Russo brothers | |
|---|---|
 Joe (left) and Anthony Russo in 2019 | |
| Born | Anthony Russo (1970-02-03)February 3, 1970 (age 55) Cleveland,Ohio, U.S. Joseph Russo (1971-07-18)July 18, 1971 (age 53) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
| Father | Basil Russo |
Anthony Russo (born February 3, 1970) andJoseph Russo (born July 18, 1971), collectively known as theRusso brothers (/ˈruːsoʊ/ROO-soh), are American filmmakers. They direct most of their work together. They are best known for directing four films in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU):Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014),Captain America: Civil War (2016),Avengers: Infinity War (2018), andAvengers: Endgame (2019).Endgame grossed over $2.798 billion worldwide, briefly becoming thehighest-grossing film of all time.
The brothers have also worked as directors and producers on the comedy seriesArrested Development (2003–2005),Community (2009–2014), andHappy Endings (2011–2012). They won aPrimetime Emmy Award forArrested Development.
Anthony Russo (born February 3, 1970)[1][2] and Joseph Russo (born July 18, 1971)[2][3] were born and raised inCleveland, Ohio, the sons of Patricia Gallupoli and attorney and judgeBasil Russo.[4] Their parents are both of Italian descent.[5] Their paternal and maternal families emigrated fromSicily andAbruzzo, respectively, and settled in Ohio.[4] They attendedBenedictine High School.[6] Joe graduated from theUniversity of Iowa and majored in English and writing, while Anthony graduated from theUniversity of Pennsylvania and majored in business before switching to English.[7][8][9]
The Russo brothers were graduate students atCase Western Reserve University (where Anthony studied law and Joe studied acting at UEA) when they began directing, writing, and producing their first feature,Pieces. They financed the film with student loans and credit cards.[10] After viewingPieces at theSlamdance Film Festival,Steven Soderbergh approached the duo and offered to produce their next film, along with his producing partnerGeorge Clooney.[10] This project was the crime comedyWelcome to Collinwood, starringWilliam H. Macy,Sam Rockwell, and Clooney.[11]FX Networks executiveKevin Reilly hired the Russos to direct the pilot for the seriesLucky, having liked the pair's work onCollinwood.Ron Howard was a fan of the pilot, and he had a hand in hiring the brothers to direct thepilot forFox'sArrested Development.[10]
From 2009 to 2014 they were an integral part of theNBCsitcomCommunity having directed 34 episodes. They gained critical acclaim and notoriety for having directed the episodes "A Fistful of Paintballs" and "For a Few Paintballs More" which served as theseason two finale. This would become an unofficial series of episodes featuringpaintball, with the first, "Modern Warfare" being directed byJustin Lin. Alan Sepinwall ofUproxx wrote that the "comparison is nothing short ofThe Godfather Part II of sitcom episodes".[12] After watching the season 2 finale,Marvel Studios presidentKevin Feige hired the Russos to join theMarvel Cinematic Universe.[13][14]
In 2014, the Russo brothers directed their first film within theMarvel Cinematic Universe, the action mystery thriller filmCaptain America: The Winter Soldier starringChris Evans asCaptain America. This serves as the sequel toCaptain America: The First Avenger (2011) directed byJoe Johnston.The Winter Soldier received critical acclaim, with Owen Gleiberman ofEntertainment Weekly praising its tackling of serious subject matter, comparing it favorably toThe Dark Knight (2008).[15] The film was a financial success earning $714 million worldwide.[16] They directed the third film in theCaptain America trilogy entitledCaptain America: Civil War (2016) which also was a success both critically and commercially.[17][18]
In 2017, the brothers founded the production companyAGBO.[19] The Russo brothers directedAvengers: Infinity War (2018), which became the first superhero movie to gross over $2 billion at the box office. They are the third directors to make a $2 billion movie afterJames Cameron's filmsAvatar andTitanic andJ. J. Abrams's filmStar Wars: The Force Awakens. Its sequel,Avengers: Endgame, was released on April 26, 2019, broke numerousbox office records, and became the second superhero movie to gross over $2 billion.[20] They joinJames Cameron as the only directors to make two $2 billion films.[21]
The Russos also served as producers of the filmEverything Everywhere All At Once, written and directed byDaniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.[22] The film, released in theatres in March 2022, isA24's highest-grossing film worldwide at the box office.[23] The brothers are financing the Los Angeles and Beijing joint-production company Anthem & Song, which is producing the Chinese superhero filmThe Hero's Awakening.[24][25]
Since leaving theMCU, the Russo brothers directed a string of films for streaming outlets such as theApple TV+ crime dramaCherry (2021) starringTom Holland and theNetflix action thrillerThe Gray Man starringChris Evans,Ryan Gosling andAna de Armas. Both films received negative reviews. The duo reunited with Netflix for the science-fiction action filmThe Electric State (2025) starringMillie Bobby Brown andChris Pratt. To date, it is the worst reviewed film of their career, receiving a mere 14% score onRotten Tomatoes. Lindsey Bahr ofThe Associated Press wrote, "It’s lacking a spark and a soul that might distinguish it as memorable or special. Worse, considering everything it has going for it, The Electric State is kind of dull."[26]
AtSan Diego Comic-Con in July 2024, Marvel Studios announced that the Russo brothers would return to direct and produceAvengers: Doomsday (2026) andAvengers: Secret Wars (2027).[27]
In January 2025, Joe Russo was announced as a board member and investor of English football clubSheffield United. The club was taken over by the consortium group COH Sports led by fellow American businessmen Steve Rosen andHelmy Eltoukhy.[28] Joe was joined on the board of directors by formerCleveland Cavaliers CEOLen Komoroski and real estate figure Terry Ahern.[29]
| Year | Title | Directors | Producers | Writer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Pieces[a] | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2002 | Welcome to Collinwood | Yes | No | Yes |
| 2006 | You, Me and Dupree | Yes | No | No |
| 2014 | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Yes | No | No |
| 2016 | Captain America: Civil War | Yes | No | No |
| 2018 | Avengers: Infinity War | Yes | No | No |
| 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | Yes | No | No |
| 21 Bridges | No | Yes | No | |
| Mosul | No | Yes | No | |
| 2020 | Extraction | No | Yes | Story / Screenplay (Joe) |
| 2021 | Cherry | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2022 | The Gray Man | Yes | Yes | Joe |
| Everything Everywhere All at Once | No | Yes | No | |
| 2023 | Extraction 2 | No | Yes | Story / Screenplay (Joe) |
| 2025 | The Electric State | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2026 | Avengers: Doomsday | Yes | Yes | No |
| TBA | The Bluff | No | Yes | No |
Executive producers only
| Year | Title | Director(s) | Executive producers | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Lucky | Yes | No | "Pilot", "Up the Streaks" |
| 2003–2005 | Arrested Development | Yes | No | Episodes Both: "Pilot" Anthony only: "Top Banana", "Key Decisions", "The Immaculate Election", "Spring Breakout" Joe only: "Bringing Up Buster", "In God We Trust", "Pier Pressure", "Marta Complex", "Shock and Aww", "Missing Kitty", "Hand to God", "Motherboy XXX", "Meat the Veals" |
| 2004–2005 | LAX | Yes | Yes | Episodes Both: "Pilot" Anthony only: "The Longest Day", "The Pictures to Prove It", "Mixed Signals" Joe only: "Finnegan Again, Begin Again", "Thanksgiving", "Senator's Daughter" 7 episodes |
| 2006 | What About Brian | Yes | No | "Pilot" |
| 2007–2008 | Carpoolers | Yes | Yes | Episodes Both: "Pilot" Anthony only: "The Code", "The Recital" Joe only: "Laird of the Rings", "What Would You Do?", "Down for the Count", "The Seminar", "A Divorce to Remember", "The Handsomest Man", "Lost in America" All episodes |
| 2009 | Comedy Showcase | Yes | No | "The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret" |
| 2009–2014 | Community | Yes | Yes | Episodes Both: "Pilot" Anthony only: "Introduction to Film", "Social Psychology", "Home Economics", "The Politics of Human Sexuality", "Physical Education", "Beginner Pottery", "The Psychology of Letting Go", "Basic Rocket Science", "Asian Population Studies", "Custody Law and Eastern European Diplomacy", "Biology 101", "Competitive Ecology", "Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism" Joe only: "Spanish 101", "Advanced Criminal Law", "Football, Feminism and You", "Debate 109", "Investigative Journalism", "Romantic Expressionism", "Pascal's Triangle Revisited", "Anthropology 101", "Accounting for Lawyers", "Cooperative Calligraphy", "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons", "Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking", "Competitive Wine Tasting", "A Fistful of Paintballs", "For a Few Paintballs More", "Geography of Global Conflict", "Advanced Gay", "Documentary Filmmaking: Redux", "Geothermal Escapism", "Advanced Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" 34 episodes |
| 2010 | Running Wilde | Yes | Yes | "Pilot" |
| The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret | Yes | No | OriginalComedy Showcase Pilot | |
| 2011–2012 | Happy Endings | Yes | Yes | Episodes Both: "Pilot" Anthony only: "Barefoot Pedaler", "Blax, Snake, Home", "Secrets and Limos" Joe only: "Bo Fight", "Yesandwitch", "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre" 7 episodes |
| Up All Night | Yes | No | Episodes Joe only: "Cool Neighbors", "Working Late and Working It", "Day After Valentine's Day" | |
| 2012 | Animal Practice | Yes | Yes | Episodes Both: "Pilot" Anthony only: "Clean-Smelling Pirate" Joe only: "Ralphie" 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Agent Carter | Joe | No | Episode: "Bridge and Tunnel" (as Joseph V. Russo) |
| 2019 | Deadly Class | No | Yes | 10 episodes |
| Larry Charles' Dangerous World of Comedy | No | Yes | 4 episodes | |
| 2022–present | From | No | Yes | 20 episodes |
| 2023–present | Citadel | Yes | Yes | Director of Season 2: Joe only |
Other
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Arrested Development | Joe | Episode "Hand to God" |
| 2006 | You, Me and Dupree | Personal Trainer | |
| 2014 | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Dr. Fine | |
| 2016 | Captain America: Civil War | Dr. Theo Broussard | |
| 2018 | Avengers: Infinity War | Bert | Deleted scene |
| 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | Grieving Man | Credited as Gozie Agbo |
| Thanos[31] | Additional motion-capture only, uncredited | ||
| 2020 | The Simpsons | Movie Executive (Voice) | Episode "Bart the Bad Guy" |
| 2021 | Cherry | Restaurant Owner | |
| 2022 | The Gray Man | CIA DDO Fine |
| Year | Title | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Pieces[b] | N/A | N/A |
| 2002 | Welcome to Collinwood | 55% (67 reviews)[32] | 61% (22 reviews)[33] |
| 2006 | You, Me and Dupree | 20% (166 reviews)[34] | 46% (29 reviews)[35] |
| 2014 | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | 90% (309 reviews)[36] | 70% (48 reviews)[37] |
| 2016 | Captain America: Civil War | 90% (431 reviews)[38] | 75% (52 reviews)[39] |
| 2018 | Avengers: Infinity War | 85% (486 reviews)[40] | 68% (54 reviews)[41] |
| 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | 94% (552 reviews)[42] | 78% (57 reviews)[43] |
| 2021 | Cherry | 37% (213 reviews)[44] | 44% (45 reviews)[45] |
| 2022 | The Gray Man | 45% (277 reviews)[46] | 49% (55 reviews)[47] |
| 2025 | The Electric State | 14% (90 reviews)[48] | 30% (32 reviews)[49] |
I was born in February of 1970 and Joe was born in the hood of Brooklyn, New York. I am the top shot.
The Russo and Gallupoli families ... emigrated from the humble villages of Longi and Caccamo, Sicily, and Spoltore, Abruzzo
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