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Posted on by Chloe James Leave a comment
We have some good news for diehard Marvel fans: the Russo Brothers may finally return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The past five years have been a roller coaster for the MCU. Fresh off the record-breaking success that was Avengers: Endgame(2019) – which briefly held the title of the highest-grossing film of all time – the franchise has struggled to retain the same success, leading to some patchy results at the box office.
For every hit like Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), there’s been a less-than-explosive release likeThe Marvels(2023) (which is officially Marvel’s biggest flop of all time) and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). The studio’s silver screen efforts have been just as inconsistent, with the likes ofSecret Invasionand She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawfailing to impress critics and fans alike.
There’s a long list of explanations for Marvel’s recent track record. For one, the studio has dramatically increased its output since the debut of Disney+, which has stretched its attention too thin (something both Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger have acknowledged).
Related: Chris Hemsworth Knows Why ‘Ant-Man 3’ Flopped
That leads to another potential factor: superhero fatigue. Between Marvel and the DC, the box office has been flooded with superhero content in recent years, ultimately making each release less exciting than the last.
Several creatives involved in the superhero film industry have quashed this idea. Most recently, Joe Russo and Anthony Russo – the directors who led Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: Civil War (2016), and both Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame – claimed to Games Radar that superhero fatigue isn’t an issue and that Marvel’s recent declinecomes down to a “generational divide.”
There’s a generation that’s used to appointment viewing and going to a theater on a certain date to see something, but it’s aging out. Meanwhile the new generation are ‘I want it now, I want to process it now’, then moving onto the next thing, which they process whilst doing two other things at the same time.
You know, it’s a very different moment in time than it’s ever been. And so I think everyone, including Marvel, is experiencing the same thing, this transition. And I think that really is probably what’s at play more than anything else.
Related: Marvel Introducing New Black Panther
These comments from the Russo Brothers are interesting, considering that many blame Marvel’s decline on its lack of storytelling focus since Endgame – which, coincidentally, is when the sibling duo left the Marvel Cinematic Universe and started focusing on their own production company, AGBO.
However, if recent news is anything to go by, that could be about to change, as it seems like the Russo Brothers are on board for Captain America: Brave New World (2025).
The film’s editor, Matthew Schmidt, recently updated his film credits, and both Joe and Anthony’s names are included next to the fourth Captain America installment (which will notably be the first since the duo left Marvel).
Related: ‘Spider-Man 4’ Canceled? Tom Holland Blames ‘No Way Home’
For now, we have no official confirmation from Marvel or the Russos, so take this with a grain of salt. The brothers previously told Variety that they “won’t be ready to do anything with Marvel until the end of the decade.”
The Russos are such an integral part of the Captain America franchise, so if they really are returning to the MCU, it makes sense that this would be the project to bring them back. Brave New World – which has reportedly undergone a massive refocus during reshoots – is a pivotal moment for the franchise, marking the first Marvel movie in which Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is not Captain America.
Related: Robert Downey Jr. Confirms He Will Return as Iron Man
Instead, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson will take over the mantle, having been gifted the shield by Steve at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Mackie recently compared the film to The Winter Soldier, the first Marvel film directed by the Russo Brothers.
“This movie is a clear reset,” Mackie explained to Entertainment Weekly. “It really reestablishes the idea of what this universe is and what this universe is going to be. I think with these movies, you’re getting a clear, new branding of what Marvel is headed towards the same way they did with Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”
Would you like to see the Russo Brothers return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
