As Marvel starts to focus on their upcoming two-part Avengers finale to the Multiverse Saga, they have set on a writer to replace Jeff Loveness on Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Loki creator and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness creator Michael Waldron has been handpicked by Kevin Feige to write the script for the fifth Avengers film, after having been previously hired to write the big finale, Avengers: Secret Wars, Deadline reported Monday.
The news comes out after Loki producer Kevin Wright already teased that Waldron was working on both titles, though we didn’t know if he was just part of the developing team, an executive producer, or the sole scribe.
RELATED: Avengers: Secret Wars Rumored to Have Lost Writer Michael Waldron
There was a time back then when everything seemed to not be going Waldron’s way. The second season of Loki, which he had little to do with, was much better than the first. The Star Wars movie he was once hired to write for Kevin Feige was put on ice, and there were also wild rumors that he was off as the writer of Secret Wars, following Loveness’ departure earlier this year. But good things come to those who wait.
There is a lot in flux with this movie at the moment, so having one of Feige’s favorite creatives in recent years at the helm, for now, seems to be the right call while the studio figures out what to do next. Destin Daniel Cretton, who had been announced as the director in July 2022, exited the project earlier this year, as was reported just last week. And perhaps most importantly, Marvel still has a lot to figure out in regards to the Kang character in the wake of Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles.
RELATED: Destin Daniel Cretton Quits Avengers: Kang Dynasty But Commits To Other Phase 5 Projects And Beyond
Whether or not Avengers: The Kang Dynasty keeps its current title remains to be decided. There is a lot of speculation surrounding this topic right now, from Marvel recasting it to pivoting to another villain like Doctor Doom for the big finale. (Doom is set to cameo at the end of Fantastic Four, per reports.) There’s validity to both theories, as Marvel has already devoted a lot of time to Majors’ iterations of the Conqueror. Can they course-correct now and recast the part, or just write him out of the story entirely? And which one would be the preferred one?
Who will direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty?
If anything, Waldron’s boarding the project could signal that Marvel has made a decision, and they want to have the same person steer the ship for both of the two upcoming Avengers movies. Word on the street is that they also want the same director doing both installments, similar to how the Russo brothers did Infinity War and Endgame. Could they potentially bring them back? There were at least rumors lately that Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have been consulting with Marvel for a few months, though if Waldron is writing both of these films, that seems a bit unlikely.
As for who could direct the film, a few names have popped up on social media lately. Someone like Sam Raimi, who has already worked on multiple Marvel films, including Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, seems like a prime candidate. Feige is said to be really happy with his work on that film and how he managed to help them out in a desperate situation after Scott Derrickson left the project in early 2020.
RELATED: The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered 2024 Release Date Revealed!
Other names that are also in the online conversation are Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, the duo who directed two of the best episodes of Moon Knight and were later brought on Loki season 2 to direct four out of six episodes. They are currently working on the overhauled Daredevil: Born Again. However, they still lack the experience to direct a big Marvel theatrical film, unlike the Russos back in the day or Sam Raimi today. This might be stretching it given the schedule, but I would suggest them doing something like Doctor Strange 3 to get started before moving on to the Avengers films.
And what of that schedule? The Kang Dynasty is currently scheduled for May 2026, and Secret Wars for May 2027. But that seems like wishful thinking at best. Marvel recently moved around a bunch of dates, including pushing Captain America: Brave New World nine months into February 2025 and Thunderbolts a whole year; it will now open in July 2025. Blade has also been moved. And it seems like the studio still has a lot of stories left to tell in the lead-up to Phase Six and its conclusion.
But what do you think? Are you excited about Michael Waldron writing both of the next Avengers movies? Who do you think should direct them? And what should Marvel do about Kang? Let us know your thoughts on our social media, and stay tuned for more!
KEEP READING: Russell T. Davies Was Approached to Develop a Mystery British Project For Marvel Studios – What Could It Be?
