Don Payne, whose scriptwriting credits include 12 episodes of “The Simpsons” and movie blockbusters like “Thor,” died on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 48.

The cause was sarcoma, John Frink, a fellow writer for “The Simpsons,” said.

Mr. Payne began working on “The Simpsons” as a writer and producer in 1998 and wrote five episodes solo. He had written for television for years, but “The Simpsons,” one of the longest-running sitcoms in television history, provided particular challenges.