‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Writing Credits Reveal a Crowded Room of Marvel Storytellers
Big superhero movies rarely arrive with a clean paper trail, and the road to ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ has been especially winding. Over the past 4 years, the film has changed titles, directors and writers, and the Writers Guild of America has now weighed in on who gets credit for what. The credits list is a snapshot of how messy and collaborative the process became.
While Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron are the only credited writers on the film, the Writers Guild of America website has been updated with credits for “Additional Literary Material.” That is where the story gets interesting for Marvel fans.
The WGA directory now lists Destin Daniel Cretton, Jeff Loveness and Andrew Lanham as additional contributors. The list of names under that heading also includes McFeely, Waldron, Eric Pearson, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. That makes the film’s writing team one of the most crowded in recent Marvel history.
The three newest names all connect back to earlier versions of the project. Cretton was hired to direct ‘The Kang Dynasty,’ with Loveness writing the script, while Waldron was set to write ‘Secret Wars.’ Lanham, meanwhile, is best known for his collaborations with Cretton, including ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.’
It’s worth understanding what the credit does and doesn’t say. It acknowledges writers who contributed to a script but whose work did not meet the strict WGA minimum percentage threshold for an official on-screen credit. The WGA introduced it in 2022, and it comes with no residuals and doesn’t equate to authorship.
A writer can receive the credit even if none of their contributions end up on screen. So the additional names don’t necessarily mean any specific scene or storyline came from them. The credit mainly puts the work on their resumes.
The credits make more sense against the film’s long development. In September 2022, Loveness was revealed as writer of what was then ‘The Kang Dynasty,’ and in November 2023, Cretton stepped down as director to focus on ‘Shang-Chi 2’ and ‘Wonder Man.’ Later that month, Waldron was revealed to be replacing Loveness as the film’s writer.
The reset came in 2024. At San Diego Comic-Con, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ replaced ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,’ the Russo brothers were confirmed to direct, and McFeely was revealed as the film’s writer. Waldron didn’t disappear, though. Kevin Feige later disclosed that Waldron was still part of the writing process.
Fans have also noted that Marvel doesn’t always work from a finished screenplay. Marvel started filming without a finished script, a process that has become the norm for many of its blockbusters, and several names have since been attached to the screenplay. That helps explain why so many writers ended up with some kind of credit.
He used to be different. Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters everywhere December 18. Get your tickets now: https://t.co/J5PUbxvAkc https://t.co/OUutSMZneq
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 15, 2026
Cretton and Lanham’s presence is already fueling theories. Cretton’s involvement has led to Spider-Man speculation, but Lanham’s involvement suggests they might have helped with Shang-Chi’s arc in particular. That is only a guess, since the WGA listing doesn’t say which characters or scenes anyone worked on.
The credits also sit alongside another rumor. Reports have suggested that Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman could receive writing credits through their production companies. Reynolds and Jackman may have played a big role in figuring out how their respective characters would interact in those scenes. Nothing has been confirmed, and actors aren’t typically given writing credits just for ad-libbing lines.
The film’s script history may look chaotic, but it isn’t unusual for a franchise of this scale. The Russo brothers returned to direct, McFeely carried the main writing duties, and several other Marvel veterans left fingerprints on the project at different stages. Whether any of those contributions are visible on screen will be clear soon enough.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ hits theaters on December 18, 2026. Until then, the credits list gives fans plenty to analyze, from the Shang-Chi connections to the question of who shaped each character’s moments.
Which ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Writing Credit Has You Most Intrigued?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
