The Russo Brothers may view “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” as a complete two-film statement, or, as they put it in a recent SXSW London appearance, the two movies form a “complete expression” for one another. But they might not be ready to declare the latter their Marvel swan song. And that possibility carries a little more weight following a recent rumor that the filmmakers are already developing another “Avengers” movie.
During a Deadline conversation at the event, asked directly whether they could continue making Marvel films after “Secret Wars,” Anthony Russo initially pointed to “Avengers: Endgame,” which the brothers had similarly intended as the conclusion of the story they began with “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”
“When we did ‘Endgame,’ of course, we [thought] we’ve completed—it was our fourth Marvel film—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,” Anthony said. “And 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.”
But Anthony stopped short of describing “Secret Wars” as the end of the Russos’ relationship with Marvel Studios.
“Whether or not we all collaborate with Marvel beyond that is certainly a possibility,” he added. “But right now, the vision, the narrative vision, is just through ‘Secret Wars’ at this point.”
Joe Russo followed with a joke about the physical toll that making two more enormous “Avengers” movies might take on them: “We’re just going to wait and see what we look like in photos in 2028, and then we’ll let you know.”
On its own, “certainly a possibility” could simply be standard Hollywood door-leaving-open language. But fansite The Cosmic Circus recently claimed that the Russos are already developing another “Avengers” movie beyond the two currently announced (something that some other insiders have suggested is true: more potential Marvel for Russos). The report suggested the project could either be an additional installment or the result of “Secret Wars” being divided into two films.
The rumor remains unverified, and nothing in the Russos’ comments confirms that another movie is already underway. Still, Anthony’s answer makes the prospect sound more credible than an entirely baseless piece of speculation.
The brothers also addressed the cryptic green image they posted on Instagram, which quickly generated an avalanche of theories about “Doomsday.” According to Joe, at least one fan correctly deciphered what they were teasing.
“I don’t want to give anything away, but one of those theories was right,” Joe said. “Just one.”
“The reason that Anthony and I came back to do two more of these movies is because we love the audience, and we love the audience’s experience of these movies,” Joe stressed. “We just want to create another really, really, really big tent to try and invite as many people around the world into that tent to have another experience like they did with us last time.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Joe argued that Hollywood’s relentless supply of conventional film and television content has made an evolution in storytelling necessary.
“There has to be an evolution now because we are arguably running it into the ground, right?” he said. “And so, where else can it go, and how else can we explore it, and what other ways can we explore it?”
Joined by former “Fortnite” creative chief Donald Mustard, now a partner at the Russos’ AGBO, the filmmakers discussed bringing linear and interactive storytelling closer together. Mustard also said Mustard was involved while the brothers were “figuring out what” the story of “Doomsday” would be, indicating that his role has extended directly into the development of the Marvel blockbuster, but how specifically, they didn’t say.
The Russos remain at work on “Doomsday,” with Joe saying they expect to continue until the film is effectively taken out of their hands in November. “Secret Wars,” meanwhile, is already in what the brothers consider pre-production.
“Avengers: Doomsday” opens December 18, 2026, followed by “Avengers: Secret Wars” on December 17, 2027. Watch the entire SXSW London conversation below.
Rodrigo Perez is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Playlist, which he launched in 2008. He has worked in entertainment journalism since 2000, including at MTV, and has written for SPIN, IndieWire, Pitchfork, Complex, Magnet, and various music, film, and entertainment publications over the past two decades.
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