The future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is taking shape with exciting developments on the horizon. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo have provided insights into how the upcoming films, *Avengers: Doomsday* and *Avengers: Secret Wars*, will diverge from their previous works, *Avengers: Infinity War* and *Avengers: Endgame*. In an interview with Brazilian outlet Omelete, the Russo brothers described these new Avengers movies as a "new beginning" that will set the stage for Phase 7 of the MCU.
Joe Russo highlighted the completion of a 20-movie arc with Infinity War and Endgame, emphasizing the shift towards a new narrative foundation. "The greatest thing that ever happened is we got to get immersed in a 20 movie arc and see an ending to that arc," he 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 Russo brothers also discussed their return to the Marvel universe. 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 also touched on the challenges of *Avengers: Doomsday*, noting it as a "difficult" film due to the high expectations to revitalize the cinema experience post-pandemic. Additionally, the Russos revealed that Marvel producer Kevin Feige proposed bringing back Robert Downey Jr. for *Doomsday*. Joe Russo shared, "That conversation was had a while ago, and Robert tried to talk us into doing it and we said no. 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.’"
Who Will Be the New Avengers in the MCU?
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Joe Russo concluded the interview by discussing the narrative focus on villains who see themselves as heroes, 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 slated for release on May 1, 2026, followed by *Secret Wars* on May 2027, leaving fans eagerly anticipating what the Russo brothers have in store.
Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has also teased the integration of X-Men characters into the MCU. During the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, Feige mentioned that fans would see "some X-Men players that you might recognize" in the upcoming MCU films, although specifics remain undisclosed. He elaborated on the role of the X-Men in the MCU's future, stating, "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 significance of the X-Men post-*Secret Wars*, drawing parallels to the narrative planning after *Avengers: Endgame*. "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," he said. "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 poised to be heavily influenced by the X-Men, with Storm making her first appearance in the MCU in *What If...? Season 3*. Additionally, Marvel Studios has added three untitled movie projects to its 2028 release schedule: February 18, 2028; May 5, 2028; and November 10, 2028, with speculation that one of these could be an X-Men film.
