There’s an abundance of amazing screenwriters that have been involved in manyMCUprojects. Working on something so popular and successful surely encourages writers to exceed their own expectations, as well as those of the audience that they need to satisfy. One can only imagine how nerve-racking yet exciting it must be to get the call fromMarvel Studios President Kevin Feigeto write a movie so grand from scratch and make it work. This is especially so with how connected each story running through the MCU must be — it’s arguably a much-coveted collaborative and creative experience for many in the industry.
Now that the MCU has made its foray intosuperhero TV showson Disney+, MCU screenwriters have effectively branched into television media, which is a completely different form of screenwriting than film. Writers likeWandaVision’s Jac Schaeffer, of course, have succeeded in delivering incredible stories on the small screen and, in some cases, have even earned prestigious industry awards nominations. Given how it’s no easy feat, here is our list of the best MCU screenwriters.
Update July 31, 2025: With more MCU projects releasing and showcasing new screenwriters, this article has been updated with additional entries.
11Eric Martin
One of the newest additions to the MCU,Eric Martin,has very quickly risen up the list due to his work onLoki. Martin got into the industry as a production assistant and writer onRick and Mortyalongside Michael Waldron. When Waldron was hired as the showrunner for season one ofLoki, he brought Martin along with him. He would go on to write five episodes by himself between both seasons, and co-write another three. When the pandemic was shaking things up at the studio, Martin rewrote “much of season one”, according toTHR, taking the reign of the series.
He made his way up to head writer and executive producer for season two, writing what many would consider to be Marvel Studios' best series.From the complicated time travel logicthat Martin makes easy to understand to the beautifully tragic ending for Loki, he’s already proven to be one of the best writers they have. Hopefully, there’s a bright future ahead for him in the industry after how successful he’s already been in such a short time.
9Jac Schaeffer
Inspired by filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez at a young age,Jac Schaeffernaturally gravitated toward the film industry. Although she is best known for her debut feature filmTiMER, the filmmaker has had hands-on multiple MCU projects. She helped co-writeCaptain Marvelwith three other screenwriters and wrote the original story forBlack Widowbefore Marvel brought on other writers. Her biggest achievement in the MCU was her work as the head writer for the Disney+ miniseriesWandaVision.
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The hit series has still stood as one of Marvel’s best years later thanks to her writing abilities. She managed to perfectly capture what it was like to be sisters inBlack Widowand the experience of grief inWandaVision.Given how successful her projects are, we’re happy to hear that she hassigned a three-year dealwith Marvel Studios, with her next project beingAgatha: Darkhold Diariesand the rumoredVision Questseries in development. Schaeffer managed to capture lightning in a bottle withWandaVision, and if there’s anyone who could make it strike two more times, it’s her.
8Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna
American screenwritersErik SommersandChris McKennaboth began their careers at the start of the 2000s. McKenna is responsible for some of the most critically acclaimedCommunityepisodes, and he met Sommers while working together on the adult animated sitcomAmerican Dad. They went on to become writing partners and together co-wrote big hits such asThe Lego Batman MovieandJumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.It was in 2017 that they started working in the MCU on Tom Holland’sSpider-Mantrilogy and also co-wroteAnt-Man and the Wasp.
Not much needs to be said given how they wroteNo Way Home: such a grand cinematic event that worked in all the right ways despite the abundance of ground that it needed to cover. With a character like Spider-Man, there’s always going to be larger-than-life expectations to meet. Thankfully, they managed to bring the character to life and do him justice all while handling the high school experience so well. Both of them hope to return for moreSpider-Manprojects in the future, as stated in their interview withFandomWire, and it’s something that we’d love to see.
7Nicole Perlman
Nicole Perlmanwas enrolled in a Marvel screenwriting program back in 2009, and that’s exactly the place that gave her the knowledge and inspiration to be where she is today. The screenwriter is best known for her MCU projectGuardians of the Galaxyand the creation of the story forCaptain Marvel. Back before James Gunn was even attached to direct the film, Perlman was given a choice of what characters she wanted to write a movie for and picked the Guardians as she was a fan of sci-fi and saw potential in the brand. She wrote several script drafts and helped turn them into the household names they are today and her contributions to the franchise should not be forgotten about.
Perlman also was one of the writers attached toCaptain Marvel, helping solidify her as one of the major voices in the cosmic side of the MCU. Combine that with being a consultant onThorand doing passes of the dialog, she has had a helping hand in three of Marvel’s biggest brands.
6Destin Daniel Cretton
Born in Hawaii,Destin Daniel Crettonis an American filmmaker who discovered his career path by making short films as a hobby. The hobby really paid off, given how his career has evolved over the years. He was first known for his moviesShort Term 12,The Glass Castle, andJust Mercybefore he agreed to direct and write the MCU commercial successShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.As a half-Japanese, Cretton agreed to work onShang-Chito create an Asian superhero his son could look up to.
He’s definitely managed to do that, as it was the first MCU movie that had an Asian superhero as the main lead. Cretton worked alongside Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham to make the script for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings as strong as it could be, zeroing in on the Asian-American experience. The result is one of the best-regarded entries in a post-EndgameMCU. Originally, he was supposed to write the highly anticipatedAvengers: Kang Dynastyfilm, but amidst a shakeup with the movie, he stepped down to focus on theShang-Chisequel andWonder Manseries. It is clear Marvel Studios is very happy with him and want him to be a creative driving force behind the franchise.
5Jessica Gao
A major writer who is important to the development of the MCU and who often goes unnoticed isJessica Gao. She won an Emmy for writing the iconic “Pickle Rick” episode ofRick and Mortybefore signing on to be the head writer ofShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Gao was such a fan of She-Hulk that when she originally came in for a meeting at Marvel to pitch a Black Widow movie, it had a major role for She-Hulk, which made Marvel put her on their radar.
Gao’sShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawbrought a new sense of comedy into the MCU. While the series has always had jokes,She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawwas more meta, featuring fourth wall breaks as well as jokes about the wider franchise itself and even its place in pop culture. While many might have criticized that the series did not feature “real law scenes”, the series was never designed to be that and was always a workplace comedy, which Gao and her team perfectly brought to life while alsofeeling like a proper adaptation of the She-Hulk comics.
It is also worth noting Gao’s importance to the MCU extends beyondShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawand Marvel Studios' entire television development process. Gao developed and wroteShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawbut, according toThe Hollywood Reporter, was sidelined once director Kat Coiro came on board. Gao was brought back to oversee postproduction, a typical showrunner duty, but it’s a rare Marvel head writer who was given oversight into their television series. Marvel had been treating their television series more like film productions instead of television shows, but now is readjusting their model, likely after seeing how effective it was to see Gao do it in the traditional television model, and will be incorporating it into upcoming series likeDaredevil: Born Again.
4Ryan Coogler
Where to even begin withRyan Coogler? Director, producer, and screenwriter, the filmmaker has continuously received widespread critical acclaim for his projects. His work most notably focuses on the underrepresented culture of African-Americans, and he frequently collaborates with the amazing Michael B. Jordan. Before taking onBlack Panther, he wrote the critically acclaimed Fruitvale Station and then co-wrote the seventh film in theRockyseriesCreed.
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Black Pantherbroke many records and became the highest-grossing movie of all time created by a Black filmmaker.Despite the tragedy surrounding the film, Coogler wrote a beautiful and heart-wrenching screenplay for its sequel,Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.A fantastic story about grief and how it can consume you, told through a superhero story, all while serving as a touching tribute to the late great Chadwick Boseman. Coogler is a special kind of writer who’s able to balance real emotions with spectacle, all while directing outstanding visuals behind the camera. Giving us both an amazingly progressive script and the amazing direction only he can, we can’t wait for Coogler to continue his mastery.
3James Gunn
James Gunnbegan his career during the mid-90s. Similarly to Coogler, Gunn does it all: directs, writes, produces, and acts. Gunn broke out as a screenwriter, having worked onScooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo 2: Monster’s Unleashed, and the 2004 remake ofDawn of the Deadbefore he transitioned to directing the horror-comedy Slither and the superhero spectacleSuper.Those projects put him on Marvel’s radar where he would become the creative driving force behind theGuardians of the Galaxyfranchise.
He’s worked on all three volumes (plus the holiday special) to create the MCU’s best trilogy and one of the all-time greats. The way humor and emotion are blended together is unlike anything else anyone can achieve. If you ever doubt his abilities as a filmmaker, remember the fact that he’s made us like and adore a tree. Outside the MCU, people appreciate how he managed to make arguably the two best DCEU projects, beingThe Suicide SquadandPeacemaker.
WithGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3being his final MCU project for the foreseeable future, he went out with a bang with his best movie yet. Now that Gunn is set to shape the DCU, Marvel has lost one of its biggest and best creative voices as Marvel very much trusted Gunn’s opinion as he reportedly gave script notes onSpider-Man: Homecoming, Doctor Strange,andCaptain Marvel.
2Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon’s contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe cannot be understated, and while his transgressions have certainly harmed his legacy, and it is good they have come to light, he did help shape the MCU into what audiences know it is today. While Jon Favreau’sIron Manmight have launched the MCU and established an outline for the franchise, it was Whedon’s script forThe Avengersthat solidified it. Emphasis was put on character banter among one another like never before while also featuring plenty of joking quips that would become a staple of the franchise. Combine that with fleshing out Black Widow, Hawkeye, and The Hulk, Whedon pretty much shaped half of The Avengers team and, therefore, the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Whedon’s formula forThe Avengerspaid off, as it became the highest-grossing movie of 2012 and launched a cinematic universe arms race that every studio tried to copy or distinguish themselves from. Whedon would be put in charge of giving notes on every Phase Two film and would also writeAvengers: Age of Ultron. He would leave Marvel after that and move to Warner Bros. to reworkJustice Leaguein reshoots, where Whedon would have multiple allegations come out about him regarding his treatment of cast members like Ray Fisher andGal Gadot. In the following years, more accusations were made about Whedon’s behavior from his time working onBuffy the Vampire Slayer, which tarnished his career. The discussion about separating art and art is tricky, but it is important never to put art over people. Whedon might have been instrumental in shaping the MCU, but it is worth noting he is not the only one.
