How Avengers: Doomsday is Different From Infinity War & Endgame Teased by Russos: “Doom Demands a Certain Tone”

After bringing the Infinity Saga to a rousing conclusion, directors Joe and Anthony Russo are back to bring another era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a close, ending the Multiverse Saga with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The MCU is in a very different place now than it was in the late 2010s from both a critical and commercial perspective, raising questions about how Doomsday can compare to the major cinematic events that were Infinity War and Doomsday. Rather than attempt to replicate what made those two movies so special, the Russos were cognizant of the fact that the Doomsday story demanded a different approach with regard to the tone.

Speaking with Empire, the siblings explained how Doomsday differs from the Avengers movies that have come before. “As much as we run at the fun in terms of what these films can be, we also run at the complexity and the difficulty of what these movies can do at a narrative level,” Anthony said. “I think we’ve found a new level of that in Doomsday.”

Joe added, “Victor von Doom demands a certain tone.”

Avengers: Doomsday Will Feel Different From the Russos’ Other Marvel Movies

The Russos helmed some of the best installments in the Infinity Saga, and each of those films stood apart from the others with its own tone. One thing the Russos excelled at was finding different ways to tackle the stories they were telling. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an espionage thriller that drew from some of the best political thrillers of the 1970s. Infinity War, as its title implies, is a large-scale war picture about the heroes banding together to save their world. It isn’t surprising to hear that the Russos aren’t just repeating themselves with Doomsday and Secret Wars. They understand that it’s important to mix things up in these comic book adaptations.

Interestingly, the Russos were initially reluctant to return to the Marvel sandbox and direct more Avengers movies. It wasn’t until writer Stephen McFeely pitched them a story that the directors signed on. So, the Doomsday narrative is the primary reason why the Russos are back. With that in mind, it’ll be fascinating to see how the film’s story unfolds. In typical Marvel fashion, much of the Doomsday plot is being kept under lock and key, but the recently released teaser trailers have provided small hints of what’s in store. Each one revolves around a specific character (or group of characters), outlining what’s at stake for them personally as the fight against Doctor Doom revs up.

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As the Russos allude to, Doomsday will feature plenty of the “fun” that viewers have come to expect from these films (multiversal madness, action set pieces, fan service moments), but all of that needs to be grounded in something tangible and relatable. When the Russos talk about “complexity,” they don’t just mean any potential confusion people might have about the mechanics of the multiverse. They’re talking about complexities of emotion with regard to character arcs and how that fuels the narrative. Steve Rogers has a “central role” in Doomsday, according to the directors. One of the most prevalent theories going around right now is that Steve is personally responsible for the fracturing of the multiverse after he stayed in the past to be with Peggy Carter. Should that be true, Steve could have a very complex journey as he reconciles with extreme feelings of guilt.

Based on what we’ve seen from Doomsday so far, it seems like the Russos’ way in was to make the film more character-driven than plot-driven, tapping into the emotions of what makes each character tick. That goes for Doom himself; there’s a reason why Robert Downey Jr. is back to play the villain, and odds are he will be a well-rounded antagonist who isn’t just a one-dimensional, power-hungry obstacle standing in the Avengers’ way. Much like they did with Thanos, the Russos will probably try to find a way to make Doom sympathetic and even relatable. It’s a lot to balance, but if any directors are capable of it, it’s the Russo brothers.

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