The Russo Brothers Reveal The Intriguing Reason They Came Back To The MCU
Joe and Anthony Russo have a game plan for their Avengers movies.
Joe and Anthony Russo's return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is like a hard reset for both Marvel and the directing duo. After the two helmed Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, they went on to direct one-off action movies like Cherry and The Gray Man, both of which failed to reach the level of buzz as their Marvel titles. Meanwhile, the post-Endgame MCU struggled to adjust to the universe’s new reality — half the world’s population was Blipped out of existence, an event that completely changed day-to-day life.
The MCU appeared to have a plan in place with Avengers: Kang Dynasty, but after the unceremonious firing of Jonathan Majors, the story was forced to go back to the drawing board. Finally, at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios president announced the return of the Russos, Marvel’s prodigal sons, as well as the names of their two projects: Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. But just what brought them back, and what’s ahead for the MCU? The answer may be the good sign fans are hoping for.
Joe and Anthony Russo are coming back to the MCU and are bringing Robert Downey, Jr as well — this time, as Doctor Doom.
In conversation with Empire, Joe and Anthony Russo revealed their return to the MCU was motivated not by the circumstances but a good story. “Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon an idea that activated all of us,” Anthony Russo says. “You couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’”
According to the report, this story was developed with the Russos’ longtime screenwriting collaborator, Stephen McFeely. Secret Wars in particular was Joe Russo’s idea, one that was met with some hesitation by McFeely. “I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’” he said. “You were like, ‘F*ck no. Absolutely not.’ And then you hung up. And the next morning at 7:30 you called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea.’”
The idea for Avengers: Secret Wars was reportedly enough to bring the Russos back to the MCU.
But what does this mean for the MCU’s future? Avengers: Secret Wars is still a ways away, currently scheduled to premiere May 7, 2027, a year after Avengers: Doomsday’s release date in May 2026. But the Russos are looking forward enough to see how this storyline could actually work. The groundwork is already there — Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness established the existence of incursions, and Doomsday will be able to work as a prologue.
If the idea for Secret Wars was good enough to turn Stephen McFeely around on the idea of returning to the MCU altogether, then maybe it could be the Endgame-level event Marvel has needed for so long. Finally, there’s a goal to work towards again — and the MCU is not just left treading water.
