The Russo Brothers, Anthony, and Joseph, are two of the most successful filmmakers of recent years and have been involved in some of the most successful Marvel iterations till date. This also includes 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, which resulted in a triumphant send-off for the director duo from the MCU, garnering almost $2.8 billion worldwide.
What’s more, back when the Russo Brothers were part of the MCU, it was effectively a golden bird for Marvel. Avengers: Endgame was the second-last movie of the MCU’s Phase III, and there has been considerable stagnancy ever since. Be it in the form of narrative problems, dwindling box office returns, or repetitive storytelling, there are simply a number of reasons why fans have not been as impressed with Marvel’s offerings over the past few years.
Recently, the Russo Brothers talked about the latter, suggesting that the MCU has not only been stuck in a rut of ‘repetitive storytelling,’ it might also be bordering on potential ‘franchise abuse.’
Russo Brothers will not be returning to the MCU with Avengers 6
Avengers 6, titled Secret Wars, at least for the time being, is said to include the presence of Galactus as its prime antagonist, taking over Thanos, whose saga was knitted together by the Russo brothers. Avengers 5, previously rumored to be titled The Kang Dynasty, will reportedly be helmed by Destin Daniel Cretton, although the movie and its narrative itself are up in smoke as things stand.
Regardless, as far as a potential return for the Russo Brothers is concerned, it does not seem to be on the cards. During an interview with GamesRadar+, Joe Russo said the following with respect to their future plans:
The intention is that we want to build our own Star Wars. For us, it’s all about the focus on original storytelling and new ideas. If anything, there’s been too much. I mean, I think you could argue we’re in a rut of repetitive storytelling and potential franchise abuse.
So, at a certain point, I think the audience is craving new ideas and new stories. And that’s where all of our focus is going post-Marvel – asking ‘what are those new stories?
That, effectively suggests that not only are the Russo brothers among the fans tired of the kind of narratives the MCU has chosen in the last few years, they have no plans of making a return. Instead, the director-duo is looking to work on original ideas and wish to work on their version of Star Wars.
The Arrested Development creators are currently looking forward to the release of The Electric State, and are also expected to work on the live-action adaptation of Hercules.
The Russo Brothers’ thoughts on recent MCU narratives are similar to those of fans
There is little doubt that the two were able to decipher the exact reasons why the MCU has seemed to suffer in recent years. Since Avengers: Endgame, there has been a clear sense of stagnancy with respect to various aspects of the MCU.
The currently ongoing multiversal saga has seen The Scarlet Witch turning into a villain, while the disaster surrounding Jonathan Majors’ depiction of Kang has further derailed plans. The Marvels failed to make the kind of impact previous Captain Marvel movies did, while the introduction of Sam Wilson as the new Captain America in Brave New World has also till now failed to generate the kind of hype that was expected.
The most obvious successes for Marvel have come in the form of X-Men ’97, Loki, and What If…?, and much depends on how Deadpool & Wolverine will do at the box office. The Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman-starrer is not only going to see the return of some iconic faces, it will also introduce a host of mutants in the mainstream MCU.
Hence, while the MCU finally seems intent on moving to new and original ideas, there is no doubt that currently, there is a perceived sense of stagnancy when it comes to multiple major characters. That needs to especially when Marvel simply has a wealth of IP to take inspiration from.
The majority of the MCU’s offerings can be watched on Disney+.
