‘Spider-Man’ director Destin Daniel Cretton

Summary

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Fresh Air: Interview with ‘Spider-Man’ Director Destin Daniel Cretton

Host: Tonya Mosley (NPR)
Guest: Destin Daniel Cretton
Date: August 11, 2026
Episode Focus: Cretton’s Marvel debut, personal journey, and the making of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day"

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode of Fresh Air, Tonya Mosley talks with filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton about directing the blockbuster "Spider-Man: Brand New Day", his signature themes of family and loneliness, and the personal experiences that inform his filmmaking. Cretton’s move from indie dramas to Marvel, his cultural upbringing, and the emotional core of superhero cinema are explored through intimate anecdotes and scene analyses.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Bringing a Personal Stamp to Spider-Man

• Stepping into an Iconic Franchise

  • Cretton describes the enormous expectations tied to directing Spider-Man but emphasizes finding points of deep, personal resonance with Peter Parker’s journey.

    “We were trying to really understand what the internal story was of Peter Parker... it was easy at that time to feel completely alone... That was Peter.” (Destin Daniel Cretton, 02:59–04:00)

• Relatability and Loneliness

  • The film’s emotional nucleus is Peter’s alienation—mirroring Cretton’s own post-college uncertainty and sense of dislocation.

    “To watch him redefine kind of the pain and the things that he's been through and actually use them... was a very therapeutic experience.” (Cretton, 04:00–04:08)

Highlights from the Film

• Party Scene with MJ and Ned (Clip at 04:53–05:32)
  • Peter attends a party where his loved ones, MJ and Ned, no longer know him—amplifying his loneliness in a crowded room.

    “It was really fun to explore that. And, I mean, Tom playing awkward—there’s just nothing better...” (Cretton, 06:37–06:48)

  • Cretton praises Tom Holland’s nuanced comedic timing, noting its emotional resonance.

Integrating Jean Grey and the X-Men

• Creative Origins and Marvel Collaboration

  • Contrary to expectations, integrating Jean Grey was initially Cretton’s idea, not the studio’s.

    “I was really interested in having our antagonist be somebody who is younger than Peter...” (Cretton, 07:59–09:20)

  • Cretton wanted an antagonist that reflected young people’s emotional realities—Jean Grey embodies this, as someone who can enter minds yet feels isolated.

• Process with Marvel

  “Kevin’s not necessarily ever pushing things on us. Once we know what we want, we have to go to him and ask, ‘Can we use this character?’” (Cretton, 09:17–09:50)

From Group Home to Hollywood

• Origins: Short Term 12

  • Cretton’s empathetic storytelling stems from his early work in a group home for at-risk teens.

    “It was by far the most difficult experience that I had up until that point and also the most rewarding.” (Cretton, 10:44–11:03)

  • He discusses how the real pain beneath teens’ exteriors shaped his view on emotional authenticity.

• Journey to Filmmaking

  • For years, filmmaking was a hobby—odd jobs paid the bills while he created shorts annually.

    “So I didn’t see that as a failure. I saw it as a way to survive psychologically as an artist.” (Cretton, 14:14–14:58)

On Just Mercy and the Power of Story

• Storytelling as Social Change
  • Referencing his acclaimed film about Bryan Stevenson, Cretton shares his faith in narrative to change hearts and minds.

    “Movies to me have always been a way of peering into other worlds and finding those things that still connect us.” (Cretton, 18:02–19:38)

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Personal Background & Family

Themes of Family & Connection

• A Recurring Motif

  • Whether it’s a biological unit or found family, the search for belonging permeates all his films.

    “In many ways I feel like I'm exploring the idea of family... the importance of that connection with people who truly know who you are.” (Cretton, 22:37–23:51)

• Island Roots & Early Alienation

  • Moving from Maui to California, Cretton confronted new outsider experiences—shaping his empathy for characters adrift.

    “I didn't realize a lot of things... I didn't realize I had an accent... I learned by default to change the way that I speak just so people could understand.” (Cretton, 24:18–25:01)

• Strict Upbringing and Movie Obsession

  • His mom was strict about television and comics, fostering creativity through play and homemade movies.

    “My mom wouldn't let us watch tv but she allowed us to make as much stuff as we wanted.” (Cretton, 27:01–27:58)

  • His grandmother nurtured his filmmaking with her VHS camera and supportive trips.

The Impact of Parental Relationships

• His Father’s Influence
  • Complicated relationship with his undiagnosed bipolar father influenced Cretton’s emotional range and sensitivity as a director.

    “My dad was very passionate, very wonderful to be around, very loving in moments, and could also be very dark and very angry.” (Cretton, 44:11–46:52)

  • Learning to navigate his father’s moods gave him empathy—a vital skill on set:

    “That really allowed me to not be afraid of any person... and to create this skill of feeling other people's emotions, which I use all the time as a director.” (Cretton, 46:52–47:58)

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Craft, Cultural Identity, & The Industry

Marvel & Personal Identity

• Shang Chi: A New Kind of Set
  • Cretton’s first time working with an almost entirely Asian cast and crew affirmed the possibility of integrating identity with craft.

    “I always sort of compartmentalized my upbringing and my culture... until I was on set for Shang Chi.” (Cretton, 35:29–36:33)

Giving Back: Hisako Film Lab

• Mentorship and Opportunity
  • Established a nonprofit film lab on Maui to mentor and inspire new generations of island filmmakers.

    “In honor of my grandma, we created the Hisako Film Lab... one of the joys of my life to watch these kids start in a place... and hold the microphone on stage.” (Cretton, 36:46–38:53)

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Thematic Throughlines

Loss, Loneliness, and Healing

• Consistent motif: protagonists who feel alone or grieve lost loved ones—across Short Term 12, Spider-Man, and Shang Chi.

  “There were times where we were in the middle of shooting a scene and we looked at each other and just felt like we could be on the set of Short Term 12.” (Cretton, 41:12–41:41)

  • The most powerful moments, for Cretton, are simple, honest scenes of vulnerability.

    “Really it's the scenes between two characters sitting on a bed... it’s those scenes that to me are the most powerful.” (Cretton, 41:45–42:10)

Art as Emotional Processing

• Cretton admits that creating stories about loss and found family is his way of processing personal pain, particularly his relationship with his father and the refuge of sibling bonds.

  “My experience with my dad did other things for me... allowed me to create this skill of feeling other people's emotions, which I use all the time as a director.” (Cretton, 46:52–47:58)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Finding Peter Parker's Heart:

  “It was easy at that time to feel completely alone. That was Peter.” (02:59–04:00)

• On Tom Holland’s Performance:

  “Tom playing awkward—there’s just nothing better than watching Tom play an awkward scene.” (06:37–06:48)

• On Introducing Jean Grey:

  “We wanted an antagonist that would be a real reflection of Peter Parker and where he is in his emotional journey... Jean Grey was like, you know, became the top of the list.” (07:59–09:20)

• On Family and Belonging:

  “The importance of that connection with people who truly know who you are, that you can fully be yourself around. To me, that has just always remained the most powerful aspect of my life.” (22:37–23:51)

• On Directorial Empathy:

  “I feel like nobody compares to the experience that I had with my dad. But it also allowed me to subconsciously create this skill of feeling other people’s emotions, which I find I use all the time as a director.” (46:56–47:58)

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Essential Timestamps

• 04:53–05:32 – Party scene with Peter, MJ, and Ned (emotional core of Brand New Day)
• 07:59–09:20 – Introducing Jean Grey as antagonist; working with Marvel
• 10:44–11:51 – Stories from the group home; inspiration for Short Term 12
• 14:06–14:58 – Filmmaking as a survival tool, not just career ambition
• 18:02–19:38 – On movies as a window to connection and similarity
• 22:37–23:51 – The recurring theme of found family
• 24:18–25:01 – Navigating cultural identity after leaving Maui
• 35:29–36:33 – Working with an Asian cast on Shang Chi, integrating identity
• 36:46–38:53 – The Hisako Film Lab and youth mentorship
• 41:12–42:10 – Emotional continuity: from indie dramas to Marvel
• 44:11–47:58 – Complicated relationship with his father and its impact

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Conclusion

Tonya Mosley’s conversation with Destin Daniel Cretton is a rich meditation on storytelling, loss, and the quest for belonging—both on-screen and in life. Cretton reveals how superhero spectacle and indie authenticity can coexist, stemming from his own experiences of isolation, culture, and complicated family love. The episode blends insights into the making of "Brand New Day" with heartfelt reflections on identity, empathy, and artistic legacy.

Transcript

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[Tonya Mosley]

This is FRESH AIR.

I'm Tonya Mosley. At the end of the last Spider man movie, no Way home, back in 2021, Peter Parker makes a choice to to save the people he loves. He had everyone on Earth forget he ever existed. My guest today, filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, picks up the story years later in the latest Spider Man Brand New Day. Peter, played by Tom Holland, is still Spider man, but years after everyone he loves has forgotten about him and he's living alone when strange things begin happening to his powers. There's no one in his life who knows him well enough to even know something is wrong.

[Tom Holland (as Peter Parker)]

What is happening to me?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Did you miss me, Spidey?

[Sponsor Voice]

I'm losing my mind.

[Tonya Mosley]

I am totally out of control. I gotta fix whatever this is right now. That's Tom Holland as Peter Parker in Brand New Day. And it opened with the biggest debut in box office history. Director Destin Daniel Cretton came to Marvel from a very different kind of filmmaking. His first job out of college was at a group home for at risk teenagers. He turned that experience into the 2013 film Short Term 12, which featured young actors Brie Larson, Rami Malek and Lakeith Stanfield. Cretton went on to direct the Glass Castle and Just Mercy, about attorney Bryan Stevenson's work defending Men on Death Row, his Marvel debut with Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the studio's first film with an Asian lead and an Asian director. He also created the Marvel series Wonder Man. Destin Daniel Cretton, welcome to FRESH AIR.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Thank you.

[Tonya Mosley]

Okay, 23 million people went to see this movie the first weekend. And a movie like this, I mean, it has enormous expectations. There are, of course, the studio expectations. Cause this is a franchise, it's a brand. And in many ways the these stories have to carry each other from film to film. But there's something in particular that you have to bring to the film as well, your sensibilities as a director, knowing that you're stepping into an established story. Was there a moment or any time during the beginning of the process where you said this is the film and this is my stamp, my place in it?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

There were a few moments in the

development process where I felt like I now understand the heart of this story One was in the. In the writing process.

We were.

We were trying to really understand what the internal story was of Peter Parker. And I was reflecting a lot on my 20s when I left university and when I didn't really have a real direction in life. When a lot of my friends were going off to other things and it felt like a lot of people were moving on without me. It was easy at that time to feel completely alone. That was around the time that I was working at that group home for at risk teenagers. And when I think about that particular time in my life, I don't know, I just felt like that was Peter. That was this stage where you're looking back at the things and the places that you've been and you don't know how to define them, to move forward. And so to be able to look at Peter and watch him redefine kind of the pain and the things that he's been through and actually use them as part of the things that make him strong was a very therapeutic experience.

[Tonya Mosley]

I actually want to play a clip. It's a scene where Peter, Peter Parker, as we said, he's been erased from the memory of everyone who loved him. And he crashes a house party thrown by mj, the girl he loved, who was played by Zendaya and Ned, his best friend, played by Jacob Batalon. And neither of them knows who he is. It's the first time we kind of see them all together. And it's a real trippy experience because, you know, of course he knows, and we know the whole backstory, but they don't know who he is. And Peter is, at that moment, unbelievably lonely. And he loves these two people so much. You know, he's been following their lives on social media. And he's at this party and he sees MJ, and she speaks first. Let's listen.

[Zendaya (as MJ)]

God, there's like 50 people in our apartment. Statistically speaking, that means at least two of them are sociopaths, which is kind of cool. Nice flowers.

[Tom Holland (as Peter Parker)]

Oh, there are a housewarming gift.

[Zendaya (as MJ)]

Really?

[Jacob Batalon (as Ned)]

Yeah.

[Zendaya (as MJ)]

Oh, okay. Most people just brought beer and chips. That's very nice. I'm mj.

[Tom Holland (as Peter Parker)]

I'm a. Maynard. Maynard.

[Jamie Foxx (as Walter McMillan)]

Oh, you two don't know each other?

[Tom Holland (as Peter Parker)]

No, I'm a neighbor.

[Zendaya (as MJ)]

Friendly neighbor.

[Tonya Mosley]

That cough, that's a scene from Brand New Day, directed by my guest today, Destin Daniel Cretton. Of course, the friendly neighbor is a play off of the whole Spider man franchise. But this is kind of what you're talking about, about that. Those growing pains of getting to the next stage of life. Because, of course, this is the device where they don't know him, and that's a big part of the storyline. But it's also something that is very ordinary too, where you grow out of your friends at a certain age in life. Maybe the people that you have kind of been on the journey with, you're now kind of, you know, separating. There's a certain grief that lives in that.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

And it also just feels so, to

me, so relatable at that stage in life. I remember being in those parties. I remember feel being surrounded by people who all seem like they have it together and seem like they are having the time of their lives. And I remember certain times feeling very alone in the middle of it.

But it was really.

It was actually really fun to explore that. And, I mean, Tom playing awkward. There's just nothing better than watching Tom play an awkward scene.

Yeah.

[Jamie Foxx (as Walter McMillan)]

Why?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Yeah, he's just.

His comedic timing with his awkwardness, I think, is one of the most brilliant things about him.

It's so relatable.

It's not just comedy. It's just like a feeling and situation that I. I just feel like I've been at.

[Tonya Mosley]

Okay, I'm gonna ask a few specific questions about the film. So people who don't want spoilers. I'm gonna pause, maybe skip the next few minutes of this conversation. This movie also introduces Jean Grey into Peter Parker's world. And for people who don't know her, Jean is a mutant who can enter people's minds. She can hear their thoughts, live inside their memories. And she is one of the X Men. And, you know, so everyone is talking about this. It's like, oh, okay, this is setting this up for me for the next movie here. But I've read that it was actually the other way around. It wasn't the studio who was pushing you for this. This was something you actually wanted for yourself. You wanted her to be a part of this storyline. Talk to me about why she was important to introduce, to kind of reinforce all of these themes that you were so interested in exploring.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

When we were writing this movie, we wanted an antagonist that would be a real reflection of Peter Parker and where

he is in his emotional journey.

And we went through a lot of

potential villains, and I cannot think of a better reflection than where we landed. I was really interested in having our antagonist be somebody who is younger than Peter, who really represents, in many ways what young people are going through right now. What young people are feeling in what ways. Well, this is a character who can literally jump into other people's minds and experience the lives of other people. But she's also a person who is completely alone in this city, and nobody really knows the real hero, you know, and that. I think that feeling, to me, just felt like a young person's experience. And initially, we didn't know who that would be. We were talking about fictional. Just creating a fictional character. But then we started brainstorming, like, who could that be? So we started talking to Kevin, like, who on the roster?

[Announcer]

Kevin?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Yeah. Kevin Feige. Yes.

Who on the roster can we pull from? And Jean Grey was like, you know, became the top of the list, but it did. You know, Kevin's not necessarily ever pushing things on us. We have to. Once we know what we want, we have to go to him and ask, like, is that gonna work? Can we use this character in our movie? I mean, the same with Hulk, too. We didn't. It made sense to our movie to have the Hulk. It wasn't a mandate to put him in. We had to request, and Kevin let us do it.

[Tonya Mosley]

Request and then sell it. Sell the idea.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Yeah.

[Tonya Mosley]

Are there folks that you had thought about that just like, no, that wouldn't work initially. Other type of characters?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

I mean, if you see our writers room, it's just like, we've got every character up on the wall as potentials. But to me, that's the challenge, is to just kind of let the story evolve, and then what characters should be in the story usually make their way into the story, as opposed to starting

with a mandate and working backwards.

[Tonya Mosley]

Let's talk about this time that you were working in this group home. There's a story that you tell about how cocky you felt as a young man when you got this job. You thought, like, these kids are gonna love me. I'm going to be, in some ways, a savior. And you got a rude awakening.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

I sure did.

[Tonya Mosley]

What happened instead?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

It was a job that really threw a lot of things back into my faith. It was by far the most difficult

experience that I had up until that

point and also the most rewarding.

I grew up on Maui. I think I didn't realize how sheltered I was until I was working at that group home. I just was not exposed to the type of experiences that these young people had gone through. I also wasn't ready for the people that they had become because of their experiences. These young teenagers were in many ways,

much more mature than I was. But then they were also. They had very real. Real pain from their past just right

under the surface that they were always dealing with. So it was very quickly a very humbling experience for me.

[Tonya Mosley]

I want to actually play a clip from the film. And it was your second film. And short term 12 is the name of the facility in the film. And the kids stay there until they find somewhere else to live or until they turn 18 and age out. And in this clip, this scene is Rami Malek. He plays Nate, a new staffer on his first day. Is he a proxy for you? Yes, he is.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

He definitely is.

[Jamie Foxx (as Walter McMillan)]

Okay.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Yeah.

[Tonya Mosley]

And he is talking with Brie Larson's character, Grace, who has been working there for a while and shows him the ropes. Let's listen.

[Jacob Batalon (as Ned)]

These are the files on our kids if you want to see what kind of crap they've been through.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

How long do they stay here?

[Jacob Batalon (as Ned)]

Supposedly less than a year, but we have a few that have been here a little over three. We just keep them until the county figures out where they're gonna go next. Tom, go brush your teeth. Remember, you're not their parent. You're another therapist. You are here to create a safe environment and a. Got it. And since you're new, they're gonna try and test you, see what they can get away with. So just say no for a while.

[Jamie Foxx (as Walter McMillan)]

No. Okay.

[Jacob Batalon (as Ned)]

Kinda gotta be an. Before you can be their friend. You're gonna be fine.

[Tonya Mosley]

That was Rami Malek and Brie Larson in the film Short Term 12, directed by my guest today, Destin Daniel Cretton. When you took that job, what were your aspirations?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

You know, I graduated with a communication

degree and I was making short films.

I would do a short film once a year, and I would just save my money.

So I worked at a group home

for two or three years. I taught high school video production. I worked at a hotel putting up their media, their projectors and things. I had a lot of odd jobs to pay the bills. I shot wedding videos. But it was all really a way to just pay the bills while I made movies as a hobby.

[Tonya Mosley]

Okay, because you were very clear at that time that you wanted to make movies.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

I was very clear that I wanted to keep making movies as a hobby. I wasn't really chasing it as a career. I feel very surprised and lucky to

be where I am.

I tried moving up to LA early on, but I found it to be a little too overwhelming. And so when I moved back to San Diego, where I went to school, it was also an admission to myself that I was not going to make it in the industry. I was gonna go back and just try to find a way to do what I loved and continue to do it with without getting paid for it. So I didn't see that as a failure. I saw it as a way to survive psychologically as an artist.

[Tonya Mosley]

I want to switch gears to talk about another film of yours. First off, I just want to say thank you for just mercy. I watched that with my children during the pandemic. And surprisingly, I think it's surprising for me that they still reference that sometimes. And for people who don't know it, it's based on Bryan Stevenson's memoir about his work defending men on death row in Alabama. I want to actually play a clip from the film. And this scene features Jamie foxx as Walter McMillan. And Walter is a man who was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death in Alabama. And Michael B. Jordan plays Bryan Stevenson. And at the time, he's a young lawyer just out of Harvard who has taken on this case. And the two are meeting for the first time in the visiting area of the prison. And Walter basically tells Bryan Stevenson, I don't really trust that you can help me and get me off death row. Let's listen,

[Jamie Foxx (as Walter McMillan)]

rich boy from Harvard. You don't know what it is down here when you're guilty from the moment you're born. You can buddy up with these white folks and make em laugh and try to make em like you, whatever that is. And you say, yes, sir, no, ma'. Am. But when it's your turn, they ain't got to have no fingerprints, no evidence, and the only witness they got made the whole thing up. And none of that matter when all y' all think is is I look like a man who could kill somebody.

[Tom Holland (as Peter Parker)]

But that's not what I think.

[Jamie Foxx (as Walter McMillan)]

You know how many people been freed from Alabama death row? None. What make you think you're gonna change that? Ain't doing this again, doc.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Mr. McMillan, we done here.

Mr. McMillan, please,

[Jamie Foxx (as Walter McMillan)]

I'm here to help.

[Tonya Mosley]

That was Jamie Foxx's Walter McMillan and Michael B. Jordan, who played Bryan Stevenson. What is it about filmmaking that's your language, that is your way to express, because you're touching on something with these people, especially Bryan Stevenson, who just recently, he had this. He was talking about how this moment that we're in is a moment where we are taking the record. It's narrative change. It's through storytelling that we are able to make change in this generation, in this moment. And I'm just wondering for you, what. What is it particularly about filmmaking, that is your language?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

I grew up on Maui, a small

island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

And I found connection to the outside world in movie theaters as a kid. I would watch many movies with my dad, with her family, and that is how I traveled. That is how I was exposed to other cultures. That's how I understand how kids grew up in high school on the mainland. And one of my biggest takeaways was not how different we are, but how similar we are emotionally. The things that when I watched ET and the things that I see this young man going through in his family, in his school were things that I went through. And I have always found movies to be a way of peering into other, other lives that I would never otherwise experience, to peer into other worlds and find those things that still connect us. And I feel lucky that I went from being a spectator to then just kind of getting obsessed with doing this as a young kid. And I think over time I've just become, I don't know, become very addicted to the process of exploring a subject, of jumping into it and understanding it

and finding a way to write it

in a narrative through the eyes of a character that I identify with and watching that character struggle with something that I have struggled with and allowing that

character to get through that struggle on

some level and come out the other side. That whole process for me has always been very personally fulfilling and life changing every time. And that's true for these dramas that we're talking about. And that's also true for these bigger Marvel stories.

[Tonya Mosley]

If you're just joining us, my guest today is movie director Destin Daniel Cretton. We'll be right back after a short break. I'm Tonya Mosley and this is fresh air support.

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[Tonya Mosley]

NPR this is FRESH AIR. I'm Tonya Mosley and my guest today is filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, director of the new movie Brand New Day, which just had one of the biggest opening weekends in box office history. He also directed Just Mercy and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and created the Marvel series Wonder Man. His breakout film was short term 12, about the staff and the teenagers inside a short term group home drawn from the two years he spent working and one after college. Do you find that there are themes you keep coming back to, that they're, you know, these films are all different, but that there might be a thematic through line of something that Destin is kind of stiff, always trying to work through and come out on the other side?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Yeah. Not consciously, but it is weird how when, when I step back and analyze everything that I've worked on, in many ways I feel like I'm exploring the idea of family and in, in different ways. And you know, that that idea of family, I think, extends to whether you have a regular family with a mom and dad and kids or whether in short term 12, you, you there is a, a family that is created out of circumstance. I think even in Brand New Day, the idea of family and community is really at the core of this movie. And I'm always interested in what happens to a person when they are outside of that family and community and the importance of that connection with people who truly know who you are, that you can fully be yourself around. To me, that has just always remained the most powerful aspect of my life is staying connected to the people who really know me.

[Tonya Mosley]

Do you think that I think that probably that's something all of lots of people can relate to. But is there something specific about being an island boy and then stepping off the island and you being kind of separated from your family and experiencing this big life outside of them that is your story, your origin story.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Yeah.

When I first left the islands and

went to college in San Diego, it was really hard. It was really hard. The first year I was, you know, it took everything in me not to just leave and get on a plane and go back home. I didn't realize a lot of things. When I got to California, I didn't realize I had an accent. I didn't realize at that time because everybody was like, what?

What? What?

[Tonya Mosley]

So they didn't understand.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Even the way that I'm talking now is sort of like. I kind of learned by default to change the way that I speak just so people could understand what I was saying.

But there were, you know, there.

There were a lot of things that I was naive to growing up in the islands. I. I didn't really ever feel like an outsider due to my ethnicity, ever. I, you know, I felt like I had feelings of being an outsider just because I was a bit of a nerd. And I was homeschooled at some for three years of high school for other reasons, but never because of my ethnicity. And that was something that when I. When I got to California, I remember the first time I was like at a bar and some dude just thought it was funny to call me Bruce Lee. And I was like, oh, that's a. That's a first for me, you know, And I. So, and, and I. I also, not only growing up in the islands, I have five siblings and we're all very close, and family has always been very important. But for me, that time away from family really helped solidify how important my brothers and sisters are to me. And they have always been my biggest strength in life.

[Tonya Mosley]

You mentioned how you'd go see movies with your dad and your mom was. You called her a little hippie mom. I think you referenced that she was sort of a hippie mom, but she also was a mom who was very particular about the media and other things like that that you consumed. How did that work in your household?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

My mom was very kind of anti tv. She would allow us to watch certain things on. Like, we could watch TGIF on Friday night or. But most of the time.

[Tonya Mosley]

What's tgif? You're talking about the home video.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

No, it's like that run on Friday nights. I had family matters.

[Tonya Mosley]

Okay. Yeah. Gosh, I forgot, like a bunch of different family themed sitcoms. Yeah.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Watch like four in a row or something.

[Sponsor Voice]

Yeah.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

But

[Jamie Foxx (as Walter McMillan)]

was.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

It was actually looking back, really wonderful.

She.

We lived in Haiku, a small town right next to a pineapple field and lots of open spaces. We grew up in the same property that my mom grew up on, and she would just force us out of the house. And because of that, we had to find our own ways of playing make believe or making up plays or making up dance routines or fight choreography. And then we'd perform it for my mom. And we used to do that When I was really young, and then around 11 or 12, my grandma loaned me her VHS camera. And that's when I got addicted to making movies. And so my mom wouldn't let us watch tv, but she allowed us to make as much stuff as we wanted. So that's when I started making movies with my siblings. And honestly, the process has not changed. We would spend all day making a short film or a commercial or whatever, and then I'd put it together and then we'd have a little premiere. But the premiere was just like my mom or my mom and dad, but that feeling remains the same. I'm still like kind of buzzing and have those butterflies in my stomach before I'd show it.

And then my mom claps and it's

like, that's the full process. And that's still the same creative process that I go through.

[Tonya Mosley]

Your grandma sounds like a pretty special person. I saw you post a series of photographs with her holding that big VHS camera from back in the day. Grandmother's love. I mean, it's such a special thing. It also. Sometimes they can see things in you because it's so pure that they can see things in you that others can't see. And did your grandmother ever tell you things about yourself?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

My grandma was incredibly supportive of all of us.

She was a nurse her whole life

and her, her husband was. My grandpa was a cement mason. And even though in one breath they would say things like get a secure job, make sure, like try just get a county job. Was the whole. Get a county job because it's, you know, you'll get good health insurance and you have job security. But my grandma also had always wanted to be a fashion designer. And she would make my mom's dresses when she was. When my mom was go to junior prom. Like, my grandma would sew her dresses. She would also do these beautiful dresses for all of my mom's dolls. So when she took me and my siblings on kind of our first big trip off island, I was in the fourth grade and we went to California and we flew into. It was my grandma and my grandpa. And then at that time it was. My youngest sister didn't come. So it was five kids. And I don't know how they juggled all of us. They would get those adjoining rooms and we'd all sleep together. And then in the morning they would force us to go to the bathroom so that we don't pee our pants when we're. And then we would just get on a bus and they took us to. To Universal Studios. That was the first time that I was was able to see the, the behind the scenes on how movies were made.

I, I saw Jaws ET I saw that stunt show for, for Waterworld, the Water World stunt show, right?

[Tonya Mosley]

Yes.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Yep.

And,

and the whole time that I was experiencing that she had that VHS camera that she allowed me to use for the first time was on this trip. And so I became the person who was documenting the trip. And my grandma kind of encouraged me to do that. That trip really defined me. After Universal Studios, she took us to Disneyland and the same thing. It was my first time kind of seeing, oh my gosh, there are thousands of people who make this stuff that I love. And then when I got home, it was just all of that inspiration came back with me to Maui and that's when we started making movies nonstop.

[Tonya Mosley]

If you're just joining us, my guest is filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton and he directed the new movie Brand New Day, which is in theaters now. Or we'll continue our conversation after a short break. This is FRESH air.

[Sponsor Voice]

This message comes from Angie. Tackling a home project, Angie can connect you with pros who do such a good job, you might ask them to be your kid's godfather. Don't do that. Just trust them to get the job done. Find a pro for your [e-mail] that's a n g I.com this message comes from Schwab.

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[Tonya Mosley]

And today I am talking with filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, director of the new movie Brand New Day. He also directed Just Mercy and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and created the Marvel series Wonder Man. His breakout film was short term 12, about the staff and the teenagers inside a short term go drawn from the two years he spent working in one after college. He grew up on the island of Maui, one of six kids homeschooled by his mother who didn't allow comics in the house. She didn't allow comics in the house?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Nope.

[Tonya Mosley]

The lore Is you had one little beat up Spider man comic.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Yeah, that was more from my grandpa. Had some comics. And of course my, my friends, you know, right.

Right around the time I was 10

was like, that was like the Todd McFarlane days. And I remember, I remember those Spider man comics and, and sneaking. I have a memory of. Of sneaking one that was potentially at my grandpa's house or, or it was from. From one of my friends. But it was like that was. Spawn and Spider man were kind of the big thing when I was like

10 or 11 years old.

[Tonya Mosley]

Do you know why your mom didn't want you to read those or you and your siblings?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

I think there's. I mean my. I think she was. Anytime she would see something that was violent, she wasn't into it. So fighting wasn't cool. Sexiness, probably. She wasn't into that when I was a kid,

[Jamie Foxx (as Walter McMillan)]

so.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

And it goes hand in hand with her being pretty protective of the things that we would consume in any type of media, tv, movies. But you know, when you're a kid, you find ways to sneak.

[Tonya Mosley]

Your Marvel debut happened in 2021, directing Shang Chi, the first Asian superhero. And this was. You said this was the first time in your professional career that you walked into a space and everyone was Asian. Just about describe what that was like for you and what that meant for you at that particular moment in your career.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Yeah, it was one of those things

I didn't really know I was missing until it happened.

And when I stepped onto set once, you know, once all of our stunt performers were there and all of our actors were on set and it was kind of that first day on set, it was.

I mean, it was cool.

It was just like there was something about set that just felt homey, that

felt so comfortable to be able to have conversations with people that fully understand what my grandma is like and what. What growing up in a. In an Asian culture is like. So I didn't know that that aspect of myself could be a part of my filmmaking. You know, I always sort of compartmentalized my upbringing and my culture and growing up in Hawaii as sort of a. A separate thing than. Than my experience as a filmmaker until I was on set for Shang Chi. It was very special.

[Tonya Mosley]

Maui has been through so much, especially over the last few years with the fires and everything. And there is a film program, though, helping filmmakers. Tell us about this.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

When I was growing up on Maui

and I had this passion for filmmaking,

I didn't know anybody who did it. I didn't have very many resources on how to develop the skills to do this thing that I loved. And so it was always a dream to create a safe space for young people, to explore this world of filmmaking and to take young people through the

process that I've grown to love so much.

In honor of my grandma, we created the Hisako Film Lab, which is a nonprofit on Maui that is specifically for young filmmakers growing up on the islands. And throughout that process, the students are exposed to professionals who are all my friends who want to give back in some way. So we at the pitch process, they're pitching to professional screenwriters. Screenwriters help them learn the process of writing a screenplay. We we have professional editors talk to them at that point. And then professionals are helping judge their movies in the end. And it really is one of the joys of my life to watch these kids start in a place that often when they come in, they've never done anything like this before. Many of them don't have a real community or friend group that they connect with. And many of them have never spoken in public in front of people and maybe never wanted to or never dreamed that they would. But over the course of this process, by the end of it, I've seen so many of these young people grow as people grow in their confidence and hold the microphone on stage in front of a community at the end after their movie is played and answer questions to everybody. And you just feel the pride.

[Tonya Mosley]

Oh, I know. I can imagine.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

It's wonderful.

[Tonya Mosley]

If you're just joining us, my guest is filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, and he directed the new movie Brand New Day, which is in theaters now. We'll continue our conversation after a short break. This is FRESH air.

[Sponsor Voice]

This message comes from Angie. Tackling a home project. And Angie can connect you with pros who do such a good job, you might ask them to be your kid's godfather. Don't do that. Just trust them to get the job done. Find a pro for your [e-mail] that's a n g I.com this message comes from Schwab.

Self directed investing, Trading, full service wealth management, Automated investing, financial planning, Thematic investing, retirement planning. And to think that's just a small taste of what Schwab offers, because Schwab knows that when it comes to your finances, choice matters. No matter your goals, investing style, life, stage or experience, Schwab has everything you need all in one place so you can invest your way. Visit schwab.com to learn more.

This message comes from IXL. IXL provides personalized learning and powerful insights that Help teachers boost achievement and understand student progress in real time. Learn [e-mail] NPR this is FRESH AIR.

[Tonya Mosley]

And today I am talking with filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, director of the new movie Brand New Day. He also directed Just Mercy and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and created the Marvel series Wonder Man. His breakout film was short term 12, about the staff and the teenagers inside, a Short term drawn from the two years he spent working in one after college. You know, in addition to this theme of family in your films, there's also something about young people who feel alone and have had to deal with the loss of loved ones. And that theme is in short term 12 and Spider Man, Peter and the young villain in the movie, also in Shang Chi, he went through the same loss and violence. That also seems like that's a pretty, pretty strong through line.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Yes, I agree. There were times in this, in shooting Spider man that my, my director of photography, Brett Pollock, who also shot short term 12, there were times where we were in the middle of shooting a scene and we looked at each other and just felt like we could be on the set of short term 12. Oh, it's, and that to me is

really the amazing part of doing a

movie like this that can get so big on many levels. But really it's, it's the scenes, it's the scenes between two characters sitting on a bed sharing, sharing in their,

in

their pain and in their grief. It's those scenes that to me are the most powerful.

[Jamie Foxx (as Walter McMillan)]

And

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

I felt, you know, I felt

very lucky that this particular story was able to hold both of those things.

[Tonya Mosley]

Is there a reason that you, you keep coming back to making films about that?

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

I mean, maybe, maybe this is true for many artists. The experience I think of my, my childhood was made up of so much joy and also quite a lot of pain and hardship. The experience that I had, having a very complicated relationship with my, with my dad who passed away a few years ago was an experience that many times left me feeling very isolated and alone. But really the thing that carried me through was my relationship with my siblings. And they have always been there when I was at my darkest moments in life. And so I don't know, somehow that's probably just ingrained in me somewhere and it just kind of comes out subconsciously when I'm writing or it is a story that I personally don't feel I will ever get old examining in different ways. But yeah.

[Tonya Mosley]

Can you share more about what you mean about the complicated relationship with your dad? I hear you talk about your mom a lot, but not so much your dad.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

I think in many ways most of my movies have something to do with my dad. My dad was a very passionate man. I don't like to diagnose people, but I think we all suspect that he was undiagnosed bipolar on some level. He was very passionate, very wonderful to be around, very loving in moments, and could also be very dark and very angry. And it just depends which dad you were going to get on the day, you know. I grew up, along with my siblings, learning to navigate those emotions, those real intense peaks and valleys. And when my dad would come home, I learned to become very sensitive to what state he was in. I have found over the course of my career that I. I have so much to thank. From my experience with my dad. I am a so grateful that he, he really was the person who instilled in me my love of movies. I mean, while my mom wouldn't really let us watch TV late at night, my dad, who was a big action fan, and he loved Clint Eastwood, he loved Schwarzenegger, he loved Stallone. I would hear the sounds of guns and explosions going off downstairs late at night, and he would be watching the latest Schwarzenegger movie or whatever, and I would sneak downstairs and pretend I was going to the bathroom. And then I'd go and hide behind the couch and watch him, you know, as he's watching the Running man or Total Recall or. I have some of my fondest memories with him, like, going. And we watched the Fugitive together in a theater. And that was my first, like PG13 movie. And it was so exhilarating when we, when we came out of the theater. I mean, this was so my dad. We came out of the theater, my dad just raised both fists in the air and screamed the Fugitive. But that's the type of, like, passion he had, you know, and. And so I have those memories. But then I also have a dad who was often depressed. I didn't understand it was depression at the time, but who would often come home and just want to sleep or not talk or. And then there was also the angry side who could be very intense and very scary.

So aside from my love of movies,

my experience with my dad did other things for me. It really allowed me to not be afraid of any person, no matter how intense they are, no matter how quote, unquote, powerful they believed themselves to be. I feel like nobody compares to the experience that I had with my dad. But it also allowed me to subconsciously create this skill of feeling other people's emotions, which I, I find I use all the time as a director. The moment an actor steps on set, I feel like I just know what state they're in and I know what they need. You know, I've, I've learned how to bring down a very intense situation. I do feel like he was a very wonderful and troubled man, but I am so grateful to have had him as my dad.

[Tonya Mosley]

Destin, thank you so much for this conversation. It's been great to meet you and great to talk about all of this.

[Destin Daniel Cretton]

Thank you for having me. Such a lovely conversation.

[Tonya Mosley]

Destin. Daniel Cretton. His new movie Brand New Day is in theaters now. Tomorrow on FRESH air, When it comes to the production of drones, electric vehicles, lithium ion batteries and solar cells, China is ahead of the U.S. china may also be benefiting from the war in Iran and President Trump's tariffs. Is America's global dominance over? We talk with Evan Osnos about his latest New Yorker article. I hope you can join us to keep up with what's on the show and get highlights of our interviews. Follow us on Instagram at NPRFreshAir. Fresh Year's executive producer is Sam Brigger. Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. Our engineer today is Adam Stanischewski. Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Phyllis Myers, Ann Marie Baldonado, Lauren Krenzel, Teresa Madden, Monique Nazareth, Thea Chaloner, Susan Yakundi, Anna Bauman and Nico Gonzales Whistler. Our digital media producer is Molly CV Nesper. Roberta Shorrock directs the show with Terry Gross. I'm Tonya Moseley.

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This message comes from Angie. If you're tackling a home project, check out angie.com from roofing to remodels and everything in between, Angie connects you with skilled pros who do such a good job, you might trust them to do other things like pull out your tooth or be your kid's godfather. Don't actually ask them to do those things, just let them get the job done well. Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust, Find a pro for your [e-mail] that's a n g I dot com. This message comes from Schwab. With the new Schwab Teen Investor account, teens can gain hands on investing experience and build positive money habits. It's an account co owned by you and your teen so you can monitor and engage with the account while your teen learns how to invest and manage money learning. Learn [e-mail].

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