After the twin smashes of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Anthony and Joe Russo deserve a break. From their Marvel debut Captain America: The Winter Soldier onwards, they’ve certainly stamped their mark on the MCU and, after leaving things set up for an interesting Phase 4, announced that their work here is done.
But perhaps they’re not finished with the MCU for good. In a new interview with Business Insider, the duo said that they’re not ruling anything out, and that there’s a certain adamantium infused Canadian they’d love to have a shot at.
In reference to the recent stories about them leaving the MCU for good, Anthony Russo said:
“We love Marvel, we have the most amazing working relationship with them, and we’re very close with them. Maybe there will be an idea that will come up in the future, but there is none now.”
Joe added:
“It’s just about finding the right story that inspires us. That’s why we get out of bed every day.”
But now that Endgame has concluded more than 10 years of plotlines in the MCU, what’s next? Well, now that the ink’s finally drying on the Disney/Fox merger, the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four will be controlled by Marvel Studios. And what better way to tempt these hit-making directors back than letting them have a shot at some of the most iconic Marvel figures yet to appear in the MCU? When asked what specific properties or characters attract them, Joe said: “I love Ben Grimm from the Fantastic Four. Doctor Doom was always one of my favorite villains.”
He also went to explain that one of his favorite characters and someone who may be able to draw him back to the MCU is Wolverine, but don’t start fantasy-casting a Russo Brothers-directed Wolvie movie just yet. Recognizing that it’s going to take some time for audiences to accept anyone other than Hugh Jackman as Wolverine means that, in Joe’s words, the mutant has “got to be set aside for a little while.”
Let’s hope that that “little while” is indeed little. Even so, if Marvel Studios’ plans for Phase 4 don’t work out as they hope they will, it’s got to be very reassuring for them to know they’ve got the X-Men waiting in the wings to breathe new life into the MCU.
