Marvel has selected Destin Daniel Cretton as the director of "Shang-Chi," its first superhero movie with an Asian lead.

Deadline reports the Hawaiian-born Cretton will helm the film, which is being scripted by Chinese-American writer Dave Callaham.

Cretton is best known for writing and directing the 2013 acclaimed indie on "Just Mercy."

Marvel is reportedly hoping that "Shang-Chi" can be as groundbreaking (and successful) as "Black Panther," which had a black director in Ryan Coogler and starred a nearly all-black cast.

Shang-Chi made his first comic book appearance in 1973, around the time that "Enter the Dragon" and other martial arts films were very popular. The protagonist is the son of a Chinese globalist who grew up training in martial arts in a reclusive compound.

He eventually goes into the world to do his revered father's bidding, but soon learns his father may not be the humanitarian he's claimed to be. Later, Shang-Chi s the Avengers.

With "Avengers: Endgame" seemingly closing the first chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the studio has been diversifying its film slate. "Captain Marvel," its first female-led superhero movie, has been flying high at the box office. A "Black Widow" standalone film is in development, as is "Black Panther 2."