The Russo Brothers directed some of the most successful films in the history of cinema with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, but the pressure is much more intense going into Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
is a machine, with more than a dozen movies that have racked up well over a billion dollars each. And as impressive as this spectacular feat is, it does mean that the latest movies have all been intensely scrutinized and compared to the best of the franchise.
However, with the Russo’s returning to the MCU after their monumental success at the end of the Infinity Saga, expectations are infinitely higher ahead of the Multiverse Saga’s end. However, things are different now, with an entire new chapter of the MCU having been explored and the Russo’s stepping away for an extended period. And after the comments from the Russo’s about the Herculean task that is directing Doomsday and Secret Wars, it’s clearer than ever how big this challenge really is.
The Russo Brothers’ Comments On The Pressures Of Making Avengers Movies Add Some Real Perspective On The Multi-Billion Dollar Film Series
The Russo’s Know Exactly What They Are Getting Into With Avengers: Doomsday & Avengers: Secret Wars
The Russo’s are incredible visionary directors who, when entrusted with directing the final confrontation between the Avengers and Thanos, managed to create two films that not only shattered several records at the box office, but Endgame literally became the highest-grossing film of all time. Admittedly, the movie was knocked off the top spot when Avatar got a re-release in theaters, but it still stands out as the only movie to ever come so close to $3 billion after a single theatrical release. And now that they are back in the H๏τ seat, they are very aware of the weight on their shoulders.
“pressure and fear usually make for very poor decision-making,”
Fortunately, Joe and Anthony Russo are both doing all they can to get ahead of the pressure, and trying to avoid the whirling speculation and mounting expectations. And the truth is, this same pressure is almost certainly weighing on everyone involved in making the film. This is the sequel to the two highest-grossing superhero movies of all time. It’s the culmination of nearly 20 years of the MCU, and there are a lot of moving parts that need to be managed.
Avengers: Endgame’s Success Puts More Pressure Than Ever On Those Who Are Involved
The Legacy Of Endgame Is A Lot To Live Up To
Avengers: Endgame also succeeded in more ways than just being a financial hit. The three-hour movie managed to successfully resolve a story that was building over nearly two dozen films that led up to it. It needed to include a huge number of heroes and characters from all of these entries, as well as provide a satisfying and meaningful conclusion for the Infinity Saga. And the response from fans and critics was out of this world.
While most superhero movies don’t manage to break out of their niche, and are typically relegated as a lower tier of cinema, Avengers: Endgame broke through barriers. It wasn’t the first superhero movie to be nominated, and in fact others had won their categories at the Academy Awards before, but Avengers: Endgame earned a spot at Awards season while still being unapologetically a superhero story. And if Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars don’t manage to replicate this success, in terms of box office, reviews, awards, and more, then it will undoubtedly be called a failure by some.
Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars Seem To Be In An Impossible Situation Following Up On Endgame Without All Of Its Setup
The Multiverse Saga Is A Completely Different Beast To The Infinity Saga
None of this is helped by the fact that Avengers: Infinity War had a decade to work towards its finale, and nearly two dozen movies. Meanwhile, The Multiverse Saga saw the first films released in 2021, and there will be a total of 14 movies that release prior to Avengers: Doomsday in 2026. That means that with half the time, significantly fewer movies, and zero Avengers movies in between, Doomsday and Secret Wars are expected to deliver a satisfying conclusion to a story that is, by all accounts, so much more vast, spread out, and disorganized.
If that sounds like an impossible task, it’s because it’s about as close to an impossible task as it could possibly be. Yes, there have been some crossovers, there have been new Marvel TV shows, and even Special Presentations. But with no Avengers movies in between to bring these characters into closer contact, Doomsday will likely be the first time most of the heroes meet. The Russo Brothers have their work cut out for them with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, but they did pull off something seemingly impossible with Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027