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

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is set to embark on a thrilling new chapter with the upcoming films Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo, who helmed the blockbuster successes Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, have provided intriguing insights into how these new films will differ from their previous works. In an interview with Brazilian outlet Omelete, the Russo brothers described Avengers 5 and Avengers 6 as a "new beginning," setting the stage for the next phase of the MCU, specifically Phase 7.

Joe Russo emphasized the unique position of these films within the MCU's narrative arc, stating, "The greatest thing that ever happened is we got to get immersed in a 20 movie arc and see an ending to that arc. 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?" This shift from closure to inception marks a significant transition for the franchise.

The Russo brothers also discussed their return to the Marvel universe. Anthony Russo shared, "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." This enthusiasm hints at a rejuvenated approach to storytelling within the MCU.

Joe Russo also touched on the challenges of Doomsday, noting it as a "difficult" movie due to the high "expectations on it" to revitalize the theatrical experience post-pandemic. Additionally, the Russos revealed that Marvel producer Kevin Feige proposed bringing back Robert Downey Jr. for Doomsday. Joe explained, "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 highlighting their approach to character development, particularly with 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, with Secret Wars following on May 2027. Fans will have to wait eagerly to see the Russo brothers' vision come to life.

In related news, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige teased the integration of X-Men characters into the MCU at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore. Feige mentioned that fans would see "some X-Men players that you might recognize" in upcoming films, without specifying which characters or projects. He further elaborated on the significance of the X-Men in the MCU's future, stating, "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 also emphasized the strategic planning behind the MCU's narrative trajectory, saying, "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 appears poised to be dominated by the X-Men, with Storm already making her debut in What If...? Season 3. Additionally, Marvel Studios has added three untitled movie projects to its 2028 release schedule, set for February 18, May 5, and November 10, with one likely to be an X-Men film.