Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, popularly known as the Russo Brothers, are renowned filmmakers who are known for their works in the MCU which includes Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
The Russo Brothers’ biggest mentor is Steven Soderbergh, and it has been mentioned by the brothers how much they look up to their mentor. The director of Ocean’s Eleven took the Russo Brothers under his wing and inspired them to break the stereotypes. Sadly, their mentor has not seen any of their Marvel movies. Recently, Steven Soderbergh talked about the reason why he hasn’t watched the movies of his protégés.
Why Steven Soderbergh hasn’t watched MCU movies by The Russo Brothers?
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Steven Soderbergh opened up about the reason why he has not watched any of the MCU films directed by the Russo Brothers. Steven Soderbergh revealed that he was never a fan of comic book movies, he added it is not because he has philosophical problems with the MCU movies, but because he is not the ideal audience of the genre. He revealed that he never read a comic book, as he isn’t a “fantasy” person. Soderbergh said,
“I have no philosophical issue with those movies. The fact of the matter is: I’m not the audience for that. I never was. When I was growing up, I never had comic books. I’m not a fantasy person. I’m too stuck on the ground. So, I’m just not the target for that.”
Steven Soderbergh calls himself an “agnostic” when it comes to superhero films, however, he acknowledges the time and effort that is required to create such films, and he points out intricate details which he heard from the Russo Brothers.
“I’m agnostic about them. I can tell you right now, just as a filmmaker, they’re really tough movies to make in terms of the stamina required. The Russos are friends of mine. Who knew when I first met them that this was what they loved to do and had a real feeling for?”
The Contagion director continued that the Russo Brothers are good friends of his, and recalled a humorous incident where the duo called him and asked him to call Kevin Feige and say nice things about them as they would be considered for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
“I didn’t know this until they called me and said, ‘We’re up for [‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’]. Will you call Kevin Feige and say nice things about us?’ And I said, ‘Yes, if you will answer me this one question: Is this something you’re dying to do or is it something someone told you you ought to be doing?’ And they said, ‘Oh no, we have this massive comic book collection. This is our dream job.’ And I said, ‘Oh, then of course I will.’ And it turns out they weren’t kidding.”
Soderbergh concluded by saying that is “happy for [the Russos],” calling comic book filmmaking “hard” and remarking that “[he] couldn’t do it.”
It is heartwarming to see that even though the mentor of the Russo Brothers has not watched any of their films, he is proud of his protégés for the types of films they made with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
About Steven Soderbergh and his unique approach to movie making
When it comes to taking an innovative approach to storytelling, Steven Soderbergh is the name that will come to your mind. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of our generation, who started his career in the late 1980s. Soderbergh began his career with a number of independent films, that includes the praised Sex, Lies, and Videotape, which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1989.
Steven Soderbergh is a chameleon of a director and throughout his career he directed a wide genre of films which includes crime dramas, rom-com, sci-fi, action, etc. The filmmaker has a multifarious approach to filmmaking, as he uses technology in an innovative manner, and neither is he afraid to experiment with different styles and techniques. He has directed numerous films in his career but his notable works are Out of Sight, Ocean’s Eleven, Traffic, Erin Brockovich, and Contagion.
Throughout his career, people have praised Steven Soderbergh for pushing the boundaries of filmmaking, and contributing to the art of filmmaking. And because of his innovative approach, Soderbergh has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, that includes multiple Academy Award nominations.
Source: Rolling Stone
