Endgame, Marvel & The Russos Need Each Other

Summary

• The Russo Brothers and the MCU need each other for renewed success, as evidenced by their respective lack of blockbuster hits post-Endgame.
• Both Marvel Studios and the Russos have faced struggles following Endgame, with some successes but mostly disappointments.
• Marvel Studios is likely seeking the Russos for Avengers 5 & 6 due to their proven track record in handling big productions and bringing a similar satisfying end to the “Multiverse Saga” just like they did with the “Infinity Saga.”

Five years after the release of Avengers: Endgame, one can argue that the MCU and the Russo Brothers need each other. It’s no secret that Avengers: Endgame remains one of the biggest blockbusters of all time. This was largely due to the dynamic directing duo of Joe and Anthony Russo. However, Marvel Studios has struggled to attain the same levels of success since, and the same is true for the Russos.

The highest-grossing superhero movie of all time, Avengers: Endgame earned $2.797 billion worldwide, and at one point was the highest-grossing movie overall before the re-release of James Cameron’s Avatar in 2021. Ranked as one of the best MCU movies of all time often alongside the Russos’ other MCU films (Infinity War, Civil War, Winter Soldier), Endgame was the culmination of the MCU’s entire “Infinity Saga” which spanned over a full decade of storytelling. To that end, reports that the Russos are in talks to direct Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars support the idea that working with Marvel Studios is mutually beneficial for all parties involved.

Marvel Has Mostly Failed To Hit Endgame’s Heights Since 2019

Some Hits, But Lots Of Struggles

The MCU has been a bit of a mixed bag since Avengers: Endgame in 2019. While there have been some critical and commercial successes here and there, very few have reached the same levels of success as the most recent major MCU crossover, and many have even failed to meet the typical standards of success Marvel Studios had long been known for. Likewise, the same is just as true with Marvel’s various streaming series on Disney+ which first began with 2021’s WandaVision.

The one post-Engame MCU movie that got anywhere close to having the same kind of success was 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. The third Spider-Man movie attained a worldwide gross of $1.923 billion, becoming the seventh highest-grossing blockbuster of all time. Likewise, the appearance of all three live-action Spider-Men in the same movie was a major cultural event, not unlike the Avengers’ final battle against Thanos and the death of Tony Stark’s Iron Man in Endgame.

Beyond No Way Home, Marvel Studios has experienced some other moderate successes following Endgame with features such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The same can be said for incredibly well-received series such as WandaVision, Loki, or Moon Knight. However, there’s unfortunately a far greater number of MCU movies and shows that have struggled since Endgame with very poor receptions, such as Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder, Secret Invasion, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and more.

One of the very worst receptions to an MCU film post-Endgame was 2023’s The Marvels, having lost Marvel Studios $237 million. It also has the record for the biggest drop for an MCU film’s second weekend, with ticket sales falling to 78%. Additionally, 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has the lowest MCU movie critics’ score at 46%. Ultimately, the MCU has certainly had more losses than wins since Avengers: Endgame. While future offerings such as Deadpool & Wolverine, Thunderbolts*, Fantastic Four, and X-Men have generated excitement, it makes sense that Marvel Studios is looking to effectively stack the deck for its upcoming Avengers films.

The Russos’ Post-Endgame Releases Have Also Struggled

Some Successes, But A Good Number Of Critical Flops

Interestingly enough, the career of the Russo Brothers post-Endgame has followed a similar trend. After directing both 2018’s Infinity War and 2019’s Endgame back-to-back for Marvel Studios, the Russos began directing, producing, and writing movies and series through their newly launched production company AGBO. To that end, Endgame was followed by films such as Extraction and its sequel for Netflix starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Holland’s Cherry for Apple, the series Citadel for Amazon, and Netflix’s The Gray Man starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans.

Not unlike Marvel’s track record since 2019, the Russos have had a few shining successes. The Extraction movies gained very high viewership numbers, and the AGBO produced Everything Everywhere All At Once went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. However, the majority have struggled to gain both critical and commercial success. Cherry received a 37% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, while The Gray Man sits at 45%. Likewise, Citadel resulted in record viewership lows for Amazon. Having similarly experienced more struggle than success, one could argue that returning for the next Avengers films would be just as beneficial for the Russos.

Why Marvel Is Turning To The Russos For Avengers 5 & 6

A Strong MCU Track-Record And Proven Success With Its Biggest Productions

Having directed The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame for Marvel Studios, the Russo Brothers’ track record is impeccable with the MCU. The same is true for their writing collaborators and AGBO-partners Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely who penned the scripts for all four Russo-directed Marvel movies. While it’s not yet been confirmed that Markus and Mcfeely will help write the scripts for Avengers 5 and 6, one would hope they’d also return alongside the Russos. Either way, it’s clear that Marvel Studios wants to replicate the same levels of success that were seen with Endgame (which haven’t really been seen since).

The Russo Brothers have a strong track record with the MCU. They also have the unique and proven experience of handling two of the biggest productions Marvel Studios have ever had, back to back. Following a trend of less than successful projects, Marvel Studios being in talks with the Russos to come back truly is a no-brainer.

After all, Avengers movies have historically been the biggest and best movies the MCU has to offer, bringing all sorts of characters and previous events together as massive crossovers and huge pop culture events. Why not bring the Russo Brothers back, especially with reports that the next Avengers films are set to feature around 60+ characters?The Russos helped bring an end to the entire Infinity Saga, so it makes sense to also bring them in to help land the current Multiverse Saga on the highest note it possibly can.

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  Avengers 5

  Avengers 5 will bring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together for the first time in the Infinity Saga. Not having appeared since Avengers: Endgame in the MCU Phase 3, the wide range of heroes must find a way to come together to defend Earth once more. 

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Avengers: Secret Wars is the sixth Avengers film and takes place during phase six of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. The film will see several heroes from the prior phases return and battle against a cosmic threat to rival Thanos, and borrows elements of the Marvel Comics event of the same name.