Joe and Anthony Russo shocked Marvel fans by returning to helm Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, after previously directing many of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s biggest films. The directors are among the most acclaimed for their MCU films, specifically as a result of their ability to handle the franchise’s large roster of characters. Doomsday will also feature the highly-anticipated return of Robert Downey Jr. to the MCU, though he will star as the iconic villain Doctor Doom instead of Tony Stark/Iron Man.
Since the Russos’ last MCU film, Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has dived headfirst into stories involving the multiverse, including the now-scrapped setup of Kang the Conquerer as the saga’s next big bad. Throughout this time, the MCU also had a number of teases and setups that have yet to be resolved, meaning it is up to the Russos to make everything fit into a cohesive duology for the next Avengers films.
Speaking with The Playlist, the directors unpacked their choice to take on the gargantuan task of returning to the MCU. Per Joe, storytelling was at the forefront of their decision. He explained:
“I mean, we did so many of those movies in a row that you sort of forget about the pressure. The job is so all-encompassing and so intense that you can’t really think about, ‘Well, what are people going to feel or think about this?’ All you can think about is, ‘Is this a good story that we want to tell or not?’“
He then added that “pressure and fear usually make for very poor decision-making,” so the brothers aim “to stay calm and keep making the stories the way [they] like to see them.” For his part, Anthony said that connecting the various threads of the MCU “is like one of the most valuable aspects of the experience for us as fans and as storytellers “is like one of the most valuable aspects of the experience for us as fans and as storytellers.“
He elaborated by stating: “we lean into that in a strong way and we really feel like [the connective throughline is] one of the most unique things the MCU can do that other forms of cinematic storytelling can’t do.“
The Russo Brothers are known for making solid superhero films, especially with ensembles. It makes sense that such an undertaking could be stressful, as Joe indicated. However, their approach of focusing on the story is a good way to mitigate that stress. It likely also helps them determine how to balance the MCU’s expansive cast by assigning characters to the story thread they are best suited to. Regardless, their return to the franchise with Doomsday seems tied with a genuine desire to tell a compelling story.
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“I Think It’s Going To Challenge Audiences”: The Russo Brothers Promise “Surprise” Story For Avengers: Doomsday & Avengers: Secret Wars
The Russo Brothers have further teased their MCU return with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, promising a surprising, challenging story.
Discussing why they accepted the directing gig, Anthony explained: “Part of the reason why we became reactivated—like Joe was describing in terms of like falling in love with a story that we felt was powerful and needed to be told—is exactly what you’re describing is that there is a narrative through everything.“ As such, it seems they may truly have a good narrative to tie off the multiverse saga.
While both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are both over a year away, the Russo Brothers continue to set fan expectations high. Since they’re known for making some of the finest MCU films, audiences are going to expect them to maintain that standard. Per Joe Russo, they’re up to that challenge.
Recently, the director stated: “I think these movies are gonna be a surprise to people. We found a way into the story that’s very exciting to us, but, we think, very radical, and I think it’s gonna challenge audiences.” Hopefully, the Russo Brothers deliver, bringing an Endgame level of excitement to the MCU.