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In the summer of 2024, the announcement about Robert Downey Jr’s return to the MCU as Doctor Doom shook up fans and everyone at Disney and Marvel Studios. But while this announcement got people hyped for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s even more important news—the return of the Russo Brothers.
Known for directing a few of the biggest Marvel movies of all time, Anthony and Joe Russo announced their return to direct the next twoAvengersfilms—DoomsdayandSecret Wars. Now, while this might get you excited, just know that it all happened after their frequent screenwriting collaborator Stephen McFeely initially hung up on the Russo Brothers.
Stumbling upon the right idea activated the Russo Brothers’ interest
SinceAvengers: Endgame, it seemed like the Russo Brothers were moving on, with no interest in returning to direct any other Marvel movies. Although they had maintained close contact with everyone at the studios, Anthony and Joe Russo toldEmpiremagazine that the team lacked a solid storyline that would encourage them to return.
“RDJ basically saved Tom’s entire career”: We Are Lucky Robert Downey Jr. Forced Russo Brothers to Change Their Detrimental Decision About Tom Holland’s MCU Debut as Spider-Man
But then surprisingly, following Jonathan Majors’ exit as Kang, as the team under Marvel Studios began planning for something new, they found an idea that sparked Anthony and Joe Russo’s interest. During their interview with the outlet, the duo mentioned how “stumbling upon an idea” revived their excitement to helm theupcomingAvengersprojects.
Endgame was the end, and it took a little time for us to begin to think about it as something other than an end. We’re very close with Kevin and Lou, and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas.
Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon an idea that activated all of us. You couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’
Although Anthony and Joe Russo refrained from revealing what the idea was that sparked their interest, the brothers mentioned that it came from Marvel’s frequent screenwriting collaborators Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. But with that being said, theRusso Brothersalso mentioned how McFeely wasn’t instantly on board writing the film.
Screenwriter Stephen McFeely had initially turned down the offer
Well, according to the Russo Brothers’ interview, although Stephen McFeely had come up with the idea—that we believe is what brought backRobert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom—he was somehow disinterested in joining the film as the screenwriter. Speaking with the outlet,Joe Russonoted how he had called McFeely to hire him, only to get hung up.
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, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’
You were like, ‘F*ck no. Absolutely not.’ And then you hung up. And the next morning at 7:30 you called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea.’
Perhaps, part of the reason Stephen McFeely initially refused to come on board was because he was asked to write the screenplay alone. Christopher Markus wasn’t hired to co-write these films with him. But then, possibly after learning about most of the team’s return, McFeely gained interest, which led him to call the brothers the next morning.
Before Doctor Doom, the Russo Brothers Had to Convince Robert Downey Jr. to Play the Villain in One MCU Movie
So now it seems, they are all returning forAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars,bringing along Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, with a reported appearance fromChris Evans. Meanwhile,Doomsdayis set to start production this spring and will be released in theaters on July 13, 2025, whileSecret Warsis set to be released on June 29, 2025.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3217
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
