The Avengers: Infinity War May Have Found Its Directors

When Marvel Studios hired Joe and Anthony Russo to make Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it turned out to be a rather inspired choice - especially given that the two men had never tackled anything like a blockbuster action film before. This success is obviously something that one would expect the studio to celebrate, and they've apparently been doing so in a big way. Not only are the sibling filmmakers about to start production on Captain America: Civil War, but now word has come down that they have worked out a deal that will see them helm The Avengers: Infinity War Parts 1 and 2.

Reports are coming in from both Badass Digest and The Wrap saying that Joe and Anthony Russo are locked in to make the two-part Avengers blockbuster that is set to come out in 2018 and 2019. Rumors about their potential involvement with the project first sprung up back in October 2014, though that was even before Marvel held their big Hollywood presentation and announced the title of Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel declined to comment on this development so it still isn't official word on whether or not a deal is in place, but it's sounding like he Russos will be Joss Whedon's successor when it comes to making Avengers movies.

Making this idea sound even more solid is the fact that The Avengers: Infinity War is also looking to reunite the directing duo with screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. The four men worked together on Captain America: The Winter Soldier and are currently collaborating on the upcoming Captain America: Civil War, so it makes all kinds of sense that they would be brought together for what will be Avengers 3 and 4 as well. It's worth noting that Markus and McFeely have been popular with Marvel for years, as they also have credits on both Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor: The Dark World.

Yet another feather in Joe and Anthony Russo's cap is the fact that it sounds like Captain America: Civil War will be an Avengers-sized blockbuster in its own right. Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, Spider-Man, Black Widow, Winter Soldier, and Falcon have all already been confirmed for the 2016 movie, and given the comic that the movie is based on, it's expected that cast will only grow bigger. Ultimately we expect that it will completely pale in comparison to what The Avengers: Infinity War brings to the table, as that movie is expected to be the culmination of everything we've seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far, but Civil War should prove to be a key stepping stone.

Joe and Anthony Russo will begin filming Captain America: Civil War at the start of this summer, and the film is scheduled to be released on May 6, 2016. The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 and Part 2 will be coming out on May 4, 2018 and May 3, 2019, respectively, meaning production probably won't begin until mid-2017 at the latest.

Eric Eisenberg
Assistant Managing Editor

Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.