Russo Brothers eyeing return to Marvel for next two ‘Avengers’ movies

The last few years have been a roller-coaster ride for Marvel, both in general and specifically in terms of plans for the company’s next two big team-up movies under the ‘Avengers’ banner.

The new films, which are still going through a difficult development process, will assemble various characters (both old and new) to take on huge threats. And they will be compared to the massive (grossing nearly $4 billion combined) successes “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.”

So, who does the Marvel team want to recruit to take on this little challenge? What do you have to say about the directors of ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’?

Yes, thanks to Joe and Anthony Russo, who are now in early talks to make both movies, According to The Hollywood Reporter,

What’s happened with the new ‘Avengers’ movies so far?

To say that the path of the new “Avengers” films has been problematic is like saying the ocean might be a little damp.

Originally announced at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con as part of a larger reveal by studio boss Kevin Feige about future “phases” of development, the new films were called “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.”

‘The Kang Dynasty’ has been the real hitch here. Though the plan was presumably to have Jonathan Majors clash with the multiversal villain, Majors found himself cut off by Marvel following harassment allegations (and subsequent guilty pleas).

‘Shang-Chi’ director Destin Daniel Cretton began working on the film shortly after it was announced, but has since distanced himself from it. ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’s’ Shawn Levy has since been reportedly offered the job, but reports about Russo’s possible input mean he dropped the idea.

And on the writing front, veteran Marvel writer Michael Waldron, creator of the ‘Loki’ series, was the man recently hired to work on the script for the film, which currently has no title, presumably so that Marvel can find a new focus.

“Secret Wars” has been more of a mystery on the filmmaking front.

What is Marvel’s ‘Secret Wars’ about?

‘Secret Wars’ (through the usual Marvel movie filter, which will see changes made) will be inspired by a pair of 1980s comic book series that centered on an all-powerful antagonist called the Beyonder, who pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet called Battleworld in the first installment.

In the 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict led to the collapse of the multiverse, with the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom. We’ll have to wait and see if that actually happens, though some of Hickman’s run is referenced on screen in ‘Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.’

The Russo’s have spoken about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars’ before, so you can certainly see the appeal for them. We’d be surprised if they didn’t think about collaborating again with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who wrote the majority of their previous Marvel output.

What Have the Russo Brothers Worked On Since ‘Endgame’?

Since working at Marvel, the pair have become powerhouse producers, producing films such as Prime Video’s “Citadel” series and Netflix’s Chris Hemsworth-starring action movie franchise “Extraction.” They also helped produce the Oscar-winning “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

And on the directing front, the brothers created the Apple movie “Cherry,” starring Tom Holland (no stranger to Russo’s work), and the Netflix action thriller “The Gray Man,” starring Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling.

The upcoming film is Netflix’s science-fiction ‘The Electric State’, which wrapped shooting last year and is currently in post-production. It will be released by the end of this year.

The directors have talked about more about the world of ‘The Gray Man’, but if they take the chance on returning to Marvel, that will be completely put on hold (unless they hand off another movie to someone else).

When will the next two ‘Avengers’ movies hit the screens?

Marvel plans to have the first film – it has no official title at the time of writing – released in theaters on May 1, 2026, followed by ‘Secret Wars’ on May 7, 2027.

So it’s a safe pairing, but clearly Marvel is hoping the pair will return.