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In this week’s Murphy’s Team-Up, the group talks about what project they would like to see the Russo brothers tackle when they return to Marvel Studios.

Anthony Canton III

As far as an Avengers team for the Russos to direct, let’s get Captain Marvel, Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, Dr. Strange, Monica Rambeau, and Banner as our main team. There’ll be support from others if needed but I like that crew. The villain for a crew like this would be Annihilus. A fun scenario would be an earth takeover as the Avengers take on him and his army.

Charles Murphy

While it’s more likely they’re coming back for something major like Secret Wars, I’d be happy for them to work on a Silver Surfer trilogy. Following the mold they cut on their work with Captain America, I’d love to see them explore the “fallen hero” themes from Stan Lee’s seminal late-60s/early 70s run (honestly some of Stan’s finest writing) without having him confined to Earth. Surfer is probably one of the heaviest hitters in the toy box that Marvel Studios bought from Fox and I hear he may be introduced sometime in 2022 (it’s just a rumor for now, so settle down); the Russos, who have expressed their love for the character in the past, could elevate the character to heights he deserves.

John Sabato

The next team I’d like to see the Russos direct is Captain America, Wasp,
Ant-Man, Mighty Thor, Shang Chi, Black Knight, Sersi, and Photon. The villain? AC is right: Annihilus.

Joao Pinto

The Russos have themselves said that the inspiration behind Avengers: Infinity War’s team comprised of Cap, Falcon, Black Widow, and Wanda was Marvel’s Secret Avengers. Even in their debut feature for the franchise, Captain America: The Winter Soldier they managed to get Steve Rogers donning a suit clearly hinting at the one he wore while leading the Secret Avengers in the comics. So with that said, why not give them the keys to their own black-ops superhero team? There are a number of members that have already left the MCU but, hopefully, we’ll soon have brand new characters introduced that would manage to make the cut. Original team members Moon Knight and Nova would be welcomed additions, with Yelena Belova taking Natasha’s place in the team, all while having War Machine serve as the liaison between the team and government authorities. Hank McCoy and Shang-Chi would complete the team, making it extremely diverse in its disfunctionality.

Joseph Aberl

With the Russos potentially returning, it seems like the obvious choice for them to spearhead the project featuring the Avengers fighting Kang the Conqueror, but I’d like to propose a different kind of story. After the aftermath of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the multiverse breaking loose is just a matter of time. They end up realizing that another multiverse is going to try and merge with theirs. A new team featuring Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, the new Black Panther, White Vision, and more face off against an Incursion. They meet familiar and new faces of old friends that force their hand in an unlikely war. Yet, at the end of the day, they realize this was just the prelude. Something sinister is waiting for them in the future.

Mary Maerz

I honestly don’t know who my preferred team for a Russo’s feature would be, but I am most excited for Sam Wilson to make his Avengers debut as Captain America, and would love for the Russos to have a hand in that. With all of the more complex storylines going on in Phase Four, he will definitely ground everything. His character also just rocks and will probably make a lot of wild stuff feel more human and relatable. As far as a villain, I would really like Kang to still be the Big Bad by Avengers 5. After he (his variant) appeared in the Loki series, it seems obvious to me that there is so much potential in building him up over time into something really special. The MCU sort of did that with Thanos, but mostly just through teases—we didn’t really see him do anything in particular until Infinity War. Kang, though, with Ant-Man 3 in particular, has the ability to feel like a huge and constant threat for the foreseeable future if they keep him around. It would definitely have an incredible payoff. Plus Jonathan Majors is going to be amazing, so we’d have a villain with some personality too.

Nathan Miller

I’d honestly rather give Chloe Zhao or Nia DaCosta a go at directing the next Avengers film rather than the Russo brothers. I’d like to see the Russos have a go at a Dark Avengers or Thunderbolts Disney+ series instead. So inline with that, the team would be: Zemo, US Agent, Yelena Belova, Abomination, Songbird, Agatha Harkness and Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine. I can see them having a rivalry with a team Sam might put together, but not a wholly antagonistic relationship with them, with the bigger fractures likely from within the team itself. As for who they would be taking on, perhaps a villain like Morgan le Fay, or perhaps they might try to lay Siege to New Asgard.

Join us next week for another Murphy’s Team-Up!!