Destin Daniel Cretton has exited the director’s post of “Avengers: Kang Dynasty,” a tentpole Marvel Studios film that’s currently set to release in the summer of 2026. Several outlets reported his departure on Wednesday afternoon.

Destin Daniel Cretton Exits ‘Avengers: Kang Dynasty’

Cretton, who previously directed 2021’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” for Marvel Studios, signed on to direct “Avengers: Kang Dynasty” in July 2022. His departure from the project comes as uncertainty and confusion loom overhead; Marvel Studios has reportedly considered phasing the titular Kang the Conquerer character out as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s central antagonist as actor Jonathan Majors faces domestic violence allegations. Several outlets recently reported that “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” scribe Jeff Loveness has been removed from the film, potentially due to the studio reportedly replacing the Kang character with Doctor Doom, a “Fantastic Four” antagonist acquired by Disney alongside several other Marvel characters in the 2019 acquisition of 20th Century Fox.

Deadline reports that the split between Cretton and Marvel Studios was cordial, as the director remains attached to several projects for the studio. Cretton, per the outlet, is still executive producing the “Wonder Man” series for Disney+; the show will be produced under the recently created “Marvel Spotlight” banner of character-driven stories and series. He’s also set to return as director for the eventual “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” sequel and, according to Deadline, is “in talks” to direct future Marvel Studios films.

“Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” is the first of two Avengers-centric films that have been announced for Marvel Studios’ sixth phase; the other, “Avengers: Secret Wars,” is currently scheduled to release roughly one year after “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” Other films planned for ‘Phase Six’ include “Fantastic Four,” “Thunderbolts,” and “Blade,” all of which currently have 2025 release dates.

Marvel Studios is currently in the midst of its fifth phase, which kicked off earlier this year with the release of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” “The Marvels” recently released as part of this phase, earning just under $50 million domestically and $110 million globally in its opening weekend; according to Variety, this is the worst start that a Marvel Cinematic Universe film has ever experienced.

The MCU has expanded in recent years to include series on the Disney+ streaming service. Season 2 of “Loki” is the most recent of these programs to air, you can read our review of the recent season finale here.

How do you feel about Cretton exiting “Avengers: Kang Dynasty?” Who would you like to see direct the film? Let us know in the comments.

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