Summary
- The Russo brothers were hesitant to return to the MCU during its troubled days, but eventually agreed.
- Marvel wanted to bring back Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, a move to save the sinking ship.
- The Russo brothers returned to the MCU after writer Stephen McFeely suggested story ideas for future Avengers films, signaling a “new beginning.”
The future success of the MCU is seemingly all riding on Avengers: Doomsday. A downward spiral of canceled projects and actors being involved in multiple controversies means that Marvel is recruiting every able-bodied creative that has helped form the franchise over the years. One particular duo that was essential to the MCU’s creation has now revealed that they were hesitant to come back during Marvel’s more troubled days.
The Russo brothers have been a guiding creative voice in the MCU since Phase 2. Their first critically acclaimed project, Captain America: The Winter Solider, took one of the Avengers’ most ethically sound star-spangled characters and thrust them into a dark, gritty spy thriller filled with corrupt figures and morally gray issues. After filming the hugely successful Captain America: Civil War, the two were tasked with the biggest cinematic events in Hollywood history: Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. It was an overwhelming victory for the two directors. So successful, in fact, that the MCU has failed to match this high ever since. Phases 4-5 have woefully missed the mark in terms of constructing a cohesive multiverse narrative, unable to replicate the Infinity Saga’s interconnected structure. It didn’t help that Jonathan Major’s Kang the Conqueror has been cut from the next Avengers film due to legal issues involving the actor. It’s been a slow and grueling decline for Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster factory.
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The two Russo brothers spoke exclusively to Omelete recently in an online interview and revealed that they were extremely resistant to the idea of returning. Ultimately, this does make a lot of sense. Outside the MCU, the duo are a well-respected pair of veteran directors, with a whole library of critically celebrated films. The team came into the MCU at the right time, made a huge success of it, and left with a fair amount of grace. So, naturally, it would be foolish for them to return and potentially tarnish their reputation.
Apparently, Joe and Anthony Russo outright refused the offer to return to Marvel and direct Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Doomsday. Joe revealed that it was Marvel CEO Kevin Feige’s plan to reintroduce the former Iron Man actor to the cinematic universe as the villainous Doctor Doom:
“That was Kevin. Interestingly enough about that, that conversation was had a while ago.”
This creative decision was predetermined by Feige long before the Russos’ involvement. It’s clear that the choice did not come from a unique creative vision, but a desperate move to stop the Marvel ship sinking after the loss of Jonathan Majors, by bringing back the MCU’s former frontman. Downey even talked to the two MCU alumni in order to seal the deal, but the Russos were still adamant that they didn’t want to be involved. It’s rather unsurprising, especially upon hearing from Joe, that the ending of Phases 4-5 had yet to receive a clear creative vision when it was offered to them:
“Robert tried to talk us into doing it and we said ‘no’ … We just didn’t have a story. We didn’t have a way in. We were resistant for a while.”
It’s clear that Feige was counting on the Russo brothers to swoop in and save the sinking ship, but the two only returned when writer Stephen McFeely suggested a series of story ideas for subsequent Avengers films after Doomsday. This built the road map that the directing duo have now set themselves upon. Joe Russo described his relief and excitement at McFeely’s intervention: “We went, ‘That’s the story!’ That story has to be told; it’s a really powerful story!” Rather confusingly, instead of the next Avengers film being an end to Phases 4-5, according to the Russos, they are “a new beginning“. Marvel might be moving on wholesale from the majority of plot lines set up in Phases 4-5, hoping to wipe the slate clean after a rocky couple of years. Audiences will have to hope that the Russo brothers can pull off another cinematic miracle and secure the MCU’s longevity for the foreseeable future.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.
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Iron Man
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Marvels
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Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Tom Hiddleston, Iman Vellani
Source: Omelete