'Shang-Chi' director to helm the MCU sequel and new Disney+ series

Destin Daniel Cretton has inked a multi-year deal with Disney

One of the biggest blockbusters of the year has had its sequel film confirmed, with the original director signing up for round two.

Off the back of his very successful debut into the MCU this summer, the first Marvel superhero of Chinese descent will be back for 'Shang-Chi 2', it has been officially confirmed.

Director of 'Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings', Destin Daniel Cretton, has made quite an impact on Marvel bosses, so much so that he's signed an exclusive multi-year overall deal with Marvel Studios and Hulu’s Onyx Collective.

This means that not only will he return to helm the sequel film continuing the story of Simu Liu's Shaun, but he's also lined up to develop a new Marvel series for Disney+. Furthermore, he'll help develop other new TV projects for Disney-related streaming services including Disney+ and Hulu. Sidenote on that - Disney has decided to get rid of the "FX on Hulu" moniker this week.

Not much is known about the MCU Disney+ series, but sources have told Variety that it will be a comedy series. Could Awkwafina's Katy be getting her own spin-off?

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in a statement about working with Cretton, whose previous works include 'Just Mercy' and 'The Glass Castle': "Destin is an amazing collaborator who brought a unique perspective and skill to 'Shang-Chi'. We had a fantastic time working together on the film and he has so many intriguing ideas for stories to bring to life on Disney+, so we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with him and can’t wait to get started."

It comes as no surprise that 'Shang-Chi 2' is in the pipeline, as the film was a runaway success and generally received quite positive reviews from critics and MCU fans. Before becoming available on Disney+ weeks after its release, the blockbuster made huge numbers at the box office.

Currently sitting on a global intake of $431.9 million, it is the eighth highest-grossing film of the year. Here in Ireland, it was the biggest cinema opening since the pre-pandemic.