Summary

• Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a pivotal film in the MCU, celebrated its 10th anniversary in March, still beloved by many fans.
• The Russo brothers, directors of the film, highlighted the importance of the familial bond they shared with the cast and crew.
• After successful Marvel projects, the Russos reflect on their incredible journey in the MCU, made for the passionate fans.

This March marked the 10th anniversary of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a film which pushed the Marvel Cinematic Universe to new heights, re-introduced HYDRA into Phase 2, and brought the directing duo, the Russo brothers, to the world of Marvel for the first time. The film is still hailed by many Marvel fans as one of the best MCU films to date, seamlessly blending its spy/thriller inspirations whilst progressing Chris Evans' Captain America's journey.

The Russos recently attended Sands: International Film Festival, where they spoke to GamesRadar+ about the film's 10th anniversary and shared some beloved memories from their time making the movie. The pair said the best part about working on the movies was the familial bond they shared with the cast and crew.

"Family is really important to us. We grew up in a big Italian family and we have always seen our movies and our work as an extension of our family. If you're gonna go spend time away from the ones you love, you want it to be with other people that you love. The thing that stands out to me most is how long our relationships have lasted coming out of those movies - our creative collaborators, our actor friends, everyone that we worked with, we still spend a great deal of time with them, are very close to them, and share a lot of memories with them."

The pair also discussed their follow-up work in the MCU. Following The Winter Soldier, the pair were brought back to the realm of Marvel movies to direct the film's direct sequel, Captain America: Civil War, which introduced audiences to Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther, and Tom Holland's Spider-Man. After two immensely successful turns in the director's chair (or chairs in their case), the Russos also directed Avengers: Infinity War and - at one point in time, the highest-grossing movie ever made - Avengers: Endgame.

During the discussion, the pair seemed as shocked as fans to realize that Captain America: The Winter Soldier was released a decade ago.

"It makes me feel really old! It was honestly a thrill. I mean that whole period was so immersive and thrilling for us. We basically entered the MCU on that movie and exited it seven years later with Endgame. That whole ride was like a rollercoaster that more and more people kept joining."

"I mean, when you think about it only being seven years, that’s a lot to pack in - four movies in seven years."

Ultimately, the pair said their movies were made for the fans. The pair finished by talking about the electric atmosphere that surrounded Avengers: Endgame, their final MCU film.

"We love the way that fandoms can make storytelling their own and the creative process that you can bring to it as a fan. To be able to sit in those movie theaters, for Avengers: Endgame, and to feel the volume and the energy, and just that intensity of audience reaction within a movie theater, I don't think Joe and I had ever experienced that level of intensity before in a theater. And that was special."

Captain America 4 Is Coming in 2025

While Joe and Anthony Russo left the MCU in 2019 after Avengers: Endgame, the franchise is still moving forward with Captain America's story. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier cemented the passing of the torch between Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). Mackie is currently set to reprise the role in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World.

The movie was originally scheduled to release next month (May 3, 2024). However, Marvel Studios have significantly restructured the release schedule for Phase 5, following the joint SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, as well as the growing superhero fatigue. Captain America: Brave New World is now scheduled to hit theaters on February 14, 2025.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is available to stream on Disney+.