The future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is beginning to crystallize, with directors Anthony and Joe Russo providing insights into the upcoming films, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. In an interview with the Brazilian outlet Omelete, the Russo brothers described these films as a "new beginning" that will set the stage for the subsequent Phase 7 of the MCU.
Joe Russo reflected on the arc of the previous 20 movies, noting, "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?"
The duo also discussed their return to the MCU following Avengers: Endgame. 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."
Joe Russo highlighted the challenges of Doomsday, describing it as a "difficult" movie due to the high "expectations on it" to revive the theatrical experience post-pandemic. He also revealed that the return of Robert Downey Jr. was suggested by Marvel producer Kevin Feige. 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.’"
Who Will Be the New Avengers in the MCU?
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Joe Russo concluded the interview by emphasizing their focus on creating multi-dimensional villains, stating, "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 a year later on May 27, 2027, leaving fans eagerly anticipating the Russo brothers' latest contributions to the MCU.
Last year, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige hinted at the integration of X-Men characters into the MCU. During the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, Feige mentioned, "I think you will see that continues in our next few movies with some X-Men players that you might recognize," though he did not specify which characters or films.
Feige further elaborated on the role 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." He added that the X-Men will be a significant part of the MCU's trajectory post-Secret Wars, 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."
It appears that Phase 7 will be heavily influenced by the X-Men, with Storm making her debut in the wider MCU in What If...? Season 3. Additionally, Marvel Studios has scheduled three untitled movie projects for 2028, with release dates of February 18, May 5, and November 10, suggesting a potential standalone X-Men film.
