While Spider-Man: Brand New Day continues its impressive box office run, director Destin Daniel Cretton appears to be moving on from Marvel—at least for now.
Cretton’s live-action adaptation of Naruto has reportedly entered pre-production at Lionsgate. A worldwide search is now underway for young actors to play the three central members of Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno. This development marks the clearest sign yet that Lionsgate is preparing to move the long-delayed adaptation toward production after years of uncertainty.
Naruto Vol. 1 (2010), VIZ Media
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Cretton has been attached to write and direct Naruto since February 2024, before he signed on to make Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Therefore, his decision to move forward with the adaptation does not necessarily represent a sudden break with Marvel Studios.
However, the timing may still raise questions about Cretton’s relationship with Marvel Studios.
Cretton’s Other Marvel Projects Face Uncertain Futures
Spider-Man: Brand New Day became one of the biggest theatrical successes of 2026, strengthening Cretton’s position as one of Marvel’s most reliable filmmakers. He previously directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and co-created the Disney+ series Wonder Man with Andrew Guest.
Shang-Chi performed well at the box office and was generally well received by audiences. However, the long-promised sequel still lacks a release date. Cretton recently insisted that the film remains in development, although he said the disruption following the original movie’s pandemic-era release prevented the franchise from moving forward more quickly.
A screenshot from Marvel’s Wonder Man – Disney+
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While Wonder Man earned praise from critics, the show attracted relatively few viewers. Marvel recently canceled Season 2 only four months after announcing its renewal. Cretton executive produced the series and directed its first two episodes.
Guest denied speculation that scheduling conflicts involving Cretton contributed to the cancellation. According to the showrunner, contracts had been signed, schedules cleared, and the season outlined before Disney unexpectedly abandoned the project.
Cretton now appears free to turn his full attention to the live-action Naruto adaptation.
Is Destin Daniel Cretton Leaving Marvel?
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been Cretton’s most successful MCU project by a wide margin. The Sony-produced film became the second-fastest movie in history to reach the $1 billion benchmark.
The film also connected Spider-Man more closely to the broader MCU by introducing Jean Grey ahead of Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men reboot. Her appearance led to speculation that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige had mandated the character’s inclusion to help establish the new team.
Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day – Sony, YouTube
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Cretton pushed back against that assumption while emphasizing his creative independence.
“I’m not personally trying to set up anything for Kevin,” Cretton said. “I just want the best story possible that makes sense for Spidey, and Jean Grey was one of the options on the table.”
None of these developments prove that Cretton is leaving Marvel. Filmmakers regularly move between studios, and Naruto has been on his schedule for more than two years. However, with Wonder Man canceled and Shang-Chi 2 progressing slowly, there may be no active MCU project waiting for him.
For now, Marvel’s loss is Lionsgate’s gain. Cretton’s next destination is the Hidden Leaf Village, but whether he eventually returns to the MCU remains an open question.
Do you think that the Spider-Man: Brand New Day director will return to Marvel? Sound off and let us know!
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