Joe Russo Reveals Upcoming ‘Avengers’ Films Will Draw ‘Loose Inspiration’ from ‘Secret Wars’ Comics

Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars are currently the most highly anticipated films in the MCU. While the plot remains tightly under wraps, one thing is certain—Robert Downey Jr. is making his return to the franchise as Doctor Doom, who is expected to be the main villain of both movies.

Since the announcement of Doomsday and Secret Wars, countless rumors have surfaced online, hinting at over 50 characters set to appear. Some are already established in the MCU, others are alternate variants, and some have yet to make their debut.

As for Avengers: Doomsday, only a handful of characters have been confirmed so far, including the Fantastic Four, Sam Wilson, Peggy Carter, Wyatt Russell, and, of course, Doctor Doom himself.

Meanwhile, Secret Wars is also set to feature the Fantastic Four, but the rest of the rumored lineup—including Ms. Marvel, Ironheart, and Wong—has yet to be officially confirmed.

The Russo brothers have given fans a glimpse into what to expect from these highly anticipated movies. Joe and Anthony Russo, the masterminds behind the Marvel films, recently opened up about how they plan to approach the storylines of these two films.

In a recent interview, Joe Russo revealed that the Avengers films will draw “loose inspiration” from both the 1980s and 2010s Secret Wars comic series.

“Well, we always create our own version of the story,” Joe said “So, we use the comics as loose inspiration.“

There’s been much speculation among fans about which of the two iconic Secret Wars comic book series will influence the upcoming Avengers films. For those who may not know, there are two Secret Wars storylines in the Marvel comics. The first one was written by Jim Shooter and ran from 1984 to 1985.

The second Secret Wars arc, written by Jonathan Hickman, was released between 2015 and 2016. These two runs are very different in tone and storyline, leaving fans wondering which one would directly impact the Russo brothers’ films.

However, Joe Russo clarified that the brothers don’t plan to follow either comic series strictly. Instead, they intend to “create our own version of the story” based on elements from both of the Secret Wars arcs. This approach gives the Russos the creative freedom to blend aspects from both the original and modern Secret Wars storylines into something fresh and unique for the Avengers films.

While the Russo brothers’ approach to Secret Wars will be a blend of both the 1980s and 2010s comics, Joe Russo did admit that he has a personal connection to the original 1980s series. He explained, “I grew up on the original run. That’s something that got me into Marvel comic books.”

This clear fondness for the 1984 Secret Wars storyline suggests that elements from this comic arc may feature more prominently in the films, but Russo also expressed great admiration for the 2015 version, calling it “fantastic.”

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