The Russo Brothers have been working their magic at Marvel Studios on the next Avengers films, but in the meantime, one of their major franchises has fallen flat. After the directing duo seemingly parted ways with Marvel at the end of Avengers: Endgame, the pair began developing their own franchises through their production company, AGBO. The resulting films have included The Gray Man, The Electric State, and Cherry.
While none of the Russo Brothers' new films have been able to compare to the massive success of Avengers, The Gray Man showed promise. The action spy thriller starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans was a behemoth, with a reported budget in the $200 million range; it was also a huge success for Netflix, becoming the ninth-most-watched film of all time on the streamer.
Netflix quickly confirmed a sequel to The Gray Man in 2022, which seemed to be the beginning of a larger franchise in partnership with the Russo Brothers. However, recent comments from Anthony Russo on a red carpet seem to suggest momentum stalled. Speaking to Screen Rant at the premiere for The Bluff, the Russo sibling revealed there isn't "any momentum news right now" before adding "there are definitely a lot of people still thinking about it."
The Russo Brothers have been working on Marvel Studios projects since their July 2024 return announcement. The duo spent much of 2025 in production on Avengers: Doomsday (due out December 18) and will soon begin work on the second tentpole film, Avengers: Secret Wars (releasing December 2027).
Still, the duo continues to work on their passion projects at AGBO, and The Gray Man was seen as the start of a brand-new franchise for the Russos and Netflix. The brothers said in 2022 that they had "always intended" for The Gray Man to spawn an "expanded universe," which would have included a direct Ryan Gosling-starring sequel and a spin-off:
"We are so appreciative of the enthusiasm that fans across the world have had for this film. With so many amazing characters in the movie, we had always intended for the Gray Man to be part of an expanded universe, and we are thrilled that Netflix is announcing a sequel with Ryan, as well as a second script that we’re excited to talk about soon."
The Gray Man was one of the few successes the Russo Brothers have had in their post-Avengers careers, with The Electric State and Cherry failing to achieve the same viewership. The Gray Man was released on Netflix in July 2022 and starred Gosling, Evans, Ana de Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Henwick, Regé-Jean Page, and Wagner Moura. The movie starred Gosling as a CIA spy on the run from a sociopathic ex-CIA agent-turned mercenary (played by Evans).
Can The Gray Man Franchise Be Revived?
While momentum was building around The Gray Man universe, Russo's recent comments suggest it's been shelved after nearly three years of silence.
The most likely answer seems to be that the Russos have been so engaged in the pair of upcoming Avengers films that their other projects have been put on hold for now. AGBO is still invested in developing other projects on its slate, including Extraction 3 and its spin-off TV series, but the directors aren't attached to helm any other films right now, apart from Marvel projects.
It could be that The Gray Man franchise comes back to life with another director on board; otherwise, fans will likely need to wait until after Avengers: Secret Wars to see any news on The Gray Man 2.
The franchise still has plenty of room to grow, with Mark Greaney's Gray Man novel series spanning nearly 15 books, ripe for adaptation. The challenge will be getting all the creative players in a row, as both Gosling and Evans are each attached to stacked slates of films.
