Marvel Studios tore the roof down at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con event when they announced the return of the Russo Brothers, Anthony and Joe Russo, to helm Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. However, the biggest surprise came in the form of Robert Downey Jr., who is all set to portray Victor Von Doom, aka Doctor Doom. The brotherly duo recently had an interview with Collider about the status of the upcoming Avengers projects and answered some burning questions from Collider’s own Steven Weintraub.
Besides the forthcoming Avengers movies, the Russo Brothers are also busy developing their Citadel franchise and promoting their $320 million, mammoth sci-fi Netflix project, The Electric State, starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt.
During their exclusive interview with Collider, Joe and Anthony Russo provided some interesting updates about their upcoming Avengers movies.
When asked about the movies’ writing process, Joe confirmed that they are “in the middle of the writing process.” Most importantly, scribe Stephen McFeely is returning to write the films. He co-wrote Infinity War and Endgame with Christopher Markus.
Joe also disclosed that the filming schedule for both upcoming Avengers movies would be somewhat similar to how they made Infinity War and Endgame. However, the time between the two movies’ releases will be longer this time around. He also revealed that the shooting for Doomsday would commence in the spring of next year, but they refused to inform Collider about the filming location.
When asked which Marvel characters will be a part of the next Avengers films, Joe, while not revealing anything specific, gave a carefully constructed response.
“The ambition is similar to Infinity War and Endgame. These are gonna be very, very big movies with a lot of characters in them and a lot of storylines coalescing, but we’re very excited about the stories. That’s why we came back because we felt like we had a really strong idea for what these movies should be, and we’re really happy with how they’re coming together right now.”
The Russo Brothers also stopped themselves from revealing the new cast members that are going to be a part of Doomsday and Secret Wars. But they did talk about how much time they had invested in the new characters. “It just makes their meaning and their resonance and their possibilities all that more powerful and intriguing and thrilling. So, yeah, when you have that emotional investment, it’s the thrill of a lifetime.”
The fact that both Doomsday and Secret Wars are being made on a similar scale to Infinity War and Endgame means that the Marvel fanbase should expect a large ensemble featuring various existing characters from the MCU, such as Doctor Strange, Captain America (Sam Wilson), Spider-Man, Thor, Black Panther (Shuri), the Fantastic Four, and more. This kind of ambition implies major events and surprises, much like what fans experienced with the previous two-part Avengers saga.
The Russo Brothers also teased that they are considering plenty of characters and storylines for the forthcoming Avengers projects. Their excitement about the storyline indicates that they have a clear, strong vision, which is promising for fans looking for action-packed, exhilarating, and interconnected plots. The focus on “emotional investment” hints that the films will not only have big action moments but also deep, character-driven arcs that resonate with fans. Stay tuned for more updates.