Ever since Avengers: Endgame brought the Infinity Saga to a close, fans have been clamoring for another movie centered around Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. During Phase 1-3, Marvel Studios included an Avengers movie in every slate, but this trend changed in Phase 4 when no such films were included.
Despite that, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige promised that another Avengers movie will arrive “at some point” in the MCU’s future. While Avengers 5's roster is still up for debate, a common ground for fans is the inclusion of Joe and Anthony Russo, a.k.a. the Russo Brothers, as directors of the next movie about heroic team.
Amid rumors of their potential involvement, Joe Russo debunked that he and his brother are in talks with Marvel about helming another Avengers flick. However, the brothers did reveal that they are still “open” to returning as directors of any Marvel project, reaffirming to fans that “we love everyone [at Marvel Studios.]”
Now, the Marvel boss has addressed whether the veteran directors will return for the recently-announced Avengers movies.
Kevin Feige Reveals Russo Brothers' MCU Status
At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige revealed to Deadline that the Russo Brothers are not currently attached to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars:
"[The Russo Brothers are] not connected to it. They have been very direct about that. We love them. They love us. We want to find something to do together, just not this.”
The Russos directed the last two Avengers movies, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Feige's quote was also in line with the recent denial of Joe Russo about not being involved with anything Marvel-related, with the director saying that they've been busy with their own schedule.
Back in July 2020, Joe Russo revealed that "to execute something" on the scale of Infinity War was "directly related to the dream of Secret Wars:"
"You know, I read that when I was 10 or 11, and it was the scale of getting all of the heroes together. It was one of the first major books to do that — that was really event-storytelling to me at its finest. And what happens when you put all of those personalities together. I also like the idea of villains having to team up with heroes. Anth and I like complicated relationships between heroes and villains, we like villains who believe they’re heroes in their own stories, so it’s all sort of built into this notion of Secret Wars . To execute something on the scale of Infinity War was directly related to the dream of Secret Wars , which is even larger in scale."
In the same interview, Anthony Russo also hyped the potential of a Secret Wars film, saying that "the ambition of it is even bigger than the ambition of the Infinity Saga:"
"It would be the biggest movie you could possibly imagine, so that’s what really excites us about the story — the ambition of it is even bigger than the ambition of the Infinity Saga."
Will the Russo Brothers Actually Return to the MCU?
Given that the Russo Brothers handled many ensemble MCU movies, the pair’s expertise would’ve been a much-needed boost for the next Avengers films, especially considering the growing number of heroes and villains that are present in the current roster. Still, the directing pair's desire to return is a good indication that the door is open for a potential Marvel reunion down the line.
At this point, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars are still a long way down the road, so it's possible that negotiations for whoever will be in the director's chair aren't going to happen anytime soon. This would give ample time for the Russos to focus on their own projects outside Marvel, and when the time comes that their schedule will be free, the negotiations for Avengers 5 and/or Avengers 6 could eventually happen.
On the flip side, Marvel Studios CCO Kevin Feige could be lying about the Russos' involvement and the studio could've already signed them to helm the next two Avengers movies. There's also the possibility that Feige and the top executives could be seeking new blood to direct the ensemble movies, thus allowing a fresh perspective for its jam-packed narrative.
Whatever the case, the fact that it's the Russo Brothers' dream to direct a Secret Wars on-screen adaptation could be the key to solving the director puzzle for the next two crossover movies, and Feige would've already taken note of the pair's passion for these stories.
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