‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Was Partially Written by Two Surprising Marvel Stars

Marvel Studios spent significant time at its last two major conventions teasing fans about some exciting returns. Starting at San Diego Comic-Con in July, Ryan Reynolds showed up dressed as Deadpool and asked to be in Avengers: Doomsday. Then, at D23 in August, Hugh Jackman filmed a video where he did the same for Wolverine. We still don’t know for sure whether Deadpool and Wolverine are in the movie, but we are sure the actors had a significant hand in its creation. With Avengers: Doomsday just over a month away, the Writers Guild of America added its official credits to its database, and it contains a whole lot of information. The script, on screen, will be credited to Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron. Which we knew. Off-screen, however, several other writers are also being officially recognized for their contributions, and that’s where things get interesting. Among them are a few that make sense. There’s Eric Pearson (who wrote The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts), Chris McKenna (McFeely’s long-time writing partner who did Infinity War and Endgame with him), Erik Sommers (who co-wrote the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies), Jeff Loveness (who wrote Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), and Andrew Lanham (who wrote Shang-Chi). None of those people taking a crack at the script is a surprise. They’re all writers who have worked with Marvel before, and in most cases, on films directly related to Doomsday. Who’s next, though? There’s also Destin Daniel Cretton, director of Shang-Chi and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, who was at one point attached to direct this film and, finally, the showstoppers: Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Yes, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman contributed enough to the script for Avengers: Doomsday to be recognized by the Writers Guild of America. Now, were they punching up lines for Doctor Doom, Mr. Fantastic, and Captain America? Maybe. Or, they could have had a strong hand in how Deadpool and Wolverine fit into the movie. Again, Marvel has all but told us both of those characters are in the movie with its convention teases, but we certainly assumed they were glorified cameos. If there’s enough writing in there to get the union to say “Oh, yeah, you deserve credit,” that suggests a bit more. Avengers: Doomsday opens December 18 and, we’re pretty sure, Deadpool and Wolverine are a key ingredient. Want more io9 news? Check out the best movies and TV shows to stream this month and all the upcoming sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books that should be on your radar.