Joe and Anthony Russo's return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is like a hard reset for both Marvel and the directing duo. After the two helmed Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, they went on to direct one-off action movies like Cherry and The Gray Man, both of which failed to reach the level of buzz as their Marvel titles. Meanwhile, the post-Endgame MCU struggled to adjust to the universe’s new reality — half the world’s population was Blipped out of existence, an event that completely changed day-to-day life.
The MCU appeared to have a plan in place with Avengers: Kang Dynasty, but after the unceremonious firing of Jonathan Majors, the story was forced to go back to the drawing board. Finally, at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios president announced the return of the Russos, Marvel’s prodigal sons, as well as the names of their two projects: Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. But just what brought them back, and what’s ahead for the MCU? The answer may be the good sign fans are hoping for.
