Summary
- The Russo brothers are returning to the MCU for Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.
- Avengers: Doomsday will feature a huge cast and bring back legacy MCU stars like Robert Downey Jr.
- The directors revealed what made them agree to return to the MCU after they completed Avengers: Endgame.
Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are two of the biggest movies on the MCU’s upcoming slate. The films will be helmed by Marvel veterans Joe and Anthony Russo and the directing duo have revealed what enticed them back into the MCU fold.
The MCU is currently in the middle of its second major era, the Multiverse Saga. Similar to the Infinity Saga, the idea is to end the three phases with two major Avengers movies, which were reworked over the years to become Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. For a short time, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton was attached to direct the fifth Avengers film, until he departed to direct the next Spider-Man instead. This opened the door for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo to return to the comic book movie franchise.
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What Made the Russo Brothers Return to the MCU?
Avengers: Endgame was an ending for many of the characters and actors in the MCU, and it seemed that way for the Russos as well. That is until the duo was confirmed to return for back-to-back Avengers films on stage at San Diego Comic-Con in 2024. In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, the duo opened up on what drew them back to the MCU. “Endgame was the end, and it took a little time for us to begin to think about it as something other than an end,” Anthony Russo said. He added that what changed was the introduction of an idea that “activated all of us.” The project will also reunite the directors with regular screenwriting partner Stephen McFeely.
Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon an idea that activated all of us. 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.’
As for what that idea is, fans will have to wait until 2026 and 2027 to find out. At least part of the motivation seems to have come from the directors’ reunion with legacy MCU actor Robert Downey Jr. who will return to star as Victor von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. Other MCU veterans like Chris Evans are also reportedly returning, along with newer cast members like the Fantastic Four quadrant of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
Avengers: Doomsday is Preparing to Enter Production in Spring
Avengers: Doomsday is set to begin filming this Spring, although recent reports suggest the script isn’t yet finished. However, this wouldn’t be unusual for a Marvel Studios project which are often rewritten on the go and undertakes extensive re-shoots to ensure the connective tissue between the vast universe of films is coherent. With the introduction of the Multiverse, the size and scope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has expanded enormously, giving the Russos plenty of potential to play with creative ideas in their next Avengers movies.
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for release on May 1, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars will be released on May 7, 2027.
Avengers: Doomsday
- Release Date
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May 1, 2026
- Cast
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Robert Downey Jr.
- Main Genre
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Superhero
- Writers
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Michael Waldron