When I was on the set of Marvel's “Ant-Man,” it was the first Marvel set visit for Devin Faraci, which I found somewhat hard to believe. As we discussed various rumors we'd heard about various films, Devin mentioned that he was already hearing strong indications that Joe and Anthony Russo would be making what at that time was only one “Avengers” sequel.
Within a few weeks, the announcements were made about the rest of Marvel's slate, and we realized that they were looking at a two-part event, “Infinity Wars” parts one and two, and now, it appears the deal has closed that guarantees the Russos are the guys at the helm for the two-part mega-sequel that brings all of the films in Phase One, Phase Two, and Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe together in one gigantic collision that should serve as a summation of everything that's come before it.
Hats off to Devin on calling this one that far out. Considering how important “Captain America: Civil War” is going to be to the overall story, it makes sense that they'd be the guys to continue the story. I'm sure if Joss Whedon really wanted to stay onboard, Marvel would be happy to have him, but I think these giant movies can take a toll. When we saw Whedon on set for “Age Of Ultron,” he already looked like he was exhausted, and that was before the full year of post-production.
There are a number of steps between “Age Of Ultron” and “Infinity Wars,” and it's going to be interesting to see what the actual roster of The Avengers looks like at the beginning of “Infinity Wars.” It's safe to say it's not going to be the group you know right now, and it's going to be exciting to see how the Russos pull it all together. And don't forget.. somehow, in the midst of all this, the Russos are also the ones who have been set to direct the “Ghostbusters” film that has been described by insiders as “the scary one,” which means these guys are going to be crazy busy for the next decade or so.
“Captain America: Civil War” is in theaters May 6, 2016.
“Avengers: Infinity Wars, Part 1” is in theaters May 4, 2018.
“Avengers: Infinity Wars, Part 2” is in theaters May 3, 2019