Avengers: Secret Wars co-director Anthony Russo rejected the movie at first
'Avengers: Secret Wars' co-director Anthony Russo initially didn't want to helm the movie.
Anthony Russo initially turned down the idea of directing âAvengers: Secret Warsâ.
The filmmaker is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with his directing brother Joe Russo and screenwriter Steven McFeely for âAvengers: Doomsdayâ and its sequel âAvengers: Secret Warsâ, though Joe has revealed Anthony initially wasnât a fan of the idea of helming the follow-up blockbuster.
Joe told Empire magazine: "There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story.
"I remember calling Steve and said, âHey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do âSecret Wars?â
"[Anthony] was like, âF*** no. Absolutely not.â And then you hung up. And the next morning at 7:30 you called and were like, âAlright, I have an idea.â"
Anthony added he and Joe "stumbled upon an idea" that got the wheels turning on âSecret Warsâ.
He explained: "Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon an idea that activated all of us.
"You couldnât see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, âWell, thatâs a story we need to tell.â"
The directing siblings started their MCU journey in 2014 with âCaptain America: The Winter Soldierâ, and went on to helm its sequel âCaptain America: Civil Warâ, as well as âAvengers: Infinity Warâ before exiting the franchise following 2019âs âAvengers: Endgameâ and they werenât planning to return to the series for the upcoming projects.
Anthony noted: "âEndgameâ was the end, and it took a little time for us to begin to think about it as something other than an end."
The moviemaking pair had remained in contact with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and franchise executive producer Lou DâEsposito, and had discussed "a lot of ideas" for potential films.
Anthony continued: "Weâre very close with Kevin and Lou and the entire Marvel team and weâve had conversations through the years. Weâve talked about a lot of ideas."
âAvengers: Doomsdayâ will reintroduce Robert Downey Jr. - who had fronted the MCU as Iron Man until the characterâs heroic sacrifice in âEndgameâ - as the dreaded Doctor Doom, while the new Avengers are forced to do all they can from allowing the villain from enacting his sinister plans.
Meanwhile, it was previously confirmed Anthony Mackieâs Captain America, Tom Hollandâs Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four team - consisting of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) - would all be returning for âDoomsdayâ.
As for other stars, it has also been rumoured that former Captain America actor Chris Evans and Ana de Armas were both lined up for roles in the 2026 blockbuster, though their supposed parts in the film are currently unknown.