Ever since they exited the Marvel Cinematic Universe having delivered a quartet of its most popular, acclaimed, and successful installments, the Russo brothers have often found themselves caught in the middle of a fascinating debate.
Having racked up close to $7 billion in box office takings, the siblings are the third highest-grossing directors in the history of cinema behind only Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, and yet they regularly face accusations that they’re not particularly exciting or remarkable filmmakers.
Their post-MCU efforts haven’t exactly fared well with critics after Tom Holland’s Cherry and Netflix’s The Gray Man were greeted with a shrug, while their heavy involvement in Prime Video’s interminable Citadel has found them in the firing line more than once. And yet, thanks to the success of Extraction 2, the Russos have achieved yet another remarkable career feat.
Chris Hemsworth’s sequel has entered the streaming service’s all-time Top 10 most-watched list, joining its predecessor and the aforementioned The Gray Man to give Joe and Anthony’s AGBO the unique distinction of being the only company to hold three spots on the historical charts, with Extraction the first franchise to see all of its entries to date secure a spot in the viewership Hall of Fame.
The Russos are regularly faced with criticisms that despite being the best filmmakers in the business when it comes to executing Kevin Feige’s vision, they tend to stumble when handed the reins themselves. With sci-fi spectacular The Electric State next on the docket, the argument will inevitably rear its head again next year, but for now it can’t be argued that the pair are quite simply among the heaviest hitters in all of blockbuster cinema.