Joe Russo Reveals ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Won’t Leave His Hands Until November as ‘Secret Wars’ Pre-Production Gets Underway
The machine that reshaped the Marvel Cinematic Universe is back in full motion. Joe and Anthony Russo, the directing duo behind some of the biggest films in Hollywood history, are currently juggling two of the most anticipated projects on the planet, and Joe Russo has offered a candid look at just how all-consuming that process has become.
The brothers are currently deep in post-production on ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘, which is set for a December 18 release. Filming for ‘Doomsday’ wrapped after a full run from April to September 2025, with both films being produced at Pinewood Studios in England. That kind of sprawling, back-to-back operation is exactly the kind of undertaking that leaves little room to breathe, and Joe Russo’s recent comments make clear the team is still very much locked in.
Speaking at a Deadline panel during SXSW London, where AGBO, the independent studio the Russo brothers founded, is serving as a major partner for the festival’s second year, Joe Russo gave a raw and unfiltered snapshot of where both projects stand. He confirmed that work on ‘Doomsday’ is ongoing and shows no signs of slowing, noting the film will essentially be wrestled away from the team come November, and that ‘Secret Wars’ is already in the thick of what he described as pre-production.
The remarks track closely with what has been reported elsewhere about the films’ timelines. ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ is scheduled to begin filming in mid-2026, with a release date set for December 17, 2027. In a previous interview with Collider, Joe Russo teased that ‘Doomsday’ would likely run around two and a half hours, with ‘Secret Wars’ pushing toward three. That scale alone signals just how much creative and logistical work remains ahead for the brothers and their sprawling ensemble.
The confirmed cast for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ includes Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, Paul Rudd, Tom Hiddleston, and Patrick Stewart, among many others. Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU not as Tony Stark but as the villainous Doctor Doom, with Joe Russo saying at Comic-Con that pulling off such a character required “the greatest actor in the world.”
Together, the Russo brothers and AGBO have generated more than seven billion dollars at the global box office, a legacy that makes every update about their next Marvel chapter feel like a significant moment for the industry. The SXSW London panel appearance, brief as it was, served as a reminder of just how much momentum is building around these two films simultaneously.
With ‘Doomsday’ locked in for its December release and ‘Secret Wars’ already in motion behind the scenes, the Russo machine is operating at full speed. Whether Joe Russo’s November deadline signals a relatively smooth path to release or a final frantic push remains to be seen, but the tone of his remarks suggests a team fully committed to delivering something extraordinary on both fronts.
For fans who have been counting down since the Hall H announcement, the question now is simple: what do you think the biggest surprise in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ will be when it finally lands in theaters this December?
