The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is poised for an exciting new chapter as directors Anthony and Joe Russo tease the upcoming projects, *Avengers: Doomsday* and *Avengers: Secret Wars*. These films are set to differentiate themselves from the Russo brothers' previous MCU ventures, *Avengers: Infinity War* and *Avengers: Endgame*. In a recent interview with Brazilian outlet Omelete, the Russo brothers described these new entries as a "new beginning" that will set the stage for the future of the MCU, particularly in Phase 7.
Joe Russo highlighted the completion of a 20-movie arc with *Infinity War* and *Endgame*, emphasizing the unique opportunity to now craft a story that initiates a fresh narrative. "The greatest thing that ever happened is we got to get immersed in a 20 movie arc and see an ending to that arc," Joe Russo remarked. "What's compelling about these two new Avengers movies is they're a beginning. It's a new beginning. We told an ending story [with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame] and now we're going to tell a beginning story. Who knows where we’ll go from there?"
The Russos also discussed their return to the MCU after *Endgame*. Anthony Russo explained, “We didn’t know what our road forward was in the MCU after we finished Endgame. What happened was, a creative idea just came to us and that ended up feeling like the right idea. It motivated us to do it again. We feel like we have something fresh, we feel like we have a story that’s important and needs to be told. We have an amazing group of collaborators again, some old and some new. We’re very excited."
Joe Russo acknowledged the challenges of *Doomsday*, noting the film's role in revitalizing theater attendance post-pandemic. He also shared that it was Marvel producer Kevin Feige's idea to bring back Robert Downey Jr. for the movie. "That conversation was had a while ago, and Robert tried to talk us into doing it and we said no," Joe said. "We just didn’t have a story, we didn’t have a way in, so we were resistant for a while. And then one day, [Endgame writer] Steve McFeely called us and said, ‘I have an idea.’ "
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Joe Russo concluded the interview by emphasizing their approach to villains, stating, "The only thing I’ll say about the movie is this: we love villains who think they’re the heroes of their own stories. That’s when they become three-dimensional and they become more interesting. When you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a three-dimensional, well shaped character for the audience. That’s where a lot of our focus is going."
*Avengers: Doomsday* is scheduled to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, with *Secret Wars* following in May 2027. Fans will have to wait patiently to see what the Russo brothers have planned.
In other MCU news, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has hinted at the integration of X-Men characters in upcoming films. Speaking at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, Feige promised the appearance of recognizable X-Men characters in the "next few" MCU movies, though he did not specify which characters or projects. He added, "I think you will see that continues in our next few movies with some X-Men players that you might recognize. Right after that, the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men. Again, [it’s] one of those dreams come true. We finally have the X-Men back."
Feige further emphasized the importance of the X-Men in the MCU's future post-*Secret Wars*, stating, "When we were preparing for Avengers: Endgame years ago, it was a question of getting to the grand finale of our narrative, and then we had to start all over again after that. This time, on the road to Secret Wars, we already know very well what the story is going to be until then and afterwards. The X-Men are an important part of that future."
Phase 7 of the MCU appears set to be dominated by the X-Men, with Storm making her first appearance in the wider MCU in *What If...? Season 3*. Additionally, Marvel Studios has added three untitled movie projects to its 2028 release schedule on February 18, May 5, and November 10, 2028, with one of these likely to be an X-Men film.
