Marvel Fans Call Out the Russos Over AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY "Phase Zero" Comments: "Marvel Never Learns"
While Marvel fans wait for that overdue Avengers: Doomsday trailer to be released, an old comment from the Russo Bros. has suddenly become the center of a heated online debate, and is giving fans something to complain about.
Back in June, Anthony Russo and Joe Russo appeared at SXSW London, where Marvel teased that something special was coming. Fans, already hoping for a first look at Avengers: Doomsday, were left disappointed when the big reveal turned out to be a Doctor Doom-themed coffee shop takeover instead.
The directors did spend time discussing the movie during their panel, though, and one particular comment has come back to haunt them.
Joe Russo described Avengers: Doomsday as "Phase Zero" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, explaining that the movie "is starting over from scratch. We want to make sure everybody feels like this isn’t leaning on anything from the past."
At the time, the quote didn’t cause much of a stir. Fast forward a few weeks, add in growing impatience over the missing trailer, and suddenly Marvel fans are looking at those comments with a lot more skepticism.
The original question that prompted Russo's answer centered on Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU, this time as Doctor Doom instead of Tony Stark. Marvel has remained completely silent about how, or if, those two characters are connected, repeatedly asking fans to wait until the movie arrives.
Unfortunately for the Russos, that's exactly where some fans think the logic starts falling apart.
One fan posted: "Joe Russo trying to look us dead in the eyes and say ‘we’re not leaning on anything from the past’ while literally casting Robert Downey Jr. to play the main villain is a level of gaslighting that deserves an Academy Award.”
Another fan questioned the entire premise: "But isn’t the whole movie about the past information and all the past characters??" They continued: "You have the old X-Men, Avengers, and old Fox characters coming back, but it’s not about the past."
Honestly... it's easy to see why people are raising an eyebrow. Marvel is bringing back Downey in arguably the biggest casting surprise for the film. Chris Evans is also set to return, and the movie reunites several actors from the Fox X-Men films, many of whom haven't played those characters in well over a decade.
That's a lot of nostalgia packed into one movie. So when fans hear someone say the film isn’t leaning on the past, it sounds a little hard to swallow.
At the same time, Russo's comments aren't completely without merit. While Avengers: Doomsday is clearly built on years of MCU storytelling and decades of Marvel Comics history, it also appears to be launching the franchise into completely new territory.
Comic books have always reinvented familiar characters, reshuffled timelines, and introduced alternate versions of heroes and villains. That's practically part of Marvel's DNA.
Downey isn't returning to play Iron Man again. He's creating an entirely different version of one of Marvel's greatest villains, and whatever connection exists between Doom and Stark, Marvel is betting that it will surprise audiences instead of simply replaying old hits.
The movie itself also appears to revolve around incursions and colliding universes, creating team-ups and conflicts the MCU hasn't tackled before. Familiar faces may be returning, but they'll be stepping into a story that's trying to chart a new course rather than simply recreate Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers: Endgame.
Whether fans buy that explanation is another story. Right now, Marvel finds itself walking a very fine line. The studio wants audiences to get excited about beloved actors returning while also convincing everyone this isn't just another nostalgia play. That's a difficult balancing act, especially when your biggest marketing hook is bringing back Robert Downey Jr.
Hopefully, Avengers: Doomsday delivers a story that proves the Russos right. We'll find out when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18.