Infinity War: Joe Russo on Which Secret Wars Should be Adapted

CBR

Joe Russo Clarifies Which Secret Wars He Sees Marvel Studios Possibly Adapting

By Brandon Staley

Published Apr 24, 2018

Avengers: Infinity War director Joe Russo clarifies which Secret Wars story he was referring to when he said the arc might be MCU material.

Avengers: Infinity War’s impending release has brought about another wave of Marvel character and story arc inclusion wishes from fans and creators alike. This time, the focus has returned to the Secret Wars arc and Infinity War co-director Joe Russo’s previous comments about bringing that story to the big screen.

Russo’s original comment left room open for debate about which story arc he was referring to, as there have been two major arcs in the Marvel Universe dubbed Secret Wars. The latest CBR interview with Russo has revealed which arc the director would like to see adapted.

“Hopefully they’re about to get their hands on a few of them. Listen, my second favorite character growing up, and one of my prized possessions in my comic book collection is Incredible Hulk #181, which of course is the first appearance of Wolverine. I feel like the mission of the Marvel Universe is to keep expanding and surprising people. Surprise them with casting choices, surprise them with story choices. If we’re moving into this world of crossover events, certainly that affords opportunity for other large-scale stories from the books like Secret Wars -- which was another favorite comic of mine as a kid.

“There’s big potential moving forward if the Fox/Disney deal closes.”

While Russo’s desire to see Wolverine throw down with the Incredible Hulk in a movie is enticing in its own right, the Secret Wars revelation comes later in the quote. There are two events in the Marvel Universe dubbed Secret Wars. The first event was helmed by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck and Bob Layton back in 1984 and saw the assembled might of Marvel’s heroes and villains fight it out on the appropriately-named Battleworld. The second event was more recent, from 2015, and saw the classic Marvel Earth merged with the Ultimates Universe.

Given that the Secret Wars arc Russo was referring to was a favorite of his when he was a child, it is highly likely that the original arc he was referring to was the 1984 Secret Wars (unless he is a very eloquent 3-year-old, which he is not). As Russo alluded to, the Secret Wars dream can only come true if the Fox/Disney deal is finalized and the full might of the X-Men is available to Disney.

The next film directed by Joe and Anthony Russo is Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War, which stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Tom Hiddleston and Josh Brolin, among others. Avengers: Infinity War opens April 27, 2018.