AVENGERS: ENDGAME Director Joe Russo Says Marvel Doesn't Really Have a Plan For The MCU

Joe Russo, the co-director behind several Marvel films including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers Endgame, has revealed that there’s never been a set plan for the MCU!

Over the years there’s been a lot of talk about how Marvel Studios is so good at planning out their films. We’ve all just assumed that they’ve got this grand plan for their movies that are worked out years in advance. But, apparently, that’s not the case!

Russo recently told Deadline at the Sands International Film Festival of St. Andrews in Scotland:

"The way it works at Marvel, and I'm sure at some point somebody will talk in detail about this, but part of [Marvel Studios president] Kevin [Feige]'s brilliance is that there isn’t really a plan.”

He went on to explain:

"There's an idea, but you can't have a plan if the movie you’re making tanks. There’s no plan after that. Right? So, it's really about, as the movie succeeded, there was sort of an enthusiasm about well, what else could we do? And then that's when new ideas would come out, And there was hopes. Oh, we hope one day that we can get to the story, if we keep doing this right maybe we could all get there, you know, like Infinity War and Endgame. But a lot of the stuff was made up in between the movies. And some of the best call forwards or callbacks were thought of after the fact."

Russo offered an example, saying that the decision to have Bucky Barnes a.k.a. The Winter Solider responsible for the deaths of Tony Stark's parents was only "happenstance". But, it ended up being a major plot point in Captain America: Civil War, which drove a wedge between the Avengers.

That’s interesting to hear, and to get some actual real insight into what Marvel’s process is. It’s not what a lot of fans thought it was. But, whatever they’re doing works for the most part.