The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is gearing up for an exciting new chapter with the upcoming films, *Avengers: Doomsday* and *Avengers: Secret Wars*. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo have provided some intriguing insights into how these movies will set the stage for Phase 7 of the MCU. In a recent interview with Brazilian outlet Omelete, the Russo brothers described these films as a "new beginning" that will lay the groundwork for future MCU storylines.
Joe Russo emphasized the significance of being part of a 20-movie arc and witnessing its conclusion. He highlighted the unique appeal of *Avengers: Doomsday* and *Avengers: Secret Wars*, saying, "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?"
Anthony Russo also shared how they found themselves returning to the Marvel universe after *Avengers: Endgame*. He noted, "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 mentioned the challenges of *Doomsday*, stating it's a "difficult" movie due to the high "expectations on it" to rejuvenate the theatrical experience post-pandemic. Interestingly, they revealed that Marvel producer Kevin Feige proposed bringing back Robert Downey Jr. for *Doomsday*. Joe explained, "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 also touched on the importance of crafting compelling 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 slated for release on May 1, 2026, with *Avengers: Secret Wars* following in May 2027. Fans will have to wait patiently to see what the Russo brothers have in store.
In other MCU news, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has teased the introduction of X-Men characters in the upcoming films. Speaking at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, Feige mentioned, "I think you will see that continues in our next few movies with some X-Men players that you might recognize."
Feige elaborated on the integration of the X-Men into the MCU, saying, "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."
He further emphasized the importance of the X-Men in the MCU's future, 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."
It seems that Phase 7 of the MCU will be heavily influenced by the X-Men, with Storm already making her appearance 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. Speculation is rife that one of these could be an X-Men film.
