Russo brothers kill the third avengers: secret wars – a definitive end?
The Russo brothers have delivered a swift, and frankly, rather blunt verdict: avengers: Secret Wars will be a singular cinematic event, a complete and unadulterated expression of their vision, effectively burying any whispers of a sprawling, three-part conclusion to the saga. It’s a decisive statement, delivered with the characteristic laconic precision that’s become their trademark.
A monumental shift – no room for a trilogy
Speaking at SXSW London, the brothers dismissed speculation surrounding a potential split of Secret Wars into two installments, a notion that had previously gained traction amongst fans, fueled by the sheer logistical challenge of weaving together the MCU’s increasingly tangled web of characters and storylines. The suggestion of a trilogy, with its inherent promise of extended character arcs and plot development, appears to have been firmly extinguished.
“The stories that we’re focused on now are complete,” Anthony Russo stated, a remarkably concise articulation of a potentially seismic shift in Marvel’s approach. “Doomsday and Secret Wars speak with one another as two films and they form a complete expression.” It’s a rejection of the iterative, modular storytelling that’s characterized much of the recent MCU expansion. This isn’t a ‘build-up’ to something; it's a culmination.
A year out, a new phase
Joe Russo, ever the pragmatist, offered a slightly more detailed, if still deliberately understated, perspective. “We are doing some work still on Doomsday and will be until probably they rip it out of our hands in November,” he conceded, a dry acknowledgement of the extensive post-production process that inevitably follows principal photography. “And that just means they have to give it to other people, to finish it for a few weeks.” The implication, of course, is that Marvel’s editorial control will tighten dramatically in the coming months.
But the real bombshell landed with the brothers’ declaration that Doomsday is signaling a return to “phase zero” for the MCU – a deliberate distancing from the established continuity and a recalibration of the narrative. It’s a bold, perhaps even slightly defiant, move, suggesting a conscious effort to strip away the accumulated baggage of previous events and begin anew. A rather unsettling prospect, frankly, but one that certainly injects a dose of unpredictability into the proceedings.
The weight of 2027
And then there’s 2027 – the projected release date for Secret Wars. “We’re going to see what we look like in photos in 2028 and then we’ll let you know,” Joe quipped, a weary observation hinting at the grueling demands of filmmaking. The sheer scale of the undertaking, the number of visual effects required, the potential for narrative complexity – it’s a project that's already consuming the Russos’ attention, and it’s clear that this is their final chapter with the MCU. A definitive end, if you will.
The final word from the duo: a decisive, if somewhat terse, closure. The future of the Avengers, and arguably the MCU itself, is shaping up to be anything but predictable.