Russo brothers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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 54) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Film directors film producers screenwriters actors
Years active	1997–present
Parent(s)	Basil Russo (father)
Relatives	Angela Russo-Otstot (sister)

Anthony Russo (born February 3, 1970) and Joseph Russo (born July 18, 1971) are American filmmakers. They are known as the Russo brothers. They are famous for directing four big movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). These include Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).

The Russo brothers are among the top-earning directors ever. Their movie Avengers: Endgame made over $2.798 billion worldwide. For a short time, it was the highest-grossing film of all time. Before their Marvel success, they directed and produced popular TV shows. These include Arrested Development (2003–2005) and Community (2009–2014). They even won an Emmy Award for Arrested Development.

The brothers also started their own film studio called AGBO. Through AGBO, they directed films like The Gray Man (2022) and The Electric State (2025). They also produced many other movies. One of these was Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). This film won the Best Picture award at the 95th Academy Awards. The Russo brothers are currently directing the next two Avengers movies. These are Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

Early Life and Education

Anthony and Joseph Russo were born in Cleveland, Ohio. Their parents are Patricia Gallupoli and Basil Russo, who is a lawyer and judge. Their families came from Italy, specifically Sicily and Abruzzo. The brothers and their sisters, Gabriella and Angela, all went to Benedictine High School.

Growing up, the brothers often went to the Cleveland Cinematheque. They loved watching all kinds of movies there.

After high school, Joe went to the University of Iowa. He studied English and writing and graduated in 1992. He also studied abroad in England for a short time in 1991. There, his professor encouraged him to act, which sparked his interest in performing.

Anthony attended the University of Pennsylvania. He first studied business but later changed his major to English.

After their time in England, both brothers went to graduate school at Case Western Reserve University. Anthony studied law, and Joe joined the university's acting program. After Joe finished his theater degree in 1995, he went to UCLA for film. Anthony went to Columbia University for film. They chose different schools to make connections on both the East and West Coasts. This also helped them get access to editing equipment for their first movie, Pieces.

Career Highlights

Starting in Indie Films

The Russo brothers made their first movie, Pieces, by themselves. They wrote, directed, and produced it. They even paid for it using student loans and credit cards. Anthony Russo said they were inspired by director Robert Rodriguez, who made a film called El Mariachi with a very small budget.

Pieces was shown at the Slamdance Film Festival. It caught the eye of famous director Steven Soderbergh. He thought the film was "insanely ambitious." Soderbergh met with the brothers and offered to produce their next movie, Welcome to Collinwood. This film was shown at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.

Breakthrough in Television

After Welcome to Collinwood, the brothers were hired by FX Networks. They directed the pilot episode for the show Lucky. Then, director Ron Howard chose them to direct the pilot for Fox's Arrested Development. The Russos suggested Jason Bateman for the main role in the show.

Later, producer Dan Harmon hired them to direct the pilot for his show, Community. Harmon praised the Russos for being great at finding new talent. He said they suggested casting Donald Glover on the show. The brothers directed 34 episodes of Community. This included popular episodes like "A Fistful of Paintballs" and "For a Few Paintballs More."

Directing Marvel Blockbusters

Their success with Arrested Development and Community got the attention of Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. In 2014, the Russo brothers directed their first Marvel movie. It was the action-packed spy thriller Captain America: The Winter Soldier, starring Chris Evans. They competed against nine other directors for the job.

Joe Russo explained that they loved the script and created storyboards and animatics to show Marvel their vision. They were inspired by classic thrillers like The French Connection. The movie was a huge hit, earning $714 million worldwide. Critics praised its serious themes.

The Russo brothers returned to the MCU with Captain America: Civil War (2016). Its success led them to direct their biggest projects yet. These were Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Infinity War was the first superhero movie to make over $2 billion at the box office. Endgame was the second, earning $2.799 billion globally. After Endgame, the Russo brothers joined James Cameron as the only directors with two films earning over $2 billion.

Their work on Marvel's Infinity Saga was a huge success. It was praised for its amazing storytelling.

AGBO and Future Projects

In 2017, the Russo brothers started their own production company, AGBO. Their long-time Marvel writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, joined AGBO. The brothers wanted AGBO to help new filmmakers. They aimed to support new directors, just as Steven Soderbergh had helped them.

AGBO has supported many first-time directors. One example is Sam Hargrave, who directed Extraction (2020). Joe Russo wrote the story for Extraction. This movie became the most-watched original film on Netflix. A sequel, Extraction 2 (2023), was also made, and a third movie is planned.

In 2019, the Russo brothers produced 21 Bridges, starring Chadwick Boseman. They also produced a documentary series called Larry Charles' Dangerous World of Comedy.

After their big Marvel movies, the Russos directed the drama film Cherry (2021) for Apple TV+. The film explores the struggles of a war veteran with PTSD, played by Tom Holland. Anthony Russo said the film was very personal to them. The Russo brothers then directed The Gray Man (2022) for Netflix. This action film starred Chris Evans, Ryan Gosling, and Ana de Armas.

The Russo brothers produced Everything Everywhere All At Once. This film won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. In 2022, they executive produced the series From. In 2023, they produced Citadel for Amazon. Joe Russo directed the entire second season of Citadel, which will premiere in 2026.

In March 2025, the brothers released the science-fiction film The Electric State on Netflix. It starred Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt. Despite mixed reviews, the film was number one on Netflix in its first week.

At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024, Marvel Studios announced the Russo brothers would return. They are directing Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). AGBO will also help produce these films. Filming for these new Avengers movies started in late 2024.

Frequent Collaborators

The Russo brothers often work with the same talented people. Their main writing partners are Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. They wrote all four Marvel films directed by the Russos. They also wrote The Gray Man and The Electric State. Markus and McFeely are now Co-Presidents of Story at AGBO. Angela Russo-Otstot, the brothers' sister, is also a key partner. She works on many AGBO projects and helps lead the company's creative work.

The Russos also work often with casting director Sarah Finn. She helped cast all four Marvel films. She also worked on AGBO projects like Mosul, Extraction, Cherry, The Electric State, and Everything Everywhere All At Once.

For music, they have worked with composer Alan Silvestri on Infinity War, Endgame, and The Electric State. They also often work with composer Henry Jackman on films like Winter Soldier, Civil War, and Cherry. Sam Hargrave, who started as a stunt coordinator, became a director for the Russos. He directed Extraction and Extraction 2 for AGBO.

Awards and Recognition

In 2004, Anthony and Joe Russo won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. They won for the pilot episode of Arrested Development.

They were nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Director multiple times. These nominations were for Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2017), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). They also received Hugo Award nominations for their Marvel films. They won a Dragon Award for "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie" for Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

On February 21, 2025, the Russo brothers were honored in Hollywood. They placed their handprints and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Their family, friends, and colleagues like Chris Pratt were there to celebrate with them.

Business Ventures

In January 2025, Joe Russo became a board member and investor for the English football club Sheffield United. He joined a group of American businessmen who took over the club. Other new board members included Len Komoroski and Terry Ahern.

Film and Television Work

Films Directed

Films Produced (Selected)

Television Shows Directed (Selected)

Joe Russo Acting Roles (Selected)

See also

In Spanish: Hermanos Russo para niños