It’s not controversial to claim that the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s golden age has passed. Avengers: Endgame is one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, but the franchise’s attempts at replicating that success have fallen flat. Now, Marvel is looking to adapt and change with a new “quality over quantity” strategy.
Part of seeking quality apparently means going back to collaborators with a proven track record. According to Deadline, the Russo brothers — directors of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame — are in talks to direct the yet-to-be-retitled Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars.
With veteran Marvel directors on board, could Marvel take things a step further and bring in some old faces?
With the Russos attached to these upcoming blockbusters, rumors are swirling that their inclusion also means Marvel is looking to bring back some former stars who have already had their MCU sendoff. One leak claims Robert Downey, Jr. will return to the MCU as Doctor Doom instead of the late, great Tony Stark, but is that the most likely outcome?
While this is all just speculation, Chris Evans' return feels more probable. Evans starred in every MCU movie made by the Russos, and collaborated with them after Endgame in Netflix’s The Gray Man. Unlike Tony Stark, Steve Rogers isn’t dead, just living in the past. His identity, Captain America, may have been passed on to Sam Wilson for the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World, but since Marvel is still in its Multiverse Era, the possibilities for re-introducing him to the MCU are literally endless.
Of course, much like Tony Stark, Steve Rogers had his big farewell from the MCU. But in a way, so did the Russo brothers. Endgame was supposed to be the end of an era, but trying to replicate the excitement that surrounded the franchise in 2019 is now Marvel’s biggest priority. If bringing back directors is back on the table, there’s no reason not to bring stars back too.
Hiring the Russo brothers again isn’t just about hiring proven directors of big, bombastic action movies; it’s also about gaining a connection to their frequent collaborators. Sometimes, a director’s biggest asset is a Rolodex, and Marvel might want to take advantage of theirs.
