Directors Anthony and Joe Russo have been busy with press rounds for Avengers: Infinity War which is less than two weeks away from release. While Avengers 4 will serve as the culmination of a 22-film arc in the MCU, in a recent interview with Spin 1038 in London the brothers shared how the film will serve as a conclusion to the narrative and personal journey they began in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
For us, this was the challenge of telling the story but also completing the personal journey that we started as storytellers in Winter Soldier. So the story that began in Winter Soldier and that ends in Avengers 4 is a, there’s a very personal arc there for us. I think you’ll understand our point of view as filmmakers and who we are as people when you watch all four of those movies together.
Joe noted that as filmmakers in the MCU, "you have to take what has preceded you in the MCU as a given and carry that point forward." He added that this perspective is exciting on a storytelling front and, even though all of the films exist in an interconnected universe, Marvel has proved to be the "easiest, warmest, most creatively supportive studio we've ever worked at." In particular, Joe said that the amount of autonomy and trust Marvel gave them was one of the reasons they decided to make four films.
The reception that the brothers received for The Winter Soldier confirmed for them that their style and passion for the material was something they should stick with, essentially following their heart. Anthony added that they hope their instincts will translate just as well with audiences in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 as it did with their first two films.
We knew why we wanted to make [Captain America: The Winter Soldier]. We knew what we loved about the character. We knew where we wanted to take it and what we wanted to do with that movie. But we didn’t know how anybody else in the world would respond. So, having the movie received like that was a validation for Joe and me that we should just stick with our instincts and our passion for the material and run with that. And hopefully, that’s what’s going to translate to audiences.
Are you excited to see the narrative that the Russos began in The Winter Soldier and carred through Civil War wrapped up in Avengers 4? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the usual spot. For the full interview, be sure to check out the video below: