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Joe and Anthony Russo are returning, along with Robert Downey Jr., to make Marvel great again. The trio was responsible for ending the MCU as we knew it with Avengers: Endgame. There’s actually a case to be made the MCU ended with Infinity War. Maybe we’re still waiting for them to come back from The Snap.
Since the release of Endgame, the MCU hasn’t been the same. It’s suffered from weak storytelling in favor of pushing an agenda.
Most of the movies haven’t been successful, and Disney+ viewership has dropped—so much so that the highly anticipated Daredevil: Born Again is among the least-watched MCU shows on the platform. Fans have also voted with their wallets, with Captain America: Brave New World ranking among the lowest-performing MCU films at the box office. The numbers don’t lie.
That all looks to change—hopefully—with the return of the Russos and Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Doomsday. Following the MCU’s post-Endgame decline under Kevin Feige, he’s been forced to shift away from the previous storyline centered on Kang and DEI-driven characters. Instead, the focus now appears to be on a soft reboot of the MCU, with Downey Jr. returning as Doctor Doom.
What did the Russos say?
Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars are a beginning
Speaking with The Omelete while promoting the release of their new Netflix movie, The Electric State, Joe and Anthony Russo revealed Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars are actually the start of something new in the MCU and not the end:
“What’s compelling about these two new Avengers movies is they’re a beginning. It’s a new beginning. We told an ending story, now we’re going to tell a beginning story.”
Loose inspiration of the comics
They also added that their films won’t be strictly adapting the comics, as Secret Wars was an event released by Marvel Comics in 1984 and then again in 2015:
“Well, we always create our own version of the story. So, we use the comics as loose inspiration.”
“But, you know, I grew up on the original run. That’s something that got me into Marvel comic books. The Hickman run is also fantastic [and they’re] very different from each other in a lot of ways, so we’ll draw inspiration from both of them.”
“Needs to be more of a central narrative”
In a separate interview, speaking with The Times, they said their new Avengers movies will be more focused-driven. As The Times notes, “The commitment to storytelling has fallen off a cliff, and convoluted plots have taken root.”
The Russos respond:
“Yes, the MCU has got quite large, that’s for sure. I mean, frankly, we struggle with that same issue. But part of the reason Joe and I decided to go back is exactly what you’re talking about. There needs to be more of a central narrative. That was something we were very specific about when we worked with Marvel [before]. We would like to bring the focused narrative back.
Robert Downey Jr. is Doctor Doom
They also tease the return of Robert Downey Jr.:
“We can’t explain that as it’s part of the story. But there’s nobody else in the world who could play this character the way he’s about to.”
What will the MCU reboot be like?
We can only guess what the MCU reboot will look like, but it will likely be a soft reboot. That means the new MCU could feature a mix of original actors and characters, new actors taking over familiar roles, and entirely new characters introduced into the universe.
For example, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars could introduce new actors and characters, such as the X-Men. After Secret Wars, Tom Holland might continue as Spider-Man, along with Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, and others.
However, we could also see new actors take on the roles of Iron Man and Captain America, as Marvel may go the “James Bond” route—keeping the same characters but recasting them with fresh faces.
Of course, whether they do things right is another story. If it’s a mess like the MCU has been post-Endgame from Feige and full of the agenda, it will all be for nothing.
Release info
Avengers: Doomsday gets released on May 1, 2026; Avengers: Secret Wars hits theaters May 7, 2027.
(Note: Robert Downey Jr. wearing a “Make Marvel Great Again” hat is fan art)
“}]] The Russos and Robert Downey Jr. return for Avengers: Doomsday, teasing a soft MCU reboot and hinting at Downey possibly playing Doctor Doom. Read More