The upcoming fifth and sixth Avengers movies, Doomsday and Secret Wars, will feature the Marvel returns of the Russo Brothers (Joe and Anthony) and Robert Downey Jr. Despite Endgame seeming like a bookend for them, Marvel courted them back.

There is a good reason for this, according to the Russo Brothers. Speaking to Empire, they revealed that they have maintained a relationship with Marvel Studios presidents Kevin Feige and Lou D'Esposito. Eventually, they “stumbled upon an idea that activated all of us,” as Anthony Russo put it.

“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,'” he added.

Still, getting the Russos back was an uphill battle. They had to fight hard to get Stephen McFeely back on board for the Avengers Doomsday and Secret Wars movies. McFeely recently wrote the Russo Brothers' Electric State.

“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story,” Joe Russo said. “I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?

Initially, McFeely rejected the idea. As Joe Russo alleges, he said, “F**k no. Absolutely not,” before hanging up. The next morning, McFeely called him back and joined the project.

The Russo Brothers' Avengers Doomsday and Secret Wars

Joe and Anthony Russo (the Russo Brothers) with Robert Downey Jr as Doctor Doom at San Diego Comic-Con in the middle with Marvel Avengers: Doomsday logo behind them.

At the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), Marvel announced the Russo Brothers and Robert Downey Jr.'s return for Avengers Doomsday and Secret Wars.

Doomsday will be the second movie in Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It will be preceded by The Fantastic Four: First Steps and will come out on May 1, 2026.

The following year, Secret Wars is set to come out on May 7, 2027. The Russo Brothers will direct both movies while McFeely will co-write the script with Michael Waldron.

In between the two Avengers movies, the fourth Tom Holland-led Spider-Man adventure will swing into theaters on July 24, 2026. It is possible that Doomsday will directly lead into Spider-Man 4.

Doomsday and Secret Wars will have stacked casts. The former is rumored to feature over 60 characters, which includes Downey's iteration of Doctor Doom.

Additionally, Chris Evans is confirmed to return to Marvel in Avengers: Doomsday. However, it is unclear who he is playing. He has played two Marvel heroes in the past, the Human Torch and Captain America.

He did recently reprise his Human Torch role in Deadpool and Wolverine, so perhaps it is time for him to pick the shield up again.