Regardless of how you personally feel about the film’s quality, it’s hard to deny thatAvengers: Endgameis one of the most impressive accomplishments in recent Hollywood history. After a decade-plus of storytelling and 21 films leading up to it, the conclusion of theMCU’s infinity saga was handled about as satisfyingly and effectively as anyone could have imagined. The one downside that came with this success, though, is thatfans have found themselves increasingly frustrated by the convoluted and disorganized nature of the post-Endgameera, considering how cohesive the narrative through line remained throughout the first three MCU phases. These frustrations were recently exacerbated whenRebecca Romijnrevealed that Marvel’s forthcoming crossover event,Avengers: Doomsday, is currentlyfilming without a completed script.
When asked if she had finished shooting her scenes for the film, theX-Menstarsaid, “[I’m] not quite sure. The script hasn’t — they haven’t finished writing it. It’s been very, very fun, and we don’t know yet. They keep everything very close to the vest themselves in an effort to keep everything under wraps.” The answer rightfully alarmed both superhero movie lovers and general film fans, who believeMarvel’s propensity to rush into projects without a polished and complete screenplay has led to their downfall.
Marvel Has a Long History of Changing Films Throughout Production
Although Marvel bossKevin Feigerecentlyclaimed that the studio has never started a movie without a full script,there is a fair amount of evidence to suggest otherwise. Not only do Romijn’s comments directly contradict Feige’s, but reports of MCU films being written on set can be traced back to the very first one. While we now all recognize 2008’sIron Manas an industry-altering film and thefoundation upon which the MCU was built, the chaotic nature of the film’s production didn’t exactly scream success at the time.Jeff Bridges, who played the villainous Obadiah Stane, has spoken in several interviews over the years about not having a script on set.
In a2014 conversation with Howard Stern, Bridges said, “$200 million or whatever the thing cost, you would think they would have a script. But, uh, no […] We would often come to work and there would be no script for that scene today.” He went on to explain that he,Robert Downey, Jr., and directorJon Favreauwould sit with Marvel executives on the set or in a trailer andwork out the scenes while production was taking place. This experience has led theCrazy Heartstar to affectionately refer toIron Manas a “$200 million student film.”
Despite Feige’s denial that Marvel has ever begun filming without a completed script, he is very upfront about the company’s “plussing” method—which refers to the process ofmaking improvements to a project as it is being made. Feige believes this is key to a film’s success. “Actors, both the ones that are playing these characters for the first or second time and the characters playing them for the 10th or 12th time, are the best in the world at it and know these characters so well,” he recently said in asit-down discussionwith various journalists. “If they have an idea, you want to listen to it and you want to adjust to it and you want to improve it. I wouldn’t want to change that.”
Kevin Feige Reveals He Has “Never Been Satisfied” With Any MCU Movie
After 37 films, the man isn’t happy.
Considering therecord-breaking heightsthe MCU reached during its peak, it’s not a surprise that Feige defends the process that got them there. While this freewheeling approach has worked for Marvel in the past, though,it is not something they should continue to rely on. The size and scope of the universe have simply become too large for them to keep jumping into projects without a clear vision. On-set collaboration is one thing, but forcing creatives to come up with and change material on the fly is something else entirely.
As the MCU Becomes More Convoluted, Marvel’s Approach Becomes More of a Problem
The reception to Romijn’s comments wasn’t exactly helped by the fact that they came just about a month afterJames Gunnsaid he believes the number one reason why the movie industry is dying is because “people are making movies without a finished screenplay.” The formerGuardians of the Galaxydirector and current head ofDC Studiosdidn’t call out any filmmakers specifically when he said this, but he did name-drop his past employer. “I know some people that were my former workers at Marvel — people who made some of theworst movies. There were people that were lazy and didn’t put their time in. And then there were other directors that worked really hard and maybe didn’t have the best movie come out, but they did everything they could,” Gunn said, stressing the point that while preparation doesn’t always pay off, there are two different kinds of failure.
For Marvel, every new movie or show isn’t going to be a groundbreaking success. But if they’re going to have failures, theycan’t be caused by not putting in the work or giving themselves the time to be fully prepared to make a film once production starts. In trying to rush to their next big hit, they are only hurting themselves. The entire reason films likeAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgamebecame some of the biggest movies of all time is precisely because ofthe carefully constructed way Marvel built up to them. Though some of the individual films that came before may have had their own screenplay issues, the overall narrative always felt focused, cohesive, and properly planned out. The same cannot be said for phases four and five of the MCU, which have felt sodisjointed and haphazardthat many fans have been left wondering what the stakes or major conflict inAvengers: Doomsdayis even going to be.
As the MCU has become more widespread—with more theatrical releases per year and a hoard of Disney+ shows—the coherence of the overarching story has diminished. Thankfully, they have taken a step in the right direction bylimiting their theatrical output. The only films they have scheduled to be released in the next 18 months or so areDoomsdayandSpider-Man: Brand New Day. But if they really want to right the ship, they need to avoid disastrous decisions like shootingDoomsdaywithout a completed script. It compromises the actors' ability to properly play their roles and the film’s ability to maintain narrative and thematic cohesion, all of which can lead to an underwhelming and disappointing movie.
Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Avengers: Doomsday unites Earth’s mightiest heroes against an unprecedented cosmic threat that endangers the entire galaxy. As tensions rise and alliances are tested, the Avengers must confront their past decisions and forge new strategies to prevent a catastrophic event, emphasizing themes of sacrifice, unity, and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds.
