Marvel shocked and entertained global audiences with Avengers: Infinity War. Despite gathering the combined forces of Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and the Guardians of the Galaxy, the “bad guys” still won in the end. The powerful Thanos still eliminated half of the world’s population. This is not how superhero movies are supposed to end. Or do they?
Notwithstanding the tragedy, Infinity War earned critic and fan praise alike. This meant veteran screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely had their work cut out for them with Avengers: Endgame. With the “universe in ruins,” the remaining Avengers must assemble to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order.
“We consider it a tragedy and not a cliffhanger,” mused the screenwriting duo. “It’s up to our heroes to pick up the pieces as a team and move on after the greatest tragedy they’ve ever faced.”
Writing the War
Markus and McFeely were asked if there is a preferred order in which the Marvel screenplays were written.
Stephen McFeely said, “We wrote these movies at the same time. So the process of writing Infinity War and Endgame is outlining them together, cracking them together, and writing together. Then we had one computer per person, so we didn’t experience screenwriting fatigue. It energizes me that we’re making movies that half the world is watching.”
“The reach of Avengers is tremendous, so it’s exciting to work on something so big. We feel a lot of ownership about Endgame because this is our sixth film of the twenty-two Marvel movies. We feel responsible for them. That said, there are bumps you come against when the fourth person in a scene is also an Oscar winner and the leader of their own franchise. There’s a weight in Iron Man you might not have in another movie.”
They were asked about whether they write best as individuals or as a screenwriting team.
Stephen McFeely & Christopher Markus
“We’ve been working together so long, and it takes so long to make movies, I honestly don’t remember where each dialogue line or scene description comes from. I’m a little obsessive compulsive,” confessed McFeely, “so on the outlining and scheduling, I am perhaps a driving force and on the back end. Chris mans the computer during revisions.” Their screenwriting process has evolved into a well-oiled movie machine.
However, creative differences and disputes do arise and must be settled. They have a problem-solving mechanism in place and it’s not always the studio.
Markus said, “the third arbiter is time and the knowledge that these screenplays take a long time to write, so we have other drafts to write and reference. If we were fighting over turning left or turning right, you might as well turn left knowing that if it sucks, you can turn right in the next draft. We also have a coin that we can flip. When you’re caught in the gears of the Marvel machine, you can’t get caught up in your own emotions.”
Bedrocks of Story
With such a rich source material from Stan Lee and the Marvel company, many of the decisions fall down to which stories to tell first. Because the duo has been working together for over two decades, they generally get excited by the same storylines and work towards the same “bedrocks.”
“In terms of plot points – midpoint, end of Act II – things tend to be more obvious to us. In terms of all the other stuff – the muscle on the bone – that is a process of blue-sky brainstorming. In this case, we created a 50-page manifesto, or working document, for Marvel that included various things we could write.”
The massive book of ideas could then be picked apart by Marvel to decide what would work best on the big screen. With this guidance, they could then shift to focus on the most important aspects of the story. Then, of course, after one film comes out, there are countless fan notes and opinions all over the Internet.
We asked if the fans helped them shape their storytelling.
Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and War Machine/James Rhodes (Don Cheadle)
Photo: Film Frame
�Marvel Studios 2019
“I wouldn’t say there’s a fan influence. We’re aware of it as much as we allow ourselves to be, but you can certainly get lost in the rabbit holes of fandom, especially if you’re delaying finishing the script. But, what I get out of it is that there are people who are going to watch the movie when it comes out. When you’re writing a different film, you don’t know if anyone is going to see it,” said McFeely.
“The fact that people are arguing about a script that you’re still writing is very reassuring that what you’re doing has some resonance in the culture. We have had this experience before in the Narnia franchise. It’s easier to write for us because we know what we like. If we start writing for a hypothetical fan base, there are just as many people who like something else.”
“Everyone wants Steve Rogers (Captain America) get a girlfriend or boyfriend, so there are a lot of different interests. We have to do what we think is best for the characters,” said the writers. At the same time the screenwriters were surprised that the fans notice things they didn’t expect for them to notice.
This idea forces the screenwriters to think harder and work harder since every scene will be picked apart by millions of people and analyzed in online communities like Reddit. “What’s gratifying is that they find themes in places I didn’t know we were putting them. That means the whole thing is cohering as it should be and getting its own life.”
Modern Westerns
Part of the reason these films are so successful today is that “technology has caught up to ambition.” The screenwriters also added, “These high-budget movies couldn’t have been made twenty years ago. People would have been wearing stuffed costumes, so that allows for a broader campus of realism.”
“In many ways, they’re the Westerns of today. The lines in the beginnings of the genre were drawn clearly, but then you mess the lines up and have to ask, ‘Is your hero really a hero?’ or “Is your bad guy really a bad guy?’ The Marvel universe is also different because it’s serialized storytelling. The reason these films break records is because people are invested. They’re invested in 21 movies.”
“That cumulative effect creates a water-cooler moment for much of the world. There are rarely massive events you can talk about with all of your friends. When M*A*S*H ended, I remember it very distinctly. Half of America watched that show end, so we’re working to create those types of serialized moments.”
One could argue the overall goal of the Marvel movies is to keep the ongoing serialization alive through 22 films (and counting). “Keeping people emotionally invested means focusing on the humans inside the Iron Man armor or the red, white, and blue suit. You’re not going to an Iron Man movie, you’re going to a Tony Stark movie.”
By focusing on character, the outlandish situations (alien wars, world destruction, etc.) remain grounded in character. By focusing on character, this also allows for people to experience “wish fulfillment,” or a “mindset.
The Marvel Universe
When balancing simplicity and complexity in the Marvel Universe, the screenwriters believe it’s important to focus on a simple plot, but a complex character. “Human beings hold several thoughts in their head at once and don’t always behave with their best interest in mind. But if you’ve done your job right as a screenwriter, these ideas don’t come out of the blue. They’re an extension of character.”
“We have found that over the course of our career, we need to focus on certain plot points and plant the flags in the ground. Then we can do some twists and turns along the war as long as we land in the right spots. Relatability is also important in super villains, such as the great and powerful Thanos.”
Villains Believe They Are Heroes
“Thanos is a guy who makes a very arguable point about saving the world, but he’s chosen a strange way to go about it. He is sacrificing. He loses the one person he loves in order to get this thing done. That’s a human situation. He’s been a not-so-good adoptive father with the goal he believes he has to achieve. He forces out the love of his life. You can find that person on any street, but this one happens to be purple.”
Thanos is also very eloquent and intelligent. “He’s not just a raging monster,” added the writers. “Josh Brolin (who plays Thanos) also acts the hell out of it, which was helpful.” In the prior films, Thanos’ goal was to save the world by sacrificing half of the population. His goal, the problem of overpopulation, is actually a relatable problem for every human.
In Infinity War, our “heroes suffered a collective loss and must heal collectively.” Therefore, fans are expecting a triumphant finale in Endgame. “We wanted our characters to deal with that loss uniquely. That real estate which shows how people react differently to loss excited us. It’s the process of coming together for a singular goal. It’s an examination of whether or not teaming up has an upside.”
“Underneath the movies, there is thematic value of family. You assume it’s better to be together than alone, that’s the DNA of the films.” Other themes include “the cost of being a hero”and “the idea of, are you the architect of your destiny or not?” Then, of course, there’s the process of staying true to the comics.
Future of the Marvel Universe
“Marvel certainly started with straight white male characters. Those were the ones that were more popular, so when they got their sea legs under them, they were able to create Captain Marvel and Black Panther. Clearly, the success of those movies has blown the doors open on expensive storytelling.”
“We are interested in exploring different types of characters. This would be a boring universe if it were just straight white guys. But we also have to honor the movies that have come before. We’re very fond of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers.”
Advice for Screenwriters
In terms of advice to novice screenwriters, Markus and McFeely warned that it’s obvious when newcomers are writing something because of another recent successful film. “I’m going to write this because of this great movie. It feels thin and inauthentic when you do that. There was a time when I read more scripts, but they were too raw. It felt like they had just left the typewriter. I don’t think anybody should be reading a first draft. Write it, put it down, get notes, write them, see how that works, then submit it to someone [of influence].”
Many first drafts are packed with “fixable flaws” that should be corrected before a submission is sent in. Many times, this simply takes time, or multiple drafts to correct, but also allowing a friend or colleague to provide notes can help. “I shouldn’t have to give you a simple note,” warned Markus.
McFeely added, “this is something we learned over the course of time. You can create screenplays with momentum that have propulsion to them. I think early screenwriters don’t know how to do that. Scenes start and end, the curtain comes down, and you start a new scene.”
“You need to make the reader want to turn to the next page. Maybe you leave the scene early, but it leads to the next scene. Or ask a question in one scene and answer it in the next one. There’s a way to create momentum. It takes time to figure it out.” This took time, but the screenwriting duo has clearly figured it out.
“We didn’t have a Plan B in terms of careers,” revealed the duo. “We discovered screenwriting at the same time and made a pact with ourselves that we would move to LA and give ourselves four years to see if we could start a career. Then, if it didn’t work, we could shake hands and go live other lives. Fortunately, we didn’t have to do that.”
Through Marvel, the writers have certainly found their niche. “This sounds like low praise, but it’s a highly functional company. It works. People talk to each other. Egos are not pushing aside ideas. Everybody’s head is the right size and that encourages you to keep your head the right size.”
While the screenwriters don’t have a clear philosophy to their work or their lives in general. They do often think about conversations with their prior selves. “I would have told myself to relax more. I used to equate worry with effort, so if I wasn’t anxious, then I wasn’t giving it my all. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized being calmer might make better work. Do not let the current bad situation fail you. It too shall pass,” concluded Markus.
