There are many battles that take place throughout the 23 films of the first three Heroic Eras (Phases) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). But it is not difficult to realize, the most important and epic battles were sent to the two Russo brothers.
They once flipped to every corner of the organization SHIELD in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).
They used every means to divide the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War (2016), pitting Iron Man against Captain America.
And it was they who made Thanos’ snap into history, letting Black Widow fall into the abyss and Tony Stark’s daughter forever never see her father again.
From the sitcom array to the cinema
When Marvel announced that Anthony Russo and Joe Russo would direct Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), there were many opinions expressing doubts.
Before that, the duo were not too big names in the movie industry. Both careers are associated with television works, with nearly 20 years of capital as a TV series director and screenwriter.
Not to mention, action is not their forte either. The two filmmakers are famous for their humorous and satirical sitcoms.
Notable is Arrested Development (2003-2006) – rated by Time, EW, IGN magazines as one of the best TV shows of all time. The five-season film, starring Jason Bateman, revolves around a chaebol family facing the possibility of bankruptcy.
Although only holding the opening episode and a few episodes that didn’t run through, the duo was honored to receive the 2004 Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series Director – the first major award in both of their careers.
After the series ended, the Russo brothers continued to work on various projects, mostly comedy series. Usually, the two do the first episode together, then alternately directing one episode each.
Work is not simple, sometimes so stressful that they can only sleep three or four hours a day.
In an exclusive interview with Den of Geek, Joe said: “From the set I went straight to the editing room at 2am, then slept… woke up, and back on set at 7am.” This process takes about two years.
Of course, the TV series and theatrical movies are two separate pictures. But the duo nurtured a love of cinema long before they even embarked on a sitcom.
Born in 1970, Anthony had a completely different direction from Joe – born a year later – before the two found common ground at the camera lens.
They both chose Case Western Reserve University, but Anthony studied law and Joe studied acting. In 1997, the two used credit cards and borrowed money everywhere to make their first film Pieces with a budget of only $ 35,000 .
Although not widely released, the work was still noticed when it premiered at the Slamdance film festival, helping them catch the eye of director Steven Soderbergh – who created the Ocean heist franchise .
Marvel’s Changing Duo
Realizing the talent of two young filmmakers, Soderbergh decided to spend money to produce to help the Russo brothers carry out the second project: Welcome to Collinwood (2002) in the criminal-comedy genre.
Unfortunately, the work almost went into oblivion despite the gathering of stars including George Clooney, Sam Rockwell, Patricia Clarkson… After the movie was released, Anthony Russo and Joe Russo were still unknown names.
Before the MCU, the brothers’ most famous film project was You, Me and Dupree (2006). The comedy starring Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon… was criticized by critics, still earning more than $130 million against a budget of $54 million .
However, who dares to give full faith to two TV directors, who have made three movies, then two failed?
Perhaps Kevin Feige – President of Marvel – is one of the few people who have the courage to do that.
Joe Russo directed the actor on the set of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). This is the first movie the two brothers collaborated on Marvel.
The predestined relationship that brought Feige to the Russo family was also somewhat emotional. The president happened to see the episode of the two brothers directed in the comedy series Community (2009-2015), was very impressed and opened the suggestion first.
Like millions of other teenagers, the Russo brothers have been fascinated with Marvel comics since childhood, so there is no reason to refuse.
The handshake with the duo can be temporarily called Marvel’s test. However, they quickly proved their ability through two films about Captain America – released in 2014 and 2016 respectively – both were very successful.
The Russo’s signature comedy turned out to be a great fit for the Marvel movie-making style. Not to mention, the experience of handling and editing dramas until two o’clock in the morning helps them reduce the difficulty when they have to do too many jobs at the same time: Both handling a large cast of characters, and directing the acting for thousands of people. star series.
And in the end, the MCU with the momentum of running more than 20 movies is not much different from a long series.
The duo overcome the challenge Kevin Feige posed with Captain America: Civil War is to lead a relatively large number of characters in a thrilling battle.
But Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers: Endgame are battles on a larger scale, more intense.
It was the combined result of the first three Heroic Eras. A great ending to a story going down in history.
Therefore, not everyone can afford to confidently take charge of two films with too many details, massive character volume and constantly intertwined story lines.
Avengers: Endgame (2019) is really a big gamble for the Russo brothers.
As a result, the Russo brothers didn’t waste a second during Infinity War ‘s 149-minute run and End Game ‘s 180-minute run .
They create entertaining works, more than enough to caress the audience but still satisfy the strict pen of critics.
For Marvel fans, it’s different. It was a once-in-a-lifetime, one-of-a-kind cinematic experience, a giant balloon that had been inflated for years finally coming to an end.
Up to now, the Russo brothers have only participated in 4 Marvel projects, but half of them make it to the top 5 grossing movies of all time. In which, Avengers: Endgame currently ranks second with revenue of nearly $2.8 billion .
This number is a dream that surely any manufacturer craves.
The achievement helps Marvel affirm its position as a billion-dollar brand, an “empire” that has an unshakable foothold in the Hollywood film industry.
At the same time, the Russo brothers also surpassed many colleagues, rising to second place on the list of the highest-grossing directors of all time, just behind “living legend” Steven Spielberg.
The Russo Brothers’ Ambition
Once again, Marvel surprised fans by announcing that the Russo brothers would not return to the MCU, at least until the end of Hero VI (Phase VI), ie 2025.
In fact, after the “infinity war” between the Avengers and Thanos ended, the two filmmakers left the studio to work on their own projects.
In early 2021, they introduced Cherry – a criminal psychological drama about a guy (Tom Holland) who decides to enlist in the army to forget the pain of heartbreak. Back home, he continued to face his personal “battle” as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and addiction tore through each day.
Unfortunately, the work was not appreciated by critics, so far it is still one of the most controversial projects of the Russo brothers because of its dark colors, how to exploit modern war themes and incarnations. strangeness of “Spider-Man”.
At the end of 2021, Marvel once wanted the duo to return to the MCU, but negotiations “come to an impasse” – according to a source of the Wall Street Journal.
At that time, the two had just finished making The Gray Man – an action blockbuster, sensational with a budget of approximately 200 million USD . The script is adapted from the best-selling book by author Mark Greaney, with a total volume of up to 11 volumes, revolving around the journey of a CIA agent.
Cooking the project since 2014 when he was still directing Chris Evans in the film about Captain America, the duo did not hesitate to invite the actor to play the main role. However, he gave the role to his colleague Ryan Gosling to transform into the villain, as a way to try and change his own image.
Ignoring criticism from critics, the producers gave the green light to the sequel (sequel) and spinoff (spinoff), wishing to create a new spy brand, worthy of the names. like Mission Impossible or Bourne .
In particular, Anthony Russo and Joe Russo will return as director and producer.
Two directors on the set of The Gray Man (2022). The duo aspired to create a new action franchise, despite critics’ disapproval.
Both are over 50 years old, but the Russo brothers have never been as energetic as they are now. This year, in addition to introducing The Gray Man, they also hold the production position of Everything Everywhere All at Once – a film exploiting the multiverse theme that has resonated with the Daniels duo.
Going forward, they try different fields: Developing the sci-fi series Citadel , producing the live-action Hercules (live-action) and directing The Electric State – an adaptation project with the participation of the star. Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown .
Absolutely MCU has no place in the plan of Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, even though they are the ones who made big turning points, completely changing this Cinematic Universe.
Marvel’s future has never been uncertain. Kevin Feige always knows how to lead the brand even if the Russo brothers are involved or not.
But for those who love the MCU from day one, the world of superheroes is no longer what it used to be.
Fans were forced to witness the departure of many characters, parting with Chadwick Boseman in real life and Tony Stark in the film, accepting many losses to enter a new phase.
And the departure of the Russo brothers is just one of them.
