Taking charge of Captain America: The Winter Soldier saw Anthony and Joe Russo inject the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a generous helping of verve. Pushing the boundaries for what’s possible in the realm of comic book adaptations, their adventurous techniques won over critics, audiences and the studio itself, who granted the siblings the chance to continue Cap’s standalone arc in Captain America: Civil War. As that threequel heads into production, Marvel brass have now locked in the brothers to direct phase three closer Avengers: Infinity War.
Late last year, an unsubstantiated rumor implied that the pair were hot contenders for the gig, and now Badass Digest reports that they have “closed their deal” to direct the movie. The two parter will shoot in 2016 and 2017. An official announcement is expected to arrive shortly from Marvel – which may shed light on the rest of the creative talent involved.
Further unverified chatter suggests that the studio are hoping that scribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (All three Captain America movies, Thor: The Dark World) will be up to the task of scripting. It’s thought that this approach is “about keeping the band together moving forward, with the Russos and Markus and McFeely all being really on the same page and working together well.”
Making the leap from Cap’s solo missions to a full-blown universe-anchoring behemoth like the Avengers might seem too ambitious a task for the helmers. Taking into account the fact that Civil War is shaping up like a makeshift Avengers 2.5, with an impressive roster mined from the tentpole, the Russos will be in the perfect position to carry on the story in Avengers: Infinity War.
