Russo Bros. Reveal They Never Discussed Directing Marvel Studios’ X-MEN Reboot

As anticipation continues to build for Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men reboot, one directing duo that apparently was never in consideration for the project were the Russo Brothers, who are currently returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to helm Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Speaking with CBR, Joe Russo revealed that neither he nor Anthony Russo ever had conversations with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige about directing the studio’s upcoming X-Men reboot. Instead, according to Joe Russo, the only Marvel project that ever truly brought them back into discussions was Secret Wars.

“We we never even discussed X-Men,” said Joe Russo. “It was always Secret Wars or die, you know, Secret Wars or bust. Because that was the first comic I read when I was a kid. That was the book that made me fall in love with comics. I read the whole run in one reading. A friend of mine, him and I, just sat there for a couple hours and read the whole thing. So that was always the conversation, but the question was what’s the story? It took us a long time to figure out a story that we thought was worthy to tell because if you’re going to come back, you’ve got to make sure that you know you’re going to meet expectations and you know, Endgame was so well received that the pressure is enormous for a return.”

Begins at the 32:50 minute mark…

The directing duo famously helped shape the MCU into a worldwide phenomenon with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Following the massive success of Endgame in 2019, many assumed the Russos could eventually become attached to Marvel’s long-awaited mutant reboot, especially given their experience balancing sprawling ensemble casts and emotionally driven storytelling.

Instead, the X-Men franchise is being helmed by Jake Schreier, who recently directed Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts*. Schreier’s involvement has sparked significant curiosity, particularly as Marvel prepares to fully integrate mutants into the MCU following years of teases, multiversal cameos, and the continued popularity of projects like X-Men ’97.

Meanwhile, the Russo Brothers are now tasked with delivering what could become Marvel Studios’ biggest cinematic events yet with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The pressure surrounding those films is enormous, especially considering the legacy left behind by Infinity War and Endgame, which redefined blockbuster event filmmaking and helped conclude over a decade of interconnected MCU storytelling.

Although the Russo Brothers never discussed directing the MCU’s X-Men reboot, Joe Russo’s comments make it clear that their passion for Secret Wars ultimately became too strong to ignore. For longtime comic book fans, it’s easy to understand why. The original Secret Wars comics represented a generation-defining crossover event, and now the Russos have an opportunity to bring that scale and spectacle to the big screen once again, while Marvel Studios charts an entirely separate path for the future of the X-Men.

Source: CBR