Avengers: Doomsday just got a frustrating script update that DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn would undeniably disapprove of under his regime. Marvel Studios is currently moving full steam ahead with Avengers 5 as production continues in the U.K., where it has been underway for several months. Most recently, Doomsday got an unfortunate setback as it was delayed from May to December 2026, while its sequel, Secret Wars, made the same shift in 2027.
Scooper Daniel Richtman (via Cosmic Marvel) gave a concerning update for Avengers: Doomsday as he revealed that "they still don't have the third act figured out," even though production has been underway for over two months. This decision may have gotten the green light at Marvel Studios, but DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn would undeniably disapprove, having commented in the past on how scripts should be completed and finalized before production begins.
Gunn has been open about how his DCU will avoid MCU mistakes, having explained that "nothing is greenlit before we have a finished script." As such, projects at DC Studios aren't allowed to move into pre-production until a final draft has been reached, ensuring all scripts are at their best first.
The DCU boss has gone as far as to point out "how unfinished most scripts are on big movies as they start shooting," naming this as the top reason why movies are getting worse in Hollywood, and with it, Marvel Studios.
However, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige recently pushed back on the notion of MCU movies starting production without a full script in a roundtable interview via Variety, saying, "We’ve never started a movie without a full script and I have never been satisfied with a script that we’ve had.”
Feige also discussed the studio's strategy of always wanting to build on ideas during production, leaning on actors to bring suggestions to their Marvel roles and improve upon the material:
“Actors, both the ones that are playing these characters for the first or second time and the characters playing them for the 10th or 12th time, are the best in the world at it and know these characters so well... If they have an idea, you want to listen to it and you want to adjust to it and you want to improve it. I wouldn’t want to change that.”
It's possible that, while a full script may exist for Avengers: Doomsday, this endeavor to always "plus" projects may explain why the third act may not be fully ironed out.
While this decision certainly wouldn't fly at DC Studios, filming with an incomplete script is nothing new for a Marvel Studios ensemble. Thor actor Chris Hemsworth confirmed in 2019 at ACE Comic-Con (via Cinema Blend) that the script for Avengers: Endgame "wasn't even completed" during filming:
"We got a script, or parts of the script and it was a very odd version of the script. You could go and sit in a room and read the script but to be honest, it wasn't even completed. The second half of shooting that movie was completely in their hands and being guided by what they had in store for you.)"
Even with its third act reportedly incomplete, Avengers: Doomsday is in production now in the U.K. and has been filming since April 28 and is expected to wrap later this year before the movie comes to theaters on December 18, 2026.
Of course, not much is known about what the third act will entail, but one star spoiled that Doomsday will have a "cliffhanger at the end," laying the groundwork for Secret Wars to pick up the story the next year.
Read more about Avengers 5's confirmed and rumored cast of 61 characters.
Should Fans Be Worried About Avengers 5's Unfinished Script?
James Gunn's philosophies of prioritizing script and storyline above all will only help the DCU to thrive, ensuring only the best movies and shows get the green light and, eventually, come to screens after an equally thorough production.
The MCU's public image has been somewhat in shambles over recent years as many recent projects have faced criticism and disinterest. Avengers: Doomsday will undeniably be the studio's biggest movie in years, and if it proves as divisive as other recent releases, it could be game over for Hollywood's biggest franchise.
Marvel Studios' decision to take Avengers 5 into production with an incomplete script is bold, but nothing unheard of based on Chris Hemsworth's comments around Endgame doing something similar. Fans can only hope that lightning strikes twice and Doomsday can be as much of a win as its predecessor.
