Marvel writer Jonathan Hickman consults on Avengers: Doomsday

Jonathan Hickman, known for his 2015 Secret Wars comic run, has been working with Marvel Studios on the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, reading scripts for the past two and a half years and giving input on the film. He has long influenced the Marvel Cinematic Universe through his work on the Avengers and New Avengers books, and his stories introduced key elements such as incursions and Battleworld that the studio is drawing on.

The film's creative course shifted noticeably when the Russo brothers and screenwriter Stephen McFeely returned to the project and it was announced that Robert Downey Jr. would be joining the cast again. Hickman has also seen unfinished footage with no CGI added, and says that scenes he saw without effects appeared in the final version two months later. He has not yet seen the finished film but says he is excited about what Marvel is working on.

Hickman's broader influence extends to the Marvel X-Men universe, where he redefined the mutant characters in the 2019 House of X and Powers of X series. Marvel Studios has engaged him for both Avengers: Doomsday and the forthcoming Avengers: Secret Wars.

Avengers: Doomsday is slated for release on December 18, 2026. Michael Waldron, known for Loki, and Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, who worked on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, have also contributed to the screenplay alongside McFeely.