Comics legend Jonathan Hickman has been with Marvel for almost two decades, but aside from creating some of the most beloved comic runs, the writer and artist says he also consults on MCU scripts ahead of filming, including Avengers: Doomsday.
"I don't know that it's common knowledge, but I consult for studios and read almost all the movies that they're making while they're in development," said Hickman to Bleeding Cool. The artist said of Doomsday, "It has been fascinating watching that change over the past two and a half years since I've been reading scripts for it. There was a big shift when the Russos came back on, and [Steven] McFeely came back on, and they announced that Robert Downey Jr. was going to be joining the cast again and all that kind of stuff… Those guys are very, very nice to me and take care of me; I'm very excited about what they're working on."
Although Hickman admits he has "not seen a final cut," he has seen "work in progress." Hickman added, "I'll tell you the most interesting thing about the whole thing was I have never seen a movie before while it was being worked on, in that there was no CGI involved. So you would see scenes where they hadn't added any special effects, and then two [months] later, you see the final version. It's kind of wizardry, actually. I found the whole process rather fascinating."
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Doomsday follows heroes from three distinct universes as they’re set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered. Alongside Downey Jr. as villain Doctor Doom, Doomsday also stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, the bulk of the original Fox-era X-Men, the new Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, the Wakandans, and more.
Hickman has a lot of skin in this game, as Doomsday seems to be based on several of his comics. Hickman is extremely well-regarded for his Fantastic Four and Avengers runs that lead into Secret Wars, which looks to be the inspiration for the next movie after Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars. Hickman has also released comics featuring Doctor Doom, and he also reinvented X-Men with Powers of X and House of X.
So having Hickman on board to consult is a no-brainer. And if the person who penned the comics which serve as inspiration for the big Avengers comeback finds what they have seen of the movie so far "very interesting," then it sounds like we are in for a treat.
Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas on December 18 in the US, but will hit other regions a little earlier on December 16. For more, check out our guide on how to watch Marvel movies in order, and keep up with upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows on the way.
