The Russo Bros. have done alright for themselves in their post-MCU careers, thanks to their relationship with streaming services. While the Tom Holland vehicle “Cherry” made barely any ripples on AppleTV+ last year, their Amazon Prime show “Citadel” has a lot of hype. And their partnership with Netflix has been solid as well. “The Gray Man” hits theaters this weekend and the streamer next weekend, and there’s a sequel to their 2020 actioner “Extraction” on the way, too.
But when most moviegoers think of Anthony and Joe Russo, they think of “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame,” the two mega-blockbusters they helmed that served as the climax to the MCU’s first three phrases. And the same questions are asked about the Russos and a future reunion with Marvel Studios: will it ever happen, and will it involve the pair making “Secret Wars“? At the LA premiere for “The Gray Man” last night, Deadline asked The Russos again about their dream Marvel project and whether or not it’s a possibility. Their response? According to Joe, the answer is what it’s always been: if things line up, they’d love to do it, but many of those factors are out of their hands, and it’s a big, big story to make into a movie.
“Our love for Marvel is based on the books we read as kids, and the books we fell in love with,” explained Joe in the video interview Deadline released on Twitter. “The one series that we adored growing up was “Secret Wars.” It’s incredibly ambitious, bigger than “Infinity War” and “Endgame,” but it’s a massive undertaking. And those two movies were very hard to make, so: try to imagine making movies even bigger than those two. We’re going to have to see about that.” So, in other words, if the opportunity arises, the Russos would be interested, but the sheer magnitude of the story makes them a little wary. And who’s to say “Secret Wars” is the story that Phase 4 and other future Marvel films set up? Phase 4 has laid many foundations but doesn’t have a real sense of direction: a lot of content but not a clear overarching storyline.
For those unfamiliar with “Secret Wars,” the original limited series ran in Marvel comics in 1984-1985. The crossover event had The Beyonder, a cosmic entity curious about Earth and its superheroes, build a planet called Battleworld, where he’d pit Marvel heroes and villains against each other. The story had lots of twists and turns, with heroes teaming up with villains and vice versa, and the scale of it is vast, well beyond that of “Infinity War” and “Endgame.” In short, it’s a Marvel fan’s dream for that storyline to make it to the big screen, but no guarantee that will ever happen.
But if “Secret Wars” does get the green light as a movie, the Russos will consider making them regardless of the story’s massive scale. Of course, who knows what direction the MCU heads in right now. Does Kevin Feige even know? There are so many shows, new characters, and storylines that it feels like a lead-up to a limited series as big as “Secret Wars” would take years, even a decade-plus, at this point. Marvel fans will have to wait and see.