Russo Bros. Say AVENGERS: SECRET WARS is the Endgame For Their MCU Return... For Now
Marvel fans hoping The Russo Bros. might stick around for more Avengers movies after their upcoming return may want to temper those expectations.
While speaking at Deadline Studios during SXSW London, Anthony Russo and Joe Russo offered an update on where things stand with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, while also addressing whether they have plans to continue making Avengers films beyond that.
The directing duo, joined by longtime collaborator Donald Mustard, confirmed that they are currently deep into post-production on Doomsday while simultaneously gearing up for pre-production on Secret Wars. The films are currently scheduled to hit theaters in December 2026 and December 2027.
For Anthony Russo, returning to Marvel wasn’t about opening the door to another decade-long run. Instead, it was about telling a specific story.
Reflecting on the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, he explained: “When we did Endgame we were like, we’ve completed it. It was our fourth Marvel film though. We had completed a story arc that we began in the Winter Soldier and for us it was very much intended to be an ending.”
He went on to clarify that their current focus is entirely centered on the two upcoming films: “So, I will say this. The stories that we’re focused on now are complete.
“Doomsday and Secret Wars speak with one another as two films and they form a complete expression. Whether or not we all collaborate with Marvel beyond that is certainly a possibility, but right now, the vision, the narrative vision is just for Secret Wars.”
That doesn’t sound like a hard no to future MCU projects, but it certainly doesn’t sound like there are plans for another Avengers saga beyond Secret Wars at the moment.
Joe Russo added a little humor when discussing what comes after 2027, joking: “We’re going to see what we look like in photos in 2028 and then we’ll let you know.”
As for where production currently stands, the filmmaker revealed they’re juggling both movies at once: “We are doing some work still on Doomsday and will be until probably they rip it out of our hands in November and that just means they have to give it to other people, to finish it for a few weeks, and then we’re in the middle of what we would call pre-production… we like doing many things at the same time.”
The Russo Bros. are once again partnering with Marvel Studios through their production company AGBO, continuing a relationship that has produced some of the MCU’s biggest hits, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Endgame.
Anthony Russo spoke highly of that ongoing partnership, saying: “Our relationship with Marvel has built over many years now and there’s been a very fruitful relationship. We’ve done some of our best work with Marvel. We really value the relationship and I think they really value what we have brought to the MCU.”
One of the more intriguing updates came from Donald Mustard, the former Fortnite creator and former Epic Games Chief Creative Officer. While he didn’t reveal specific details, he hinted that interactive elements tied to Avengers: Doomsday may be part of the plan.
Pointing to the surprise success of Backrooms, based on Kane Parsons’ viral internet mythology, Russo said: “Backrooms is really interesting because it was a mythology created collectively on the internet that then turned into a collective mythology that then turned into a film that did astronomically well. I think its just a taste of where this can all go.”
For now, though, all eyes remain on Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. According to the Russos, those two films are designed to function as one complete story.
Whether they return for more Marvel adventures after that remains an open question, but at this point, it sounds like Secret Wars is the finish line they're focused on crossing.