Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely Reveal When MCU's 'Avengers: Endgame' Story Began

Avengers: Endgame serves as the culmination of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, which launched in 2008 with Iron Man. While the effectiveness of the ambitious storytelling structure has clearly paid off, Marvel Studios likely didn't know 11 years ago that the series would become as massively successful as it is, with Endgame having earned $2 billion worldwide faster than any other movie. Seeds for the events of the latest film have been planted for years across the MCU, but writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely recently revealed that the actual project and storyline first began to take shape when they were approached for the film nearly four years ago.

"It was when the job was first brought out to us, and we began to think, 'If we take this on, what does it mean?'" Markus shared with ComicBook.com when asked about the endeavor's origins. "Is it just writing Avengers 3 and 4, and there's a villain, and you have to write an adventure movie? And it was clear that it wasn't. And it was clear from everyone's attitude toward it that they really wanted to make something kind of historic and to culminate everything that had been coming before it. And then, we took the job. And while we were shooting [Captain America:] Civil War, which hadn't happened yet, we began mulling it, and compiling just a thousand possible ideas for it. So that would be summer 2015."

Despite the project gestating for years before it debuted in Avengers: Infinity War, the writer noted that the plans for their film never hindered other projects, as each outing was still considered a standalone adventure.

"You'll probably talk to enough people at Marvel, like the watchword is always just to make the movie in front of you," Markus noted. "And then the next person will pick up the pieces and tell the best story they can. They never say, 'Don't do this because it's going to screw up this movie and this movie.' [Marvel Studios president] Kevin [Feige] has a lot of confidence in the people he hires, and in himself, and in the Marvel storytelling machine, and in the characters."

He added, "I assume we handed [Spider-Man: Far From Home director] Jon Watts some awkward things that he's going to make lemonade out of. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of delightful moments out of people who blipped, versus people who didn't blip, and things like that. Same thing with [Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director] James [Gunn]. We've given him a few things to play with that he didn't have before."

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now.

Are you surprised this story was being developed for so long? Let us know in the comments below!

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