‘Avengers 4’ Directors Would “Love” to Make a ‘Star Wars’ Project

Avengers: Infinity War directors Anthony and Joe Russo, now in the middle of the editing process on Avengers 4, would "love" to board a project in the Star Wars galaxy sometime after they've completed work on their current slate.

"We grew up on Star Wars like everyone else did. I went to the theater when I was 11 years old to see Empire Strikes Back and sat in the theater from 11:30 in the morning until 10:00 at night and watched it back to back to back," Joe Russo said during an Infinity War Q&A hosted by Collider.

"So it was a huge influence on us growing up. Of course we'd love to work, at some point, in the Star Wars universe, but right now our heads are in the middle of another movie."

The Russos recently visited the set of Iron Man director Jon Favreau's upcoming Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian, which Joe Russo hailed as "pretty astounding."

Russo previously said Disney-owned Lucasfilm was unlikely to poach filmmakers currently involved in the Disney-owned Marvel Studios stable, noting Lucasfilm is "very respectful" of Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"You know, when we're done telling stories in Marvel, then is there the opportunity to maybe go tell some other stories?" Russo said in May, explaining the brothers "appreciate that universe as much as anyone."

"The question would be," he added, "'can we find a story to tell in it? And what is it?'"

The Mandalorian has since tapped Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi to helm an episode of the series, now boasting Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels) and first-time TV director Bryce Dallas Howard (daughter of Solo: A Star Wars Story director Ron Howard) among its team of directors.

In August, the Russos' start up studio AGBO won the rights to crime mystery novel Cherry, which Deadline reported was being eyed as the duo's next project immediately following Avengers 4.

Other projects on the way from the Russo-backed AGBO include Netflix kidnap drama Dhaka, penned by Joe Russo, to feature Thor and Avengers star Chris Hemsworth in its lead role. The Russos are also producing 17 Bridges, starring and produced by Black Panther and Infinity War star Chadwick Boseman.

Avengers 4 is dated May 3, 2019. Lucasfilm next releases the J.J. Abrams-directed Star Wars: Episode IX December 20, 2019.