AS Marvel Studios walks on thin ice with the inconsistent quality of its films and television series, more bad news has come to rock the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) boat.

First reported by Deadline and then confirmed by others, Destin Daniel Cretton has exited Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the first of the two-parter that would end the MCU’s upcoming sixth phase.

The film is also set to be the biggest ensemble team-up film since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

After previously directing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Cretton is believed to have stepped away from The Kang Dynasty to focus on his other Marvel project, the upcoming Wonder Man series. He is also still attached to directing the sequel to Shang-Chi.

Cretton’s exit has added further chatter to the future of the MCU’s trajectory, particularly The Kang Dynasty, due to the franchise’s current overarching villain Kang and the character’s actor, Jonathan Majors.

The actor has already appeared in several MCU films and television shows as the studio fervently tries to set up Kang’s position as the “ultimate villain” in the current and next phases of the MCU.

However, the actor’s future with the MCU is currently a question mark, as Majors is awaiting trial for domestic abuse charges.

Though it is unlikely that The Kang Dynasty will get cancelled, the news of Cretton’s exit may signal further weakness for Marvel Studios, which comes after two of its three 2023 films being box office disappointments.

Everything paints a new picture for Marvel Studios, where it is no longer in a privileged position to throw any superhero film on the silver screen and expect a guaranteed blockbuster.