The X-Men will be introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe once The Multiverse saga concludes. The Russo brothers set the Infinity Saga into a beautiful story, finishing with Avengers: Infinity War & Endgame. Having already taken over the reins of Avengers: Doomsday & Avengers: Secret Wars, the Russo brothers are reportedly in the running to oversee the X-Men reboot. After finishing Infinity War & Endgame, the directors quietly took a break from Marvel to focus on other projects. However, they made a shocking return to the MCU alongside Robert Downey Jr. at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
Russo Brothers To Reportedly Oversee X-Men Reboot
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen many seasoned directors and creative minds contribute to its humungous storytelling. The franchise has expanded its animation, streaming, and TV storytelling with new-coming shows like Ironheart and Daredevil: Born Again. The Russo brothers have gained a reputation for being one of the most prominent names in the franchise. They led the charge in concluding the Infinity Saga with the last two Avengers films. They quietly left Marvel and pursued other projects for some time, and it seemed they were done in the MCU for good.
At the event, Marvel Studios’ head announced that the Russos would direct Avengers: Doomsday 5 and Secret Wars. Nevertheless, according to rumors, the brothers may extend their stay in the MCU. According to known Marvel leaker Daniel Ritchman, the Russo brothers have “already signed a deal” to “oversee additional projects,” including the X-Men reboot. However, Ritchman’s Patreon update doesn’t firmly confirm the speculation that the brothers will oversee the mutant reboot. The Russo brothers’ role post-Avengers: Secret Wars is a mystery, but Marvel Studios is actively working on bringing the mutants to the MCU.
Feige teased the X-Men’s post-Secret Wars plans at a Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore last year. When he spoke about the X-Men’s role in the franchise, he said, “I think you will see that continue in our next few movies with some X-Men players you might recognize. Right after that, the whole story of Secret Wars leads us into a new age of mutants and the X-Men. Again, it’s one of those dreams that come true. We finally have the X-Men back.” Grappling with superhero fatigue, Marvel is making new sparks to its cinematic features. The rumor has sparked a buzz among fans and insiders, generating excitement for the MCU’s future.
After the success of Infinity War and Endgame, the brothers had set their sights on stepping back from the franchise. In a 2022 interview with Variety, they addressed when they would return to Marvel. Joe said, “We won’t be ready to do anything with Marvel until the next decade.” They tried to politely deflect from the Marvel questions, saying, “We’re always talking; we’d need to see what would work.” Ongoing discussions with Marvel’s leaders kept them in touch, and eventually, the Russos came upon a story that led to their decision to return.
Secret Wars Led to Return to the MCU
2025 will be a massive year for Marvel Studios, especially their theatrical releases, though some changes were made. After taking a yearlong break in 2024 (except for the box-office summer smash with Deadpool & Wolverine), the MCU is making its grand return with three significant films this year: Captain America: Brave New World, which is set for a $95 million opening weekend, interesting team-up movie Thunderbolts* with its all-star cast, and finally, Marvel’s first family in Fantastic Four: First Steps, which will be a period piece. That’s not even half of what Marvel has in stores for us on the big screens.
The current Marvel slate culminates the Multiverse Saga in Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. This outing will bring back Robert Downey Jr., this time as Dr. Doom, and reunite him with the Russo brothers. Additionally, Steven McFeely will return as the screenwriter. In speaking with Empire, Anthony said he and his brother were ready to move on after Endgame. “Endgame was the end, and it took a little time for us to begin to think about it as something other than the end,” Anthony said. Even after Joe and screenwriting duo Christopher Markus and McFeely left, Marvel was never too far in the distance.
Anthony said, “We’re very close with Kevin and Lou (Marvel Studios Co-President) and the entire Marvel team, and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. And then, inspiration for Secret Wars struck.” The Russos and McFeely worked on other projects, so their return wasn’t guaranteed. Joe was moved by telling McFeely about bringing Secret Wars to the big screens. Joe said, “I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars? Steve was like, ‘No. Absolutely not.’
After initially rejecting the idea, the team eventually decided to move forward with the Secret Wars storyline. Joe said, “And the next morning at 7:30, you (referring to Steve) called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea.'” Now, the MCU creatives are back in action. After several characters, such as Beast, Wolverine, and Professor X, appeared in different MCU projects, audiences grew excited about what to expect from mutants in this franchise. Creating an X-Men film will be significant, and the right people must be in place to take on that responsibility.
Final Thoughts
The MCU will most likely adopt the 2015 comic-book version of Secret Wars, which saw the annihilation of the MCU’s Prime Universe Earth-616 as we know it. The Beyonders—there are many—seek to collapse the Multiverse through incursions, which are when universes become unstable after colliding. Doctor Doom foiled their plans, using elements from different universes to shape Battleworld in his image. However, the Avengers eventually defeat Doom, who becomes God Emperor Doom.
Joe and Anthony Russo have a more than credible track record with the MCU, including Infinity War, Endgame, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Captain America: Civil War. Their past work with Marvel proves their quality and deep knowledge of what fans expect from Marvel films, especially team-up movies. The experience and understanding of the audience make the Russo brothers the right guys to take on the responsibility of bringing the X-Men to the MCU. There isn’t an official confirmation of the Russos taking on the role, but they are more than qualified to lead the X-Men.
