2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier proved to be a major turning point for the MCU. Not only did it move the title character into a more mature direction, but it also introduced Anthony and Joe Russo to the franchise. Four years later and the directing duo are now among Marvel’s top filmmakers, with their first Avengers movie, Infinity War, arriving this month.
While promoting the upcoming release, Joe Russo said that, as well as continuing the ongoing MCU storyline, their work represents a very “personal journey” for them as storytellers. Once fans have seen all four – Winter Soldier, Civil War and their two Avengers films – Russo believes that their Marvel productions will demonstrate their point of view as filmmakers. He also teased that the story which began in Winter Soldier will end in Avengers 4:
“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.”
Reflecting on Winter Soldier, Anthony Russo chipped in to talk about how the movie’s success was a big surprise to him and his brother. They just approached it with the aim to treat the lead character that they loved so much with respect and the confidence to put their own spin on things.
“Yes, that was a revelation for us, to be honest with you, because we didn’t know going into Winter Soldier. We knew why we wanted to make the movie. 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.”
As much as their Marvel movies have gotten bigger and bigger as time has gone by, you can still see a similar tone and style in both Winter Soldier and Civil War – both utilize more of an urban thriller sensibility that helps ground the superhero craziness and keep it rooted in the characters. Hopefully, Avengers: Infinity War, even with all its cosmic elements, will do something similar.