Marvel Studios has seemingly tapped Loki season 1 head writer Michael Waldron to pen the script for Avengers: Secret Wars.
According to Deadline, Waldron – who also worked on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – has been drafted in to write the sixth Avengers movie. No director has been officially approached to helm Secret Wars yet.
The news comes hot on the hells that Jeff Loveness, who wrote the script for Marvel Phase 5 film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, had been hired to write Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton has also reportedly boarded The Kang Dynasty as its director.
If Deadline's report is true, Secret Wars will continue Waldron's rise as one of Marvel Studios' most trusted scribes. Waldron served as head writer on Loki's first season, which is currently the best Marvel Disney Plus show, based on fans' and critics' reviews, as well as the reported number of minutes that Loki season 1 has been streamed.
Waldron hasn't returned to pen the scripts for Loki season 2 – that job has fallen to Eric Martin, who also worked on the series' first season. However, Waldron did pen the script for Doctor Strange 2, which earned Marvel another box office success with its $955.8 million global takings, with the superhero film's wild and crowd pleasing cameos were a key reason behind its success.
We've reached out to Disney for an official comment on Waldron's rumored hiring, and we'll update this article if we receive a response.
Avengers: Secret Wars will be the second Avengers movie that'll form part of Marvel's Phase 6 plans. As we mentioned, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will precede Secret Wars, with the two films arriving in May and November 2025 respectively.
The Russo brothers, who helmed four Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies including the two most recent Avengers films, have long been rumored to be returning to direct Secret Wars. However, the duo have consistently played down suggestions that they'll be back, even though they'd be keen to work with Marvel again. The Russos are currently working on multiple projects for Netflix, including a sequel and spin-off to The Gray Man, with the spy thriller releasing back in July. The duo are also developing a live-action adaptation of Simon Stålenhag's Electric State book, which will reportedly star Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown and Marvel star Chris Pratt.
Recent online speculation has put Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler at the front of the queue. Marvel fans have suggested that the close friendship between Coogler and Cretton makes them ideal picks for Avengers 5 and 6, with the pair's working relationship key to collaborating on an overarching narrative, style, and tone that's sure to fit together seamlessly across both movies.
For more Marvel content, check out the second trailer for Black Panther 2, which confirms the identity of the new Black Panther. Alternatively, read up on how to watch the Marvel movies in order, or check out every MCU Phase 4 project yet to be release.
