Daniel Destin Cretton wants to break stereotypes with films 'Just Mercy', 'Shang-Chi'

Daniel Destin Cretton hopes to break the stereotypical portrayal of minorities with his films "Just Mercy" and Marvel's "Shang-Chi".

"Just Mercy", adapted from Bryan Stevenson's memoir of the same name, features Michael B Jordan, Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson in the lead. The film is about a man on death row and a gifted young lawyer fighting for equal justice in a flawed legal system.

In an interview with IndieWire, the director said it was his endeavour to show a never-seen-before side to a non-white character.

"What we're trying to do in this movie, and what Bryan does in his book, is constantly taking characters that are easy to pass judgment on and have a stereotype against, and show you the other side of them. The side that you can relate to," he said.

About his much awaited "Shang-Chi", which will introduce the first Asian superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Cretton said there are a lot of stereotypes that he is looking forward to break.

"We need more movies and more stories that continue to show characters of every ethnicity in ways that we have not seen them before," he said.

"We are trying to create something that reflects the Asian American and Asian experience today. There are a lot of stereotypes that I hope our movie helps to break," he added.

Cretton recalled a random stranger calling him Bruce Lee when he moved from Maui, Hawaii to California and he wants to address such things through his work.

"I think the more that we see characters of different ethnicities acting like us, going through experiences that we all relate to, seeing them interact with their families, laugh, and love, and get hurt and get up again, the more those stereotypes break down.

"The less likely someone is going to see someone with an Asian face and just assume they know kung-fu or are related to Bruce Lee, and I hope that our movie is going to help with that conversation," the director said.

"Just Mercy", which had its world premiere at the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival, will release in the US in December.