton was announced as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty's director. However, he lost that gig when Marvel Studios pivoted to the Russo Brothers.
So, was Spider-Man: Brand New Day a consolation prize, a compelling alternative, or the plan all along? In an interview with IndieWire, Cretton opened up about his time with the Avengers franchise coming to a swift end.
"I was feeling exactly that," he said when the site asked if he was disappointed. "I mean, it was a weird time in the industry, altogether. We were on strike. The whole time during the strike, I was wondering if this thing was going to happen. When that wound up falling through, yeah, I was sad."
"I try not to hang my emotions too much about circumstances outside of my control. When Kevin [Feige] asked me if I’d be interested in Spidey, I became very happy," Cretton continued. "When 'Avengers' wasn’t going to happen, I was a little bit scared that my relationship with Kevin maybe was going to change. But it didn’t at all."
"On the day that wasn’t going to work out, we were talking about what could work out. And Spidey was mentioned, but it wasn’t like an offer by any means," he revealed. "It took a bit before that happened. From the inside looking out, it’s not nearly as dramatic as it is from the outside looking in."
After Shang-Chi, Cretton helmed episodes of Wonder Man for Marvel Television. However, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, he found himself working with Sony Pictures. Fortunately, it was a positive experience for the filmmaker.
"Well, you’re not just dealing with Kevin. Kevin is a studio head. You also have Tom Rothman. You also have Amy Pascal," Cretton noted. "On paper, it looks daunting to be juggling three powerhouse producers and studio heads who have all worked on some of the biggest movies in history."
"And thank God they all like each other, and they all respect each other. It actually was quite wonderful working with them. They all helped to make the movie better at every point. They are all very passionate about making the best movie possible. I found that nobody let their egos get in the way of having a harmonious decision-making process," he concluded.
The expectation is that Cretton will also direct Spider-Man 5 and 6, though where that leaves Shang-Chi 2 is hard to say. We know Marvel Studios plans to fall back on reliable franchises moving forward after some big swings (and misses) during the Multiverse Saga, which could lead to Shang-Chi being sidelined.
Cretton was noncommittal about his MCU future, but promised, "Dave Callaham and I have been developing [Shang-Chi 2]. We’ve been jumping into it recently. So, I really hope it is going to happen."
Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives in theaters on July 31.