The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Anticipation is at a fever pitch for the next upcoming Marvel movie Avengers: Doomsday, especially with The Russo Brothers back behind the camera. And the pair of acclaimed directors recently shared the upside of filming the blockbuster without a completed script.
What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but information and footage is slowly trickling out as we get closer to its release this December. In an interview with The Associate Press, Joe Russo spoke about what it was like filming the big crossover movie, and the upside of not having to strictly follow a script. In his words:
We always view the script as a living organism. We’re improvisation-based, rehearsal-based directors. We like to see what the actors bring to the characters, and sometimes you don’t get the actors until a few days or few weeks before you shoot them. And a lot of the time, that’s when the magic happens.
Honestly, I see this appeal. While in theory not having a finished script would be chaotic, The Russo Brothers found a serious silver lining. Specifically that the movie's dialogue and scene work could be changed by improvisation and a deep collaboration with the Avengers: Doomsday cast. And I can't wait to see how this pays off when the movie releases this winter.
This way of working sounds like it's in stark juxtaposition to the last time The Russos were working within the MCU. Namely because Infinity War and Endgame were filmed back to back. The directors needed a clear vision of the narrative to make this happen, but it sounds like Doomsday allowed for more exploration and collaboration with the various A-listers involved in the next Avengers flick.
News of the improvisation-based filming might be surprising for fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order. After all, Doomsday features entire teams of heroes, who will somehow unite in order to battle Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. Namely the Avengers, the new Avengers (aka Thunderbolts), Fantastic Four, and the OG stars of the X-Men movies. Servicing all these characters seems like a dizzying job, especially without a completed script. Alas, that's not how the pair of directors saw the opportunity.
The pressure is on for the next Avengers movie to deliver, both critically and financially. There have been number of disappointments in the years since Endgame became the highest grossing movie of all time, including box office bombs like The Marvels.
All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully we're treated to more footage ahead of the movie's arrival, but there's no telling given Marvel's tight security.
