The Films of the Russo Brothers, Ranked

What does it take for a movie to gross over $2 billion? A lot of butts in seats, of course. And that happens with global anticipation, great reviews, and a story people want to watch over and over again. It’s a rare occurrence, having happened only six times in live-action history. Three of those were from James Cameron, one is from J.J. Abrams, and the other two are from Joe and Anthony Russo.

The Russo brothers directed Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, two of the most technically complicated and narratively ambitious films in history. Each continued the story from two other Russo films, Captain America: The Winter Solider and Captain America: Civil War, Marvel movies that helped solidify and define the Marvel Cinematic Universe going into that epic two-part finale. It was quite the five-year run for the Russos, but only one chapter in their careers.

Many probably don’t realize it, but while the Russos made names for themselves on TV directing shows like Community and Arrested Development, they directed three movies before their Marvel run and three others after it. And now, of course, they’re going back to Marvel for two more massive Avengers movies, 2026’s Doomsday and 2027’s Secret Wars.

So where do all these movies fall on a ranked list? With their latest film, Netflix’s The Electric State, out next week, we decided to put the films of Joe and Anthony Russo on a list. What’s best? What’s the worst? Read on to find out.

9. You, Me and Dupree (2006)

Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, and Matt Dillon star in this comedy about a guy who crashes with his newly married friends only to overstay his welcome. In the years that followed big comedy hits There’s Something About Mary and Meet the Parents, we got a lot of half-funny imitators trying to capture that true-to-life raunchy tone. You, Me and Dupree is one of the more forgettable films of the era. Not a total disaster but nothing special.

8. Welcome to Collinwood (2002)

This crime caper starring William H. Macy, Sam Rockwell, Patricia Clarkson, and many more has its moments, but it feels more formulaic than not, especially released in an era dominated by another pair of filmmaking brothers, Joel and Ethan Coen.

7. Cherry (2021)

The Russos’ first post-Marvel film was on the total other side of the spectrum. Tom Holland stars as a military veteran who turns to a life of crime to bolster a drug addiction. Tonally and narratively, it’s all over the place, but in the end is worth watching for Holland’s commitment to the complex role. A big swing that didn’t quite clear the fence.

6. The Electric State (2025)

The Electric State re-teams the directors with their Captain America and Avengers writing partners, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Based on a book by Simon Stålenhag, it follows a young woman (Millie Bobby Brown) who with the help of a scoundrel type (Chris Pratt) has to navigate a world decimated by a robot-human war to find her missing brother. The film is suitably entertaining with incredible visual effects and a killer cast, but about as predictable as movies come.

5. The Gray Man (2022)

Call me crazy, and maybe you will, but I was fully entertained by The Gray Man. Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling star as dueling secret agents in a film that is so big and so over the top it feels like the Russos were given the keys to the Fast and Furious franchise, and brought along their own A-list stars. It’s disposable but in a fun way.

4. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Look, I love Captain America: Civil War. I really do. But I really love all of the Russo brothers Marvel movies and if I have to look for something, anything, to distinguish between them, it’s this. Captain America: Civil War feels more like a “Civil War” movie than a “Captain America” movie. It’s still great though.

3. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

You’ll sense a running theme in these final four films. I think they’re all fantastic. Take Avengers: Infinity War, which is an ambitious, audacious superhero delight. A film that can be as big and bold as it wants to be because it hangs its hat on a decade of excellent storytelling. Without that, you couldn’t end a movie killing half the characters and then rolling the credits. But Infinity War gives you all manner of spectacle and then a fabulous gut punch on top.

2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

It’s weird to consider Avengers: Endgame one movie. Of course, it is one movie. A long movie but singular nevertheless. However, it only works as well as it does because it’s the rousing, epic conclusion to a decade-long saga. The Russos found themselves as conductors of some of the largest set pieces in film history as well as some of the most exciting and emotionally satisfying. It’s an awesome movie from top to bottom and truly a landmark of film history. And yet, we’re talking Russos. So…

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

There’s no denying that the Russos’ other three Marvel movies are spectacular. But it was their first crack at the genre, the smaller one, that really shines through. The Winter Soldier certainly leaned on earlier films. It had to. But it also built upon them in new and intriguing ways that helped set it apart. The movie finds that perfect balance of superhero style, political intrigue, and complex character-building. That’s why we think it’s the best Russo brothers movie to date.

NA. Pieces (1997)

To be honest, while we’ve seen all of the Russo movies mentioned above, there is one we’re missing. It’s their 1997 directorial debut, Pieces, which premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival but never got picked up for distribution. One person who did see it though was Steven Soderbergh and his adoration for the film helped kick-start the careers of the brothers. So, in a way, none of these would exist without Pieces.

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