One of the most extensive franchises in film history, the Marvel Cinematic Universe spans a handful of genres, dozens of characters, and 12 years and counting. What started with a single movie quickly gained a massive following and spawned the most successful series of films to ever hit theaters.
It's easy to get lost in the flood of flashy metal suits, star-spangled shields, and flying hammers. The actors who bring these revered characters to life are certainly worthy of the praise they receive and the recognition they have earned, but it is just as important, if not more so, to acknowledge the hard work of the people whose faces may not grace the screens but without whom these films would not have been possible. Here are the most highly rated writers and writing teams based on their work in the MCU.
Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill (7.5/10)
This writing team had previously teamed up to write the horror genre film Sinister and its sequel, before working together on Doctor Strange, a film that would become a staple in the MCU and introduce a key element to the rest of its storyline. As writers for the film, they had the job of introducing the Time Stone into the narrative and establishing the rules surrounding it.
The two were not asked to write for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but Derrickson is set to executive produce the sequel.
Jon Spaihts (7.5/10)
In addition to the above team, Doctor Strange also landed this in-demand science fiction screenwriter. While working on the film, a longtime project of his, the Oscar-nominated film Passengers, was also in production. The two projects were released in theaters within two months of each other.
In an interview with Variety, Spaihts explained that he had outlined the first draft of Doctor Strange before Derrickson and Cargill took over, then returned to add the final touches. The final product was one of the best Phase 3 films and a "refreshing" addition to the franchise.
Joss Whedon (7.65/10)
Joss Whedon, in a way, is the behind-the-scenes counterpart to Nick Fury. He was responsible for the Avengers teaming up to fight evil, having written their initial crossover film. Whedon not only wrote but also directed both The Avengers, which earned an IMDb score of 8/10, and Age of Ultron, which earned a 7.3/10.
Whedon managed to write the characters together in a way that enticed audiences. The talent he brought to the writers' room played an invaluable role in making the MCU the most successful franchise in cinematic history.
Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (7.7/10)
Fittingly, this team, who would write the remainder of the Avengers crossover films, including Captain America: Civil War, is next on this list. It's also noteworthy that Avengers: Infinity War also earned the highest IMDb score (an 8.5/10) out of all the MCU installments.
Their work is featured in each of the existing 3 phases, with their credits also including The First Avenger, The Winter Soldier, and a co-writing credit in Thor: The Dark World, this writing team has more MCU films under their belt than any other writer or team.
James Gunn (7.8/10)
James Gunn rose to Marvel fame as the writer-director of Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel, which earned scores of 8/10 and 7.6/10, respectively, and which make up one of the most well-received franchises in the MCU. "The driving force for me was to be able to create a gritty world that was still very colorful," Gunn has said of the franchise's creation.
The films, especially the first, which was co-written with Nicole Perlman, eloquently establish a vast and complex part of the universe that had not yet been shown in the MCU. Gunn is, of course, set to write and direct the third installment of the franchise.
Craig Kyle & Christopher L. Yost (7.9/10)
Though these two worked as one writing team on Thor: Ragnarok, Christopher L. Yost had previously co-written its prequel, The Dark World.
Part of what made Ragnarok's success such a monumental feat was the baggage it carried as part of the Thor franchise. Both of its preceding films had been considered by viewers two of the worst additions to the MCU. Still, these writers didn't allow the film's less-than-successful predecessors to derail them. They created charming characters, a motivated villain, an engaging storyline, and a more likable hero, which resulted in the film becoming a fan favorite.
Eric Pearson (7.9/10)
The Ragnarok team shares its writing credits with co-writer Eric Pearson. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pearson recalls being told that he would be working on Thor: Ragnarok. He says the date was December 23, 2015, almost two years before the film's release. He explains that he came onboard at a point when some elements of the story were already known, and he describes the writing process as being handed puzzle pieces and being told to make them fit together.
In addition to Ragnarok, Pearson also wrote the scripts for a number of Marvel one-shots, including A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer, with Phil Coulson, and Agent Carter, with Peggy. Each of these two shorts would inspire a full MCU series.
Art Marcum & Matt Holloway (7.9/10)
Without a doubt, one of the most important films of the MCU, the one, in essence, upon which the future of Marvel Studios rested, was Iron Man. As the film came before the franchise's unprecedented success, its producers struggled to find anyone to write the script, reaching out to about 30 writers who all turned them down. Luckily, they landed this team, who were finally hired to co-write for the film.
The pair would go on to write the screenplays for other action films, such as the Marvel Comics-based Punisher: War Zone and also Men in Black: International, which features Thor: Ragnarok stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson.
Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby (7.9/10)
This screenwriting duo was also chosen to work on the first installment of the franchise alongside Marcum and Holloway. Together, each team's version of the Iron Man script created a film widely recognized as an entertaining and action-packed film in itself but also a film that proved to be a staple and starting point in cinema's most successful film franchise. The film set a tone that would be echoed by each of the following MCU installments and introduced a fan favorite character in Tony Stark.
Fergus and Otsby's other credits include 2006's Children of Men, their work for which earned them an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Nicole Perlman (8/10)
Alongside James Gunn, Nicole Perlman worked on the script for the first of the Guardians of the Galaxy films, which took fans of the universe into the far reaches of space for the first time. In an interview with Time magazine, Perlman discussed her fascination with science fiction, particularly outer space. She also talked about her time in Marvel's writer's program, where she was first called upon to write the script for Guardians.
She is also credited with writing the story for Captain Marvel, the first female-led Marvel film, which is fitting, considering Perlman is the very first credited female writer on a Marvel movie, a distinction she now shares with only Anna Boden, another Captain Marvel writer.