The Avengers might have assembled, but the MCU isn’t done dropping game-changers. Anthony Russo, one-half of the directing duo behind Avengers: Endgame, knows exactly what sets Marvel apart, and it’s not just the superpowers.
While franchises rise and fall, the MCU still holds a storytelling weapon that other movies can’t replicate. And with Secret Wars on the horizon, that advantage could be bigger than ever.
Anthony Russo on the MCU’s secret weapon and the story that brought the Russos back
The Russo Brothers are back in the MCU game, and they’re bringing a secret weapon. After stepping away from Marvel to build their own creative empire, Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo are now locked in on Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars – driven purely by storytelling.
According to Anthony, the MCU still has a unique strength. He explained,
Look, what you’re describing is like one of the most valuable aspects of the experience for us as fans and as storytellers. So, 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.
Since leaving Marvel, the Russos and their AGBO production company have been busy. They delivered The Gray Man, expanded the Extraction franchise, and now, they’re dropping The Electric State – a retro-futuristic sci-fi adventure starring Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown, hitting Netflix on March 14, 2025. But their return to Marvel? That’s a whole different beast.
On The Discourse podcast, the directors explained that fan expectations and franchise pressure aren’t their focus. Joe said,
We definitely try to—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? Why are we doing it?’
For them, it all comes down to falling in love with a story that feels powerful and worth telling.
As for the Multiverse Saga, the Russos acknowledge the challenge of weaving a cohesive narrative, but they believe Marvel’s greatest strength is its ability to connect stories across time and space. That’s what drew them back.
Even that portion of the narrative that has been unfolding since the end of ‘Endgame,’ he continued. “We’re hopeful that we can pick up the story in a way that kind of honors what’s happened between now and then, but also moves it forward.
And what about a Gray Man sequel? The interest is there, but for now, Marvel has their full attention. The multiverse awaits.
Russo brothers return to Marvel with back-to-back Avengers epics
The Avengers: Endgame masterminds are back. Joe and Anthony Russo are set to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, filming them “fairly back to back” in London.
Joe Russo teased a “very radical” approach to these MCU epics, promising surprises that will “challenge audiences.” Anthony Russo added,
It’s a lot of work again, we may or may not survive, we’ll see. We’re very excited about it, we found a way into the story that we think is going to be challenging for audiences, and challenging for us to execute. It’s really exciting to us, it gets us out of bed to do it.
Robert Downey Jr. is stepping into villain mode as Victor Von Doom, while rumors swirl about Chris Evans’ unexpected return. With production kicking off this summer, Marvel’s next big saga is taking shape – one ambitious shot at a time.
Avengers: Secret Wars will be released on May 7, 2027.
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