‘We are reclaiming the throne’: The Russo brothers’ shock ‘Avengers’ return is already making major changes to the timeline

“Fine, I’ll do it myself.” Those immortal words from Thanos himself may well have been what the Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Yes, in what is perhaps the most shocking move Marvel could’ve made for these movies, outside of bringing back Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Evans, Joe and Anthony Russo are reportedly in talks to helm not just one but both Avengers movies, due in 2026 and 2027. After 2019’s Endgame, concluding a run of four of the most successful superhero blockbusters of all time, the Russos very much distanced themselves from the MCU, making streaming offerings like Netflix’s The Gray Man and the The Electric State.

So the news that the duo could — it’s not a done deal yet, ! — make a grand comeback to direct the two-part climax to the Multiverse Saga is achieving an even more impressive bit of time travel than the Avengers’ Time Heist: it’s taking the fandom back five years, back before the division of Phase Four and Five rocked the community, and is uniting everyone in pure-hearted Infinity Saga-style joy and excitement.

The saviors of superhero cinema have returned.

Suddenly, with the Russos on board, Avengers 5 and 6 have gone from two projects folks were wildly worried about to two guaranteed smashes.

You mean they’re casting Kevin Hart or…? That would be one unexpected choice for Dr. Doom.

Can the Russos take the MCU back to the days where every movie was earning a billion dollars? Some are certainly convinced.

On the other hand, there are some dissenting voices in the mix too. Believe it or not, there is the occasional fan out there who looks on Endgame, the one-time biggest movie of all time, as a misstep.

All in all, though, it’s fair to say the Russos’ rehiring has the potential to be the most-anticipated Marvel comeback since Hugh Jackman announced he was returning as Wolverine in Deadpool 3. We’re on the cusp of discovering if that was worth it (and all the signs are suggesting it is), so the timing is perfect to learn that a couple more comeback kids might be just around the corner. If Marvel lets this opportunity slip through its fingers and doesn’t hire the Russos, though, then it might have a not-so-secret war on its hands as the fans revolt.