Marvel’s biggest movie of the year is arriving in theaters this December with a jaw-dropping cast, a returning creative team fresh off directing “Avengers: Endgame,” and, as it turns out, a screenplay that wasn’t actually finished when cameras started rolling. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have now confirmed what insiders have quietly whispered for months, and their explanation is generating just as much conversation as the confession itself.
The Confirmation, Straight From the Source
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Joe Russo addressed the elephant in the editing room directly, explaining that he and his brother have always treated the script less like a finished blueprint and more like something alive and constantly evolving. He described their filmmaking style as improvisation-based and rehearsal-driven, noting that they often don’t lock in actors until just days or weeks before shooting begins — and that unpredictability, he argued, is exactly where the best moments tend to come from.
It’s a philosophy the Russos have leaned on before, but rarely admitted to this openly for a project of this scale. “Avengers: Doomsday” marks their first Marvel tentpole since “Endgame” shattered box office records back in 2019, making the stakes for this particular gamble considerably higher than usual.
How the Script Fell Apart in the First Place
The unfinished screenplay isn’t just a stylistic choice — it’s also the byproduct of a genuinely chaotic production history. The film wasn’t originally supposed to be “Doomsday” at all. It was slated to be “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,” built around Jonathan Majors’ villain, until Majors was convicted of assault and Marvel scrambled to pivot the entire storyline. That last-minute reshuffling brought the Russos back into the fold and set the stage for a screenplay that’s reportedly still being actively rewritten during production.
Actor Sebastian Stan added some color to just how unusual the process has been, describing the shoot as working from scattered scenes rather than a complete script, with things continuously evolving on a day-to-day basis. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has since framed the ongoing changes as part of the studio’s standard creative process, describing the daily tweaks as routine “plus-ing” rather than a sign of dysfunction.
Not Everyone in the Superhero World Agrees
The timing of this admission is a little awkward, given where the rest of the genre currently stands. DC Studios co-head James Gunn has been vocal about doing the opposite, publicly committing to never start production on a DC project without a fully locked screenplay. Gunn has gone as far as arguing that unfinished scripts are a major reason the broader movie industry has struggled in recent years, and has said DC even walked away from a fully greenlit project because the screenplay simply wasn’t ready.
That contrast has made the Russos’ comments something of a lightning rod online, with fans and industry watchers split between framing this as bold, actor-driven filmmaking and framing it as a red flag for a franchise that’s had a rocky stretch since “Endgame.”
Why Fans Are Nervous
Doomsday’s road to release hasn’t exactly been smooth. The film has already been hit with a seven-month delay, a setback significant enough to cost Marvel its coveted December IMAX screens window. Add in reports describing the film’s massive ensemble cast as an unwieldy collection of cameos, and it’s easy to see why some fans are approaching the “living organism” script explanation with a healthy dose of skepticism rather than excitement.
Still, the Russos have earned plenty of goodwill over the years, and their brand of improvisational, actor-first filmmaking previously helped produce some of the MCU’s most beloved moments. Whether that same magic translates into a polished, fully assembled Endgame-level payoff remains the multi-billion-dollar question.
What’s Next
“Avengers: Doomsday” is currently set for a December 18 release, bringing together heroes from across the MCU, the Wakandans of “Black Panther,” the Thunderbolts, and reportedly members of the X-Men, alongside Robert Downey Jr.’s highly anticipated debut as Doctor Doom. Whether the finished film feels like spontaneous magic or a patchwork built under pressure, audiences won’t have to wait much longer to find out for themselves.
