‘Shang-Chi’ Director Says He’s Tested Negative for Coronavirus: ‘Please Err on the Side of Safety’

“Shang-Chi” director Destin Daniel Cretton announced Monday that he has tested negative for the coronavirus, and urged his social media followers to “please err on the side of safety and concern for those more vulnerable than you.”

Cretton, who is in Australia for the filming of “Shang-Chi,” went into self-isolation last Thursday and the production was placed on hiatus. While Disney said at the time that Cretton took the step out of caution because he has an infant child, the specific event that prompted him to worry wasn’t disclosed at the time. But in a statement posted to Instagram Monday, Cretton said he did so after he became aware that he “was working in close proximity with some people who had potentially been exposed.”

Cretton added that during his isolation over the weekend, he had time to consider what he called “a time full of opinions and division, where scientific truths are debated and brushed off as political spins.” Even so, Cretton said he is heartened because “I could see something really quite beautiful happening. People all around the world are beginning to realize how connected we are, how vulnerable we are, how much we need each other to survive.”

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Cretton wrote that he is happy that he tested negative, but that he “will continue to be even more careful in the days ahead. Because if you believe in good science, and I do, we still have a mountain to climb together. No matter what you believe or how serious you think this problem is, please err on the side of safety and concern for those more vulnerable than you, and remember that having no symptoms doesn’t mean you’re not a carrier.”

He concluded, “Please stay hopeful, please stay humble, please stay home. Social distancing is an act of love for yourself, your family, and for every person on this planet. Sending all of you our love from Sydney, Australia.”

The good news comes hours after it was announced that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson had been released from the hospital. The couple, who are also in Australia for a now-postponed film shoot, disclosed that they tested positive for coronavirus last Wednesday, a move widely credited with changing world opinion about the seriousness of the illness.

Starring Simu Liu in the title role, “Shang-Chi” focuses on Marvel’s Shang-half-Chinese, half-American martial arts superhero created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin. In the comics, Shang-Chi is an extraordinary master of numerous unarmed and weaponry-based wushu styles, including the use of the gun, nunchaku and jian. The film also stars Awkwafina in an unannounced role, and Tony Leung as Marvel villain The Mandarin.

Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap. “Shang-Chi” remains on hiatus.

Read original story ‘Shang-Chi’ Director Says He’s Tested Negative for Coronavirus: ‘Please Err on the Side of Safety’ At TheWrap