Zak Penn was the original writer for Marvel’s The Avengers before being ousted by director Joss Whedon. Penn finally speaks out about one of the MCU’s earliest pieces of drama.
For years, The Avengers was seen by fans as the ultimate triumph of the MCU shepherded by Joss Whedon. However, every year seems to show that Whedon’s involvement in the film only seemed to make it worse. This newest revelation, courtesy of MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, where original The Avengers writer Zak Penn speaks candidly about his interactions with Whedon:
“All the other directors we had been talking about, Joss wasn’t on the list,” Penn explains. “I heard he was going to rewrite the script himself. He didn’t even want to meet with me – which, by the way, I always call the writer I’m replacing. I feel like that’s courtesy.”
Zak Penn eventually decided to reach out to Joss Whedon himself about the situation. However, the interaction didn’t exactly go as Penn planned:
“He said to me, ‘No, it’s not awkward for me. I’m rewriting you.’ It became pretty apparent that he had less than zero interest in, in any way, having me involved with the movie.”
“I think he’s a d–k,” Penn concludes. “I think he’s a bad person, and it was really surprising. Remember, my bonus is based on my credit. So literally millions and millions of dollars, which is not the issue here, but that just came out of my pocket and went into Joss’s pocket.”
Joss Whedon’s arrogance on The Avengers seems only like a crumb of his cruelty in hindsight. His brutish behavior on set first began to come to light when Ray Fisher broke his silence about the set of Justice League. Luckily for all actors and writers, it seems as though Whedon has officially stepped back from the Hollywood scene.
The future of the Avengers franchise
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is the first movie in a two-part finale to Marvel’s Multiverse Saga. It will be followed by Avengers: Secret Wars, rounding out Marvel Studios’ Phase 6. Both films are scheduled to arrive in theaters in 2025.
Destin Daniel Cretton is set to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, with Jeff Loveness attached to write. Michael Waldron will write Avengers: Secret Wars, though there is no director attached to the project.
With the expansive Multiverse Saga and its star-studded cast at the helm, Marvel fans are undoubtedly on edge for the next two Avengers movies. Regardless of how fans interpret Robert Downey Jr.’s comments, one thing is certain: Marvel Studios has a grand vision in mind.
Source: MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios
