The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is set to embark on an exciting new chapter with the upcoming releases of *Avengers: Doomsday* and *Avengers: Secret Wars*. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo, in an interview with Brazilian outlet Omelete, have shared insights into how these films will diverge from their previous works, *Avengers: Infinity War* and *Avengers: Endgame*. The Russo brothers view these new Avengers movies as a "new beginning," setting the stage for the future of the MCU in Phase 7.
Joe Russo reflected on the journey, stating, "The greatest thing that ever happened is we got to get immersed in a 20-movie arc and see an ending to that arc. 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 Marvel universe, with Anthony Russo noting, "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 *Doomsday*, describing it as a "difficult" movie due to the high expectations placed on it to revive the theatergoing experience post-pandemic. Additionally, it was revealed that Marvel producer Kevin Feige suggested bringing back Robert Downey Jr. for *Doomsday*. Joe Russo shared, "That conversation was had a while ago, and Robert tried to talk us into doing it and we said no. 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 villains, saying, "The only thing I’ll say about the movie is this: we love villains who think they’re the heroes of their own stories. 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 scheduled to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, with *Secret Wars* following on May 2027. Fans will have to wait a bit longer to see the Russo brothers' latest creations unfold.
In related news, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has teased the integration of X-Men characters into the MCU in the "next few" movies. Speaking at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, Feige hinted, "I think you will see that continues in our next few movies with some X-Men players that you might recognize." He further elaborated on the role of the X-Men post-*Secret Wars*, saying, "Right after that, the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men. Again, [it’s] one of those dreams come true. We finally have the X-Men back."
Feige also emphasized the importance of the X-Men in the MCU's future beyond *Secret Wars*, stating, "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. 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, with Storm making her debut in the wider MCU in *What If...? Season 3*. Moreover, Marvel Studios has added three untitled movie projects to its 2028 release schedule: February 18, 2028; May 5, 2028; and November 10, 2028, with one of these likely to be an X-Men film.
