‘Shang-Chi’ Director Destin Daniel Cretton on Battling Stereotypes and the ‘Exciting’ Challenge of Casting the Lead Role

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'Casting was not easy because there wasn’t just a list of incredible actors that we could choose from,' says ShangChi director Destin Cretton. 'I kept telling myself, that’s what makes this exciting.'

,” he never actually expected to be handed the reins of the latest film in the biggest movie franchise in cinema history. Up to that point, Cretton had directed a series of small-scale independent dramas — “Short Term 12,” “The Glass Castle” — that were exceptional in the all-inclusive empathy the filmmaker deployed for all of his characters.

, from the Canadian sitcom “Kim’s Convenience” who had no previous experience starring in a feature film., Cretton discussed the challenges of finding his cast, how the character of the Mandarin evolved in the film, and what sign he thinks Marvel Studios should hang on its walls.

We’re obviously working within the context of multiple genres — the martial arts genre, the superhero genre. But from a character standpoint, I feel like the process of breaking stereotypes is really just trying to humanize the characters as much as possible, give them as many sides as we could, make sure that each character had something clearly human about them that they are dealing with, that we can all connect to, whether you are of a similar ethnic background or not.

The film opens with a lovely extended prologue that is entirely in Mandarin, with subtitles, which is not something that one is accustomed to seeing in a superhero movie, let alone a giant tentpole studio film. Did you get any pushback on on that decision? I’m realizing that no one on that list of Asian actors that I just threw out there would qualify, because none of them are Chinese Americans.

 

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