When Robert Downey Jr. comes knocking, most people answer the door. But for Joe and Anthony Russo, even Iron Man himself couldn’t immediately convince them to step back into the MCU. The Russo Brothers first declined the chance to helm ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars,’ despite being the mastermind behind some of Marvel’s biggest blockbusters. Their unexpected hesitancy was due to something far more significant: the plot, not the size of the movies or the return to the superhero genre.
Why The Russo Brothers Initially Said No To Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU Retun
Joe Russo said in an interview with Omelete that Kevin Feige, the CEO of Marvel Studios, had first suggested reintroducing Downey into the MCU, but in a totally new role as Doctor Doom. This would have been a significant change for the Oscar-winning actor, who has portrayed the legendary Tony Stark/Iron Man for more than ten years.
“That was Kevin [Feige],” Joe Russo revealed. “Interestingly enough about that, that conversation was had a while ago.” While Feige had planted the seed, it was Robert Downey Jr. himself who stepped in to seal the deal. The beloved actor personally approached the directing duo, hoping to convince them to helm ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ and ‘Secret Wars.’ However, even Iron Man’s charm wasn’t enough to get an immediate yes from the Russo Brothers.
The Turning Point: A Story Worth Telling
Joe Russo explained that their hesitation wasn’t about returning to the MCU but rather about not having a compelling story that excited them. “Then Robert tried to talk us into doing [‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’] and we said ‘no,'” Joe Russo admitted. “We just didn’t have a story. We didn’t have a way in. We were resistant for a while.“
The breakthrough came when longtime collaborator and screenwriter Stephen McFeely stepped in with his own take on the two films. According to Joe Russo, McFeely’s pitch finally convinced them that returning to the MCU was the right move. “One day, Stephen McFeely, one of our chief collaborators, said, ‘I have an idea,'” Joe Russo recalled. “We went, ‘That’s the story!’ That story has to be told; it’s a really powerful story!“
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The Russo Brothers are no strangers to delivering massive hits for Marvel Studios. They directed some of the most critically acclaimed and highest-grossing films in the franchise, including ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’ and ‘Captain America: Civil War.’ Their ability to balance action, drama, and character-driven storytelling has solidified them as two of the most influential directors in the MCU’s history.
With ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars‘ on the horizon, fans are eager to see how the Russo Brothers will once again reshape the MCU. If McFeely’s story is as powerful as they claim, Marvel may be gearing up for another cinematic masterpiece.
