The Russo Brothers (Joe Russo and Anthony Russo) garnered widespread popularity for directing four Marvel Cinematic Universe projects: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Now, according to industry speculations, they can return to helm the fifth and sixth Avengers films.
Here is what we have learned about whether the Russo brothers are making a comeback to the MCU.
Will Joe and Anthony Russo Brothers direct Avengers 5 & Avengers: Secret Wars?
Reports indicate that Joe and Anthony Russo are in talks to direct Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars. However, as of July 2024, Marvel Studios has yet to make an official announcement regarding the directors for these films.
On July 17, 2024, The Hollywood Reporter shocked the world by reporting that “sources” told them that the Russo brothers were in “early talks” to helm the fifth and the sixth Avengers features.
Shawn Levy, whose upcoming film Deadpool & Wolverine hits US theaters on July 26, 2024, was one of the directors considered for the project.
Destin Daniel Cretton was initially attached to direct the fifth Avengers film, titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Jonathan Majors, who already played Kang in other MCU movies, was set to return in the role. However, Cretton stepped down from the project in November 2023.
In July 2022, Joe Russo expressed interest in making films based on Secret Wars comics in an interview with Deadline. He said, “Our love for Marvel is based on the books that we read as kids, the books that we fell in love with.” “The one series that we adored growing up was Secret Wars. It’s incredibly ambitious. It would be bigger than Infinity War and Endgame. But it’s a massive undertaking. Those two movies were very hard to make. So trying to imagine making another two movies even bigger than those two? We’re going to have to sleep on that.”
If reports hold true and the Russo brothers are chosen to direct, they will be fulfilling a lifelong dream by adapting a comic book series they have cherished since childhood. Avengers: Secret Wars is currently scheduled to hit theaters on May 7, 2027.
