Loki And Doctor Strange 2 Writer Michael Waldron To Pen Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars
We are getting ever so closer to seeing the famous "Secret Wars" storyline play out on the big screen. That's because Marvel Studios has officially tapped Michael Waldron to write the screenplay for the upcoming film "Avengers: Secret Wars," according to Deadline. This hire comes after Waldron helped bring "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" and the first season of "Loki" into Phase Four of the mega-franchise.
Marvel Studios and Waldron have not yet commented on the hire, nor has a director for the 2025 film been announced yet. However, we do know that the hunt for one is underway; Deadline reports that the studio wants to make it distinct from the other "Avengers" movie releasing that year, "The Kang Dynasty." "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" director Destin Daniel Cretton and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" screenwriter Jeff Loveness will be at the helm of that film, which will focus on Jonathan Majors' villainous Kang.
Experience is key
As for the hiring of Waldron to pen "Secret Wars," this decision actually makes a lot of sense. It is more than likely that Marvel Studios wanted someone who they have previously worked with to help take on such an important comic arc, which will be teased in the upcoming miniseries "Secret Invasion" and the newly-announced film "Armor Wars." While reception to the screenwriter's work in the MCU has been mixed, he at least understands the current trajectory of the franchise.
This familiarity is one that may be critical for the franchise's ongoing survival. Criticism towards the studio has grown in recent months, particularly by visual effects artists for their constant need for changes. One anonymous artist revealed earlier this year that Marvel's hiring of inexperienced directors and screenwriters has contributed to a more stressful schedule.
"The main problem is most of Marvel's directors aren't familiar with working with visual effects," said the artist. "They don't know how to visualize something that's not there yet, that's not on set with them."
While Waldron is not a director, he does have experience working with Marvel. He also knows how to write and plan out scenes that require heavy visual effects, so this recent hire for such a big project is likely a move to alleviate these criticisms. If this is the case, then they could be making the right choice.
"Avengers: Secret Wars" is tentatively scheduled for a November 7, 2025 release.