Michael Waldron replaces Rick and Morty writer to pen Avengers: The Kang Dynasty

Head writer of Loki and current scriptwriter for Avengers 6, Michael Waldron, has replaced the writer of Ant-Man: Quantumania on Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

It has been announced via Deadline that the creator behind the Loki series, Michael Waldron, has replaced Jeff Loveness as the screenwriter for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. This is not long after Destin Daniel Cretton stepped down as director for the Shang-Chi 2 instead.

In studio films, this is common practice, but what complicated things was Loveness’ drop from Marvel Studios came at no better time than amid the 2023 Writers Guild of America Strike, and the underperformance of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania which grossed $476.1 million against a $200 million budget. It scored 46% certified rotten by critics and at 82% with audiences via Rotten Tomatoes and is graded B on CinemaScore.

Based on these factors, it is presumably why Marvel pulled a “switch-a-roo” and Loveness was shown the door. Waldron has been on a winning streak of late with Marvel, having scripted Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and having already been hired to do the sixth installment of the superhero ensemble film, Avengers: Secret Wars. Having become one of Marvel’s “trusted creative minds,” and having worked on a couple of the studio’s projects already, Waldron is the logical, and perhaps tonally, the right choice.

The Kang Dynasty will precede Avengers: Secret Wars release date on May 7, 2027, which is set for May 1, 2026, so Waldron has more than enough time to hand in his draft of the screenplay. At this point, it is not easy to speculate but we are uncertain how many story elements from Loveness’ draft will be kept.

Waldron has set up a new film and television production company with his producing partner, Adam Fasullo, called Anomaly Pictures in March 2023. This followed the close of a multi-year deal with Marvel and 20th Television.