Things aren’t looking good for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. In light of Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors’ uncertain future with Marvel, the movie now has to grapple with the departure of director Destin Daniel Cretton.
As reported by Deadline, the filmmaker is stepping away to focus on his other Marvel projects, including the sequel to his 2021 blockbuster Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and the Disney+ series Wonder Man. This comes after news broke that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will be pushed back to 1 May 2026, with its successor Avengers: Secret Wars set to conclude the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) Multiverse Saga on 7 May 2027.
Unlike the two-part saga of 2018’s Infinity War and 2019’s Endgame, which were filmed and directed back-to-back by Anthony and Joe Russo, known collectively as the Russo Brothers, Cretton was only tapped to helm The Kang Dynasty. No director has been attached to Secret Wars yet.
The 2026 movie is hailed as the Phase 4 version of Infinity War, set to usher in another penultimate team-up between superheroes across different universes. However, it’s uncertain if the same formula would find success again — the film franchise has been showing cracks in its once-impenetrable armour, with The Marvels landing the worst debut in MCU history, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania losing a lot of money in its theatrical run.
These recent showings, despite the huge success of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 indicate a shift in audience’s reception to superhero movies as compared to before. Moving forward, Marvel Studios will have to navigate and work around a future where simply throwing a superhero adventure on the silver screen no longer guarantees blockbuster returns.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is slated to release on 1 May 2026.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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