Quick summary
- Writers Guild of America records now list Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman under “Additional Literary Material” on Avengers: Doomsday, according to MovieWeb.
- Neither actor is a primary screenwriter. Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron are the credited co-writers.
- A guild credit does not automatically mean an on-screen cameo, but it is the strongest sign yet that both are involved.
- Director Destin Daniel Cretton and several other Marvel writers share the same additional credit.
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have been added to the writing credits of Avengers: Doomsday, according to an updated Writers Guild of America listing reported on 12 November. The Deadpool and Wolverine stars are named for “Additional Literary Material”, the clearest signal yet that the pair have a place in Marvel’s next big crossover.
What the Writers Guild listing says
MovieWeb reports that the film is officially co-written by Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron. Reynolds and Jackman appear in a separate additional-material group rather than as lead writers.
Toy People makes the same point: neither actor is one of the main screenwriters. It adds that credits of this kind generally suggest actors contributed dialogue or material for their own characters. That reading is an interpretation, not something Marvel has confirmed.
The same listing names a long line of Marvel writers. MovieWeb lists Destin Daniel Cretton, Jeff Loveness and Andrew Lanham, who were attached to the earlier Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, along with Spider-Man writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers and veteran Marvel writer Eric Pearson.
A campaign that began at Comic-Con
The credit follows a running joke that both actors have kept going this year. MovieWeb says Reynolds turned up at last July’s San Diego Comic-Con dressed as a cosplayer in a grey Deadpool suit and asked Kevin Feige for a part in the film.
Jackman, who is Australian, picked up the bit in August. He told D23 Expo attendees he could “help round out the cast”, while Reynolds heckled him from off-screen, according to the same report. Whether the stunt was planned or not, the listing suggests it has paid off in some form.
Why the other names matter
Toy People points to Cretton, who directed Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and suggests he may have shaped material involving Shang-Chi or Spider-Man. MovieWeb notes that Spider-Man has not been confirmed for Doomsday, even though McKenna and Sommers are credited alongside Cretton.
Loveness previously wrote Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Lanham co-wrote Shang-Chi, MovieWeb adds. Their presence hints at a wide group of writers working on character arcs across the ensemble.
That ensemble is already large. MovieWeb says the five-hour chair-reveal livestream last year announced 27 characters, including members of the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts and the returning Fox X-Men, plus Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Kathryn Newton, Mabel Cadena, Alex Livinalli and Sandra Hüller have been added since.
What happens next
Marvel has not publicly confirmed what Reynolds and Jackman will do in the film. MovieWeb stresses that writing credits do not guarantee cameos. It also notes this would be only the second Marvel Cinematic Universe project for both actors after Deadpool & Wolverine.
Toy People adds that Anthony Mackie said on Wednesday 11 November that Paul Bettany would return as Vision, so the cast picture keeps shifting week by week. For more on the actor’s other projects, see our earlier piece on Ryan Reynolds and the Alpha Flight rumour, browse everything we publish about Ryan Reynolds, or head to our Movies section.
Frequently asked questions
Are Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Avengers: Doomsday?
Not officially. Writers Guild records credit them with additional literary material, which suggests involvement, but Marvel has not confirmed their roles.
What is “Additional Literary Material”?
It is a Writers Guild credit for contributions beyond the main screenplay. Toy People says it generally indicates actors supplied dialogue or material for their own characters.
Who wrote Avengers: Doomsday?
According to MovieWeb, the film is officially co-written by Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron.
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