“What You Don’t Want Is Infinity War And Endgame 2.0”: Anthony Mackie Addresses Marvel’s Upcoming Avengers Movies And How The MCU Can Possibly Outdo Their $4.8B Success

Captain America star Anthony Mackie acknowledges the mᴀssive challenge that lies in outdoing Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame in Phase 6. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame are record-breaking MCU movies that wrapped up the Infinity Saga with a bang, gathering all major characters introduced across the MCU’s first three phases and providing some of them with an appropriate farewell. Now, Marvel Studios’ upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars aim to achieve a similar feat at the end of the Multiverse Saga, this time with the threat of Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom looming over the multiverse.

In an interview with Esquire, Captain America: Brave New World‘s Anthony Mackie addresses the inherent difficulty of following up on Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame‘s groundbreaking success with the even more ambitious Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Mackie praises the directors behind all four of these movies, Joe and Anthony Russo, and indicates he trusts their talent. Read Anthony Mackie’s full comments below:

“What you don’t want is Infinity War and Endgame 2.0. The Russos, they’re so smart, and they have such a hold on this universe and the history and the comic books that I know they have an idea. I mean, they better have an idea. I don’t know how you put all those people onscreen together and make it work.”

What Anthony Mackie’s Avengers: Doomsday And Secret Wars Comments Mean

Avengers: Infinity War And Endgame Left The Bar Too High


RDJ unmasked in the Iron Man armor from Avengers: Endgame and Doctor Doom from 2005's Fantastic Four movie
Custom image by Sam MacLennan

Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame are two mᴀssive feats inherently difficult to replicate. Both MCU movies feature crowds of beloved character portrayals who returned for a final battle against Thanos soon after their biggest solo appearances during the franchise’s prime. While the Multiverse Saga has offered behemoths like Spider-Man: No Way Home and ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, it has also slipped up with a few box office flops such as The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The Multiverse Saga has no defined Avengers team, and no character has received the same level of prominence as Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man or Chris Evans’ Captain America.

Regardless of how well executed Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars could be, it will certainly be a challenge to match Avengers: Infinity War‘s $2.048-billion and Avengers: Endgame‘s $2.799-billion records. On the bright side, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will be directed by the Russo brothers, who not only helmed Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, but also Captain America: Civil War and Captain America: The Winter Soldier — two of the most popular installments in the MCU’s Infinity Saga. Joe and Anthony Russo have built strong relationships with Marvel Studios and each MCU actor, and they have followed the franchise since its early days.

Our Take On Anthony Mackie’s Avengers: Doomsday And Secret Wars Comments

Avengers: Doomsday And Secret Wars Will Probably Succeed, But They Need Something More

If there’s anyone who understands how to create a successful MCU crossover event, it’s Joe and Anthony Russo. The Russo bros.’ Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame brought together dozens of characters, all at different points in their MCU journey, and pushed their individual and collective stories in new directions. Still, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars can’t mirror Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame beat for beat. Both Phase 6 movies must find the right balance between familiar fanfare and groundbreaking storytelling in order to succeed.

Source: Esquire

Upcoming MCU Movies




  • Captain America- Brave New World - Poster

    Captain America: Brave New World

    Release Date

    February 14, 2025








  • Thunderbolts (2025) Official Poster

    Thunderbolts*

    Release Date

    May 2, 2025








  • Fantastic Four 2025 Valentines Day Poster Featuring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps

    Release Date

    July 25, 2025








  • Avengers 5 Concept Poster

    Avengers: Doomsday (2026)









  • Spider-Man Homecoming Mondo Poster

    Spider-Man Homecoming 4

    Release Date

    July 24, 2026








  • Avengers: Secret Wars

    Release Date

    May 7, 2027





Related Posts

10 Movies That Went Way, Way Too Far

10 Movies That Went Way, Way Too Far

This article contains mentions of Sєxual ᴀssault. Movie magic can bring any reality to life, limited only by imagination. From dinosaurs in a theme park to an…

Why Smoke Tells Sammie To Bury The Guitar In Sinners (& What It Means That He Doesn’t)

Why Smoke Tells Sammie To Bury The Guitar In Sinners (& What It Means That He Doesn’t)

Sinners‘ reign as the presumptive best movie of 2025 continues, with it having arrived on streaming via HBO Max, offering fans more chances to analyze its most…

Two-Time Oscar-Nominated Actor, 71, Cut From Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Two-Time Oscar-Nominated Actor, 71, Cut From Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which arrives in theaters this month, will have one less actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. After years of waiting to…

The Leader Of The Avengers In Doomsday Revealed (And It’s Not Sam Wilson)

The Leader Of The Avengers In Doomsday Revealed (And It’s Not Sam Wilson)

Avengers: Doomsday will feature a new leader for the Marvel Cinematic Universe team, and it will seemingly not be Captain America. The MCU’s 2025 movies have hit…

Mamma Mia! Review: Joyful & Chaotic, It’s Easy To Overlook The Problems With Mamma Mia! & Enjoy The Sometimes Nonsensical Ride

Mamma Mia! Review: Joyful & Chaotic, It’s Easy To Overlook The Problems With Mamma Mia! & Enjoy The Sometimes Nonsensical Ride

Like all romantic comedies, Mamma Mia! isn’t for everyone, and anyone turning on the 2008 movie musical is well aware of what they’re getting into. Overflowing with…

Doctor Doom’s Movie Debut Works Surprisingly Well Despite The 27% Rotten Tomatoes Score

Doctor Doom’s Movie Debut Works Surprisingly Well Despite The 27% Rotten Tomatoes Score

Given its less than stellar Rotten Tomatoes rating – and overall reception – I’m surprised at how effectively 2005’s Fantastic Four managed to introduce the first version…