Russo Brothers: Avengers' Doomsday and Secret Wars Mark 'A New Beginning' for MCU

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is poised for a transformative journey as directors Anthony and Joe Russo delve into the future with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. These films are set to diverge significantly from their predecessors, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, marking a "new beginning" for the franchise. In a recent interview with Brazilian outlet Omelete, the Russo brothers highlighted their vision for these upcoming films, which will set the stage for Phase 7 of the MCU.

Joe Russo emphasized the unique position of being part of a 20-movie arc and witnessing its conclusion, expressing excitement for the fresh start these new Avengers movies will bring. "What's compelling about these two new Avengers movies is they're a beginning. It's a new beginning. We told an ending story [with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame] and now we're going to tell a beginning story. Who knows where we’ll go from there?" he remarked.

The Russos also shared insights into their return to the Marvel fold. Anthony Russo explained, “We didn’t know what our road forward was in the MCU after we finished Endgame. What happened was, a creative idea just came to us and that ended up feeling like the right idea. It motivated us to do it again. We feel like we have something fresh, we feel like we have a story that’s important and needs to be told. We have an amazing group of collaborators again, some old and some new. We’re very excited."

Joe Russo touched on the challenges of Doomsday, noting the high expectations placed on it to revitalize theater attendance post-pandemic. He also revealed that it was Marvel producer Kevin Feige who proposed bringing back Robert Downey Jr. for the film. "That conversation was had a while ago, and Robert tried to talk us into doing it and we said no. We just didn’t have a story, we didn’t have a way in, so we were resistant for a while. And then one day, [Endgame writer] Steve McFeely called us and said, ‘I have an idea.’"

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Joe Russo concluded the interview by expressing their approach to crafting villains. "The only thing I’ll say about the movie is this: we love villains who think they’re the heroes of their own stories. That’s when they become three-dimensional and they become more interesting. When you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a three-dimensional, well-shaped character for the audience. That’s where a lot of our focus is going."

Avengers: Doomsday is slated for release on May 1, 2026, followed by Secret Wars in May 2027. Fans will have to wait to see what the Russo brothers have in store.

In other MCU news, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige teased the integration of X-Men characters into upcoming films. Speaking at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, Feige hinted at the introduction of recognizable X-Men characters in the "next few" MCU movies. He elaborated on the significance of the X-Men in the MCU's future, especially in the context of Secret Wars. "Right after that, the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men. Again, [it’s] one of those dreams come true. We finally have the X-Men back."

Feige underscored the importance of the X-Men in shaping the MCU's trajectory post-Secret Wars. "When we were preparing for Avengers: Endgame years ago, it was a question of getting to the grand finale of our narrative, and then we had to start all over again after that. This time, on the road to Secret Wars, we already know very well what the story is going to be until then and afterwards. The X-Men are an important part of that future."

Phase 7 of the MCU seems set to be dominated by the X-Men, with Storm's appearance in What If...? Season 3 marking a significant step in their integration into the wider MCU.

Additionally, Marvel Studios has added three untitled movie projects to its 2028 release schedule: February 18, 2028; May 5, 2028; and November 10, 2028. It's speculated that one of these films may feature the X-Men, adding to the excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead in the MCU.