Avengers: Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo confirmed the end of an era for the MCU with their latest comments about a bold reset for the franchise. The MCU has always had "era resets" tied to its Phases, even though they weren't labeled as such. The Infinity Saga's Phase 1 centered on origin stories from Iron Man to The Avengers, before expanding its roster of characters and storytelling opportunities in Phases 2 and 3, culminating in a massive two-part crossover that brought everyone together against Thanos. While the first three Phases were widely celebrated, the Phases under the Multiverse Saga umbrella were a different story, as some felt they were messy and inconsistent despite delivering big swings in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine.
While speaking as a guest at SXSW London (via The Hollywood Reporter), director Joe Russo declared the MCU is going "back to phase zero" with Avengers: Doomsday, confirming the end of an era for MCU Phases and signaling that the upcoming MCU crossover will be treated as another foundational restart:
"That serial shifting and changing and surprising you and then reinventing itself and then shifting and changing and then surprising you — that’s exciting and I think you’re going to see some shifting and changing [with Avengers: Doomsday]. So, get ready for it. Look, we were with Rob [Downey Jr.] earlier today. We were both talking about this concept that we are back to phase zero. This is starting over from scratch. We want to make sure everybody feels like this isn’t leaning on anything from the past.”
Not leaning on past events suggests the Russos' strategy is to avoid heavy multiverse recap baggage; instead, they're relying more on bold tonal shifts, fresh subject matter, and narrative surprises audiences aren't expecting.
This pivot makes the wait for Avengers: Doomsday, which hits theaters on December 18, worthwhile; it treats the crossover as a true Phase 0 that earns its hype through reinvention rather than nostalgia.
This isn't the first time that the Russo Brothers shared their desire to "fix" the MCU after the Infinity Saga. In March 2025, Anthony Russo said that they intend to go back to a "central narrative" in their Avengers movies as a way to have a more coherent focus:
"Yes, the MCU has got quite large, that’s for sure. I mean, frankly, we struggle with that same issue. But part of the reason Joe and I decided to go back is exactly what you’re talking about. There needs to be more of a central narrative. That was something we were very specific about when we worked with Marvel [before]. We would like to bring the focused narrative back."
While some would argue that it may be too late since Doomsday and Secret Wars are Multiverse Saga cappers, addressing this recurring concern from fans is a positive sign and could set a precedent for future movies in the Mutant Saga.
Why Ending MCU Phases Is Actually a Good Thing
Positioning Avengers: Doomsday as Phase 0 is what the MCU needs right now, considering that the Marvel franchise has always thrived on reinvention. It's worth noting that this isn't erasing the past; instead, it's honoring it while launching new arcs with higher stakes and clearer direction.
The Multiverse Saga has embraced experimentation, and it somewhat paid off with wild Multiversal swings that led to widespread positive reception. However, it also introduced fatigue alongside lower-stakes storytelling.
With Doomsday being framed as a return to fundamentals, this deliberate pivot still honors the Multiverse Saga by using its events as a foundation rather than a crutch. Robert Downey Jr. serves as the perfect bridge for this shift, considering that he is stepping into the role of one of the MCU's most powerful villains (Doctor Doom) after playing the franchise's most celebrated hero (Iron Man).
Treating Doomsday as Phase 0 delivers stronger stakes, a cleaner integration of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four without Multiversal hand-waiving, and a higher-quality output for the MCU as a whole.
