A new report reveals how much Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton is earning for the sequel and Marvel Cinematic Universe show with his deal at the studio. Cretton first rose to stardom in the independent film genre with his acclaimed ensemble drama Short Term 12, which was led by future MCU star Brie Larson. The two would reunite for his follow-up projects, The Glass Castle and Just Mercy, leading up to her post-credits cameo as Captain Marvel in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The MCU film marked his first break into the world of big-budget storytelling, partnering with Chinese-American writer Dave Callaham to develop the story and pen the script for the film. As with his indie fare, Cretton would build an ensemble cast for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings with Simu Liu leading the roster in the titular role alongside Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Michelle Yeoh and Ben Kingsley. Following COVID-19-related delays, the film would finally hit theaters earlier this year and begin a lucrative partnership between Cretton and Marvel.

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In the latest issue of his What I’m Hearing newsletter, former Hollywood Reporter editor Matt Belloni revealed how much Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton is earning for the sequel and MCU show. The report states that the filmmaker is locked into an “eight-figure deal” with Marvel Studios and that the cast for the film are currently in negotiations for higher pay for the sequel. The report also notes that agency WME would normally have aimed for separate film and TV deals with the studio in the past.

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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a major milestone for Marvel Studios in 2021 as it was the first MCU film since 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home to receive an exclusive theatrical release after Black Widow was given a same-day Disney+ release. This move from the studio ultimately paid off as the film would gross over $432 million worldwide to become currently the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year and would shatter the Labor Day opening weekend record previously set by Rob Zombie’s Halloween. This success ultimately led to Shang-Chi‘s Cretton signing his deal with Marvel to write and direct a sequel as well as an unspecified MCU Disney+ series.

Though its unclear how the value of his deal compares to others at the studio, Marvel’s ongoing partnership with Shang-Chi co-writer/director Cretton is a promising sign of the studio’s continued efforts to work with more diverse creatives for inclusive storytelling. Following the film’s success, Marvel similarly linked up with Black Panther co-writer/director Ryan Coogler for a deal for both the film’s sequel and a Disney+ series set in Wakanda that will reportedly center on Danai Gurira’s Okoye. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now available to stream on Disney+ in an IMAX-enhanced format.

Source: Matt Belloni/What I’m Hearing

Key Release Dates
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)Release date: Dec 17, 2021
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
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Grant Hermanns
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Grant Hermanns is a News Writer, Interviewer and Hiring Manager for Screen Rant, having joined the team in early 2021. Way back in 2015 while still in his college days, Grant got his start in the entertainment journalism industry with creator-friendly site Moviepilot until it shuttered nearly three years later. From there he joined the staff at ComingSoon.net and was its Associate Editor prior to coming over to Screen Rant.

To say he’s a lover of film and television would be an understatement and when he’s not mass consuming either you can find him exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends or slowly making his way through his gaming backlog.

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