Russo Brothers: Avengers' Doomsday and Secret Wars Mark MCU's New Beginning

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is poised for a thrilling new chapter with the upcoming releases of *Avengers: Doomsday* and *Avengers: Secret Wars*. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo, who helmed the previous blockbuster hits *Avengers: Infinity War* and *Avengers: Endgame*, have shared their vision for these films in an interview with Brazilian outlet Omelete. They described the new movies as a "new beginning" that will set the stage for the future of the MCU in Phase 7.

Joe Russo expressed enthusiasm about transitioning from the conclusion of a 20-movie arc to launching a fresh narrative. "The greatest thing that ever happened is we got to get immersed in a 20 movie arc and see an ending to that arc," he said. "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 Russo brothers also discussed their return to the MCU. Anthony Russo revealed, “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 *Avengers: Doomsday*, noting the high expectations to revitalize the cinema experience post-pandemic. He also shared that Marvel producer Kevin Feige proposed bringing back Robert Downey Jr. for the film. "That conversation was had a while ago, and Robert tried to talk us into doing it and we said no," Joe said. "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 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," he said. "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 to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, with *Avengers: Secret Wars* following closely on May 2027. Fans will need to be patient as they await the Russo brothers' latest offerings.

In addition to the new Avengers films, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has hinted at the integration of X-Men characters into the MCU. Speaking at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, Feige teased that "some X-Men players that you might recognize" will appear in the "next few" MCU movies, though he remained coy about specifics.

Feige elaborated on the role of the X-Men in the MCU's future, particularly post-*Secret Wars*. "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," he said. "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 of the MCU will be heavily influenced by the X-Men. In the meantime, fans have already seen Storm make her MCU debut in *What If...? Season 3*.

Marvel Studios has also added three untitled movie projects to its 2028 release schedule: February 18, 2028; May 5, 2028; and November 10, 2028. There is growing speculation that one of these slots might be reserved for an X-Men film, further solidifying the mutants' pivotal role in the MCU's future narrative.