Why did the Russos return for Avengers: Secret Wars?

The Russo brothers told Empire magazine that they came back to Marvel Studios for Avengers: Secret Wars only after landing on an idea they felt they had to make. In my view, Joe and Anthony Russo are the very embodiment of let them cook. It seems like the two of them, along with screenwriter Stephen McFeely, have come up with something groundbreaking compared with anything we've seen in the MCU.

They describe a big aha moment in the interview. Until that light bulb went off, they weren't going to return. Together with McFeely, they had an idea big enough that they had to come back to make it happen. I hope the visions in their heads transfer to the screen and we get what they imagined. Their return also marked a big shift for Marvel Studios. When Robert Downey Jr. was set to return with the Russos and McFeely, it changed the overall plans Marvel had for the Multiverse Saga.

Empire's interview on why the Russos returned for Avengers: Secret Wars

The Empire piece was titled "The Russos on why they're returning for Avengers Secret Wars: that's a story we need to tell." It opened by framing 2025 as a big year for Marvel. The MCU had largely taken 2024 off, apart from the box office smash Deadpool and Wolverine. Three major films were lined up for the following months: Captain America: Brave New World, the team up movie Thunderbolts, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Laid out like that, it looked like a very exciting year, with more to come in 2026 and 2027.

Empire noted that the whole slate led to Avengers: Secret Wars, then dated for 2027. The film was set to bring back Robert Downey Jr., this time as Doctor Doom. It also reunited Marvel with directors Joe and Anthony Russo and screenwriter Stephen McFeely. Empire called it The A Team being back in a big way, and I think that's the perfect way to put it.

The Russo brothers and Stephen McFeely behind the MCU's best films

When you think of the best MCU projects, the Russos, Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus are behind many of them. Markus and McFeely wrote the Chris Evans Captain America films. The Russos didn't come in to direct until Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Many people regard The Winter Soldier as one of the best MCU films ever, if not the best.

Then there are Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, which many people regard as the peak of Marvel Studios. The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War and Endgame all came from this group. They also featured two iconic characters and actors: Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Chris Evans as Captain America. Now Downey was coming back as Doom, and Chris Evans was returning as well.

Anthony Russo on the idea that "activated all of us"

Returning wasn't an obvious move. Anthony Russo told Empire that Endgame was the end, and it took a little time before they began to think of it as something other than the end. Marvel was never far away, though. The Russos stayed very close with Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito and the entire Marvel team, and they talked through many ideas over the years.

Then the inspiration for Secret Wars struck. Anthony Russo said, "really what happened was we ended up stumbling upon an idea that activated all of us you couldn't see it coming until it came and once it came it was like well that's a story we need to tell."

Joe Russo's call to Stephen McFeely about Secret Wars

It wasn't always a sure thing that the Russos and McFeely would return. Markus is absent this time, keeping projects running at the Russos' AGBO production company. I'm sure the Russos and McFeely are still at least consulting with him, given how involved he was in the earlier films.

Joe Russo said, "there were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one and we just never found the story." It came together when McFeely worked out how the Secret Wars comic arc might function in MCU form. Joe remembered calling McFeely and pitching a crazy idea: what if they all went back and did Secret Wars? McFeely flatly said no and hung up. At 7:30 the next morning, he called back and said he had an idea.

This was only part of the interview Empire had teased, and the full piece had not yet been published at the time. Still, the Russos and McFeely are clearly cooking something up, and they seem to be eyeing the comics for a certain arc. I believe that arc is Doom trying to save the entire Multiverse and then becoming a god.

Robert Downey Jr. was set as Doctor Doom before the Russos signed on

From what we know, Downey was signed on as Doom before the Russos came aboard. Downey told the story himself. He and his wife met with Kevin Feige to talk about him returning as Doctor Doom, and his line was "let's get Dr Doom right." They then met with Disney CEO Bob Iger, pitched the idea, and he loved it.

According to Variety, Downey is the one who got the Russos back. Sources told the outlet that Downey, repped by WME, agreed to return if the Russos, who are CAA clients, would direct. A source familiar with the deal making said "they were the only ones he would work with."

So while the Russos were debating whether to come back, Downey's Doom was already locked in. That's fine, because Doom is heavily involved in both Secret Wars stories in the comics. With Downey in the role, and a film titled Avengers: Doomsday, Doom is probably going to be the most prominent character across Doomsday and Secret Wars. He's probably the most paid as well.

How Secret Wars could tell the God Emperor Doom story

The story is going to focus on what Doom is doing in the Multiverse. The simple version follows the comics. Doom tries to save the Multiverse with Molecule Man, and they fail. They take the leftover pieces of other universes and combine them into Battleworld, ruled by God Emperor Doom. He holds part of the Beyonders' powers, given to him by Molecule Man.

Knowing the Russos and McFeely, they have twists and turns ready. This won't be a shot for shot comic adaptation; it never is. I'm sure we'll still get God Emperor Doom. The question is how he gets there. Will the Beyonders be involved? Could Doom take over everything Kang built before, including the TVA? He could seclude not just one universe but one world, watching over it and becoming a He Who Remains over the one thing left. I'm excited to see what they come up with, because it sounds like a big epic idea made them say that's how we do it.

Why I think Marvel will address Doom looking like Tony Stark

Downey and the Russos have all said he'll play Victor Von Doom, not a Tony Stark variant. I still wouldn't be surprised if they address the fact that he looks like Tony Stark. I definitely think they should, and I think they will.

Marvel bringing these people back is essentially a return to what worked in the Infinity Saga. Chris Evans and Downey are back, and new reports said Scarlett Johansson was returning. The insider MyTimeToShineHello also claimed Pepper Potts would return in Avengers: Doomsday. She runs Stark Industries, or at least we believe she still does, so there are reasons to bring her back. I think the main reason would be for her to see Doctor Doom and realize he looks exactly like Tony Stark.

Marvel is going back to the same actors leading the MCU because it made a ton of money, and audiences absolutely loved Infinity War and Endgame. Combine that with one of the best Marvel characters ever, plus some crazy twists and multiverse material, and both Doomsday and Secret Wars most certainly should work. They should be amazing movies.