Marvel is planning a shocking movie reunion with the Russo brothers as the directing duo eyes Avengers 5 and 6
Marvel is reportedly in early talks with the Russo brothers about directing the next two Avengers movies.
According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), the comic book giant wants Anthony and Joe Russo to direct Avengers 5 and the sequel. THR notes that the duo has not yet committed to returning, but if they do sign on to helm the next Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superhero team-up films, it would mark a sensational turnaround for the duo, who have frequently expressed reluctance to direct more ensemble superhero films.
The Russos are the latest people to be linked to the vacant director’s seat (or should that be CEO’s seat?) Avengers 5who was known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Shang-Chi Filmmaker Daniel Destin Cretton was initially attached to direct, but he dropped out of the project in November 2023. Shawn Levy, who directed the upcoming MCU film Deadpool and Wolverinewould also have been in the picture to direct Avengers 5 as recently as June 5.
Joe & Anthony Russo are reteaming. The Russo Bros. are in early talks to return to Marvel Studios to direct not just one, but the next two #Avengers films: https://t.co/DguOwNGz7b pic.twitter.com/DoFwboOvgaJuly 17, 2024
If the Russo brothers rekindle their working relationship with Marvel, their leadership of Avengers 5 And Avengers 6 – the latter is still expected to be mentioned Avengers: Secret Wars – could eventually bring their MCU film directorial total to six. The pair steered the ship on 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier2016 Captain America: Civil War2018 Avengers: Infinity Warand that of 2019 Avengers: Endgamebut have been developing films and TV series for streaming platforms such as Netflix and Apple TV Plus for the past five years through their production company AGBO.
The Russo’s apparent involvement isn’t the only recent rumor circulating online about Avengers 5In April it was claimed that Avengers 5 is said to begin filming in early 2025, with that report coming two months after Marvel’s announcement The Kang Dynasty part of the title. The supposed reworking of the film’s name comes two months after Marvel fired former Kang actor Jonathan Majors; the disgraced star was found guilty on two of four counts of sexual assault in December of last year.
Russos, collect?
While it would be exciting to see Joe and Anthony Russo return to direct two more MCU films, I’m not sure they should do it.
On one hand, their potential homecoming would be a huge boon for Marvel Studios. Their previous MCU films have been critically and commercially acclaimed, with fans and critics regularly hailing that quartet as some of the best Marvel films ever made. Let’s not forget that Infinity War And Endgame are also two of the highest-grossing films of all time – the pair sit at sixth ($2.048 billion worldwide) and second ($2.797 billion worldwide) respectively on the list of highest-grossing films. Armed with their experience directing ensemble supergroup films, plus the clear evidence of how well their previous superhero films have performed, the Russos would be a safe but no less spectacular pairing to deliver more epic MCU films with the next two Avengers movies.
That said, they didn’t do it all alone. The work of screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who penned the scripts for the Russos’ four Marvel films, was just as important to the success of each film. Unless that duo also returns to write the screenplay for each film – and they could, with rumors circulating earlier Avengers 5 writer Michael Waldron may no longer be working on it (according to Nexus Point News And The hot microphone) – the Russos may not have the same writing quality to write two more excellent books Avengers movies. That’s before you realize that, post-EndgameThe directing duo’s other projects haven’t been overwhelming successes – Apple’s CherryNetflix’s The gray manand Prime Videos Citadel are just three such productions that have been negatively reviewed and/or have failed to capture the public’s attention.
So the potential return of Joe and Anthony Russo isn’t a guaranteed win for Marvel. Of the names mentioned so far, these are the ones I’d most like to see right away Avengers 5 And Avengers 6but that doesn’t mean I’ll give them a free pass, especially considering the inconsistent quality of their and Marvel’s productions since Endgame.
Hopefully, with San Diego Comic-Con just around the corner, we’ll find out if they’re really involved when Marvel holds its main Hall H panel on Saturday, July 27. In the meantime, you can check out all four Avengers movies on Disney Plus so far.