A pair of Marvel writers are the two highest-grossing screenwriters in Hollywood history (with a catch)

Hollywood has plenty of screenwriters to turn to when it comes to its biggest blockbusters. It seems some writers simply have a knack for conceiving the exact kind of gripping, enjoyable entertainment that mass audiences love (and that studios love to invest in). Most big box office hits tend to hire teams of screenwriters, although only a few are credited. And although most top-grossing writers share their work with many others, they always seem to be there when the money is made.

Attentive moviegoers might immediately recognize names like Ehren Kruger, the screenwriter behind such blockbusters as “The Ring,” three “Transformers” sequels, “Top Gun: Maverick” and “F1.” By The numbersTheir films have collectively grossed more than $6.2 billion at the global box office.

Meanwhile, animation fans might mention Andrew Stanton, who has written several Pixar films, including the “Toy Story” films. His films have grossed almost $5.66 billion in theaters. Or maybe they would point to the writing team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, who wrote the “Kung Fu Panda” movies, the “SpongeBob SquarePants” movies and the “Trolls” movies. His films have grossed almost $4.25 billion.

However, of the best-selling writers, none may be more famous than David Koepp, the writer of “Death Suits You,” “Jurassic Park,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Spider-Man” and many others. His films have grossed $7.51 billion.

However, the duo of Christopher Marcus and Stephen McFeely are only sniffing around Koepp in terms of gross earnings. The couple has participated in the writing of seven of the highest-grossing films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They also wrote the scripts for the three existing “Chronicles of Narnia” films released between 2005 and 2010, all of which were successful. Collectively, their films have grossed almost $9.29 billion, making them the highest-grossing screenwriters in history… at least at the domestic box office.