The Russo Brothers Refuse To Direct A Batman Movie
The Russo brothers say they'll happily make DC movies, but not a Batman movie.
Directors like Christopher Nolan, the Russo Brothers, and James Gunn have become known for making some of the most important works in the superhero genre. Now, one directing duo has said that they have no interest in tackling one of the most famous superheroes of all time. Avengers: End Game directors the Russo Brothers refuse to get involved with a Batman project.
According to a recent Tweet shared by Fandango’s Erik Davis who interviewed the Russo Brothers during a red carpet event, they admitted that another Batman is “the one movie [they] would never, ever do.” The two admitted that they love James Gunn and said that they’d be “happy to work with him at any point,” but restated that “it wouldn’t be on Batman.”
Anthony and Joe Russo have made heroic efforts in their entries to the superhero films. The Russo Brother’s biggest contributions to the genre have been their work with Marvel, often seen as the rival of Batman’s DC universe. The Russo Brothers are the team behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
Infinity War and Endgame are arguably two of the most influential superhero movies of all time. The Russo brothers scored a total gross of $2.799 billion with Endgame and a worldwide opening of $1.2 billion, the biggest opening of all time, and the highest-grossing film of all time before it was overtaken by last year’s re-release of Avatar. From a commercial perspective, many fans argue that Endgame is the most influential superhero movie, even over critically acclaimed films like Batman’s The Dark Knight.
Still, the Russo Brothers are no strangers to Batman and the DC universe. They have repeatedly shown that they are knowledgeable about DC Comics, and even directed several episodes of the DC superhero show Arrow.
Although Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man trilogy is often credited as redeeming the superhero genre, and the Russo Brother’s Infinity Saga is known for being the most commercially successful, it is often said that DC’s Batman movie The Dark Knight is the most critically successful superhero movie.
Outside of their work for Marvel and DC, the Russo Brothers got their start directing commercials and music videos. Their first theatrically released feature film was Welcome to Collinwood starring William H. Macy and Sam Rockwell. From there, the duo directed the romantic comedy You, Me, and Dupree starring Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, and Matt Dillon.
Although the Russo Brothers would go on to have tremendous success and become known for their large-scale, epic storytelling, they’ve shown that they can handle smaller-scale, personal stories as well. Films like 2016’s Manchester by the Sea and the Tom Holland-led Cherry show that they can direct intimate, emotionally driven stories. Their recent work as producers on the critically acclaimed Everything, Everywhere, All at Once highlights that the Russo Brothers can merge both the epic and the intimate for something truly fantastic, and would be a great choice for a Batman film if they ever changed their minds.
