Script writing is a difficult process. This is because, contrary to what young creative types might think, your work is never perfect the first go-around. Scripts go through changes and updates all through-out the filming process. Even the script for CHINATOWN, considered one of the greatest scripts ever, went through about four different revisions before becoming the masterpiece it is. The same goes for massive studio blockbusters, with probably none under more scrutiny than the Marvel universe.
In an interview with Yahoo Movies, writers of the next two AVENGERS films, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, spoke about how far along they are in the draft process:
We’re many drafts in. We’re on the third draft of movie one and the second draft of movie two. [We’re writing them in tandem] as much as we can. On any given day, you’re only working on one but that doesn’t mean that next week, you aren’t working on the other one. And certainly, notes are coming in and all sorts of production stuff is coming in, like for instance, ‘that thing over there is now a window not a door so adjust that.’ Or, ‘we’re not going to this town now, we’re going to this town.’ That kind of stuff happens constantly and will continue to happen for the next few months.
Given the massive scope of the upcoming flick, it’s of course natural to wonder who’s gonna bite the dust and who’s gonna…not bite the dust?
Markus:
When we lock ourselves in a room with the Russo brothers and a couple of execs from Marvel, one wall has cards for movie one and the other wall has cards for movie two and another wall has little baseball cards of every character still alive in the Marvel universe—
McFeely:
—down to Darcy’s boyfriend in Thor 2 – literally, anybody who did not die and has been established as alive. And then we looked at that began to shuffle the cards around. So basically, the big scene is when Darcy’s boyfriend and Galactus get together and…[starts laughing].
It joys me to hear that so many people are examining this script with Markus and McFeely, and in such in-sync scrutiny with each other. Every decision they make for one movie is made alongside the other. Even though these will be two different movies, you can tell they will flow together nicely and evenly. As well, the fact they're taking every character into account when it comes to who will die, and who will live leaves a lot open for speculation. But above all, take comfort in knowing there are many people, not just Markus and McFeely (two great writers on their own), taking this script seriously; working with everyone they can, taking as many notes as they can. They’re like their own bunch of nerdy Avengers.
The newly-titled AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR begins on May 4, 2018, and the untitled sequel will follow May 3, 2019.