The Russo Brothers Share the Unexpected Film That Inspired ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

While superhero blockbusters and classic Westerns may seem worlds apart, Joe and Anthony Russo have always drawn inspiration from unexpected sources for their Marvel projects. The directors behind ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’ have earned acclaim for their ability to blend grand spectacle with intimate character moments, a skill that not every director can master in a franchise of this scale.

Their creative instincts trace back to their early years in filmmaking, influenced by a diverse array of cinema. In a recent conversation with AP News, the Russo brothers revealed their inspirations for ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ highlighting a genre that has significantly shaped their artistic sensibilities since childhood.

The Russos pointed to Sergio Leone’s ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ as a key influence on ‘Doomsday.’ Anthony noted that while they have always appreciated various film genres, Westerns hold a unique significance for them. Despite the genre being declared dead multiple times, it continues to produce some of the finest examples of filmmaking.

Leone’s 1968 classic, featuring Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, and Claudia Cardinale, is celebrated as one of the quintessential Westerns, known for its expansive scope and the slow-burning, deeply personal tension between characters. This blend of grandiosity and character-driven intensity is precisely the approach the Russos aim to emulate in their filmmaking.

This sensibility is particularly relevant given the extensive ensemble cast of ‘Doomsday,’ which includes the core Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, and legacy X-Men characters making their official MCU debut. Balancing such a large cast while ensuring authentic emotional moments is akin to the mastery Leone displayed with a smaller cast in a vast frontier setting.

The influence of Westerns also reflects the broader philosophy the Russos maintain about avoiding excessive reliance on nostalgia for ‘Doomsday.’ Anthony emphasized that the brothers aim to create value through new material rather than simply reassembling familiar characters for the sake of spectacle.

This mindset aligns with the Russos’ view of Westerns, which have survived numerous claims of the genre’s demise, continuing to produce masterpieces when approached with genuine ambition rather than formulaic methods. Applying this same philosophy to superhero cinema, which has faced its own narrative of fatigue in recent years, suggests that the Russos see ‘Doomsday’ as a chance to demonstrate that the genre still possesses vibrant creative potential.

With ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ scheduled for release on December 18, the Russo brothers’ Western influences add a fascinating layer to their approach to the film’s structure and tone amidst the multiversal spectacle.

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