Within a few minutes of speaking to Disney's PR team, I swiftly learn that - on the secrecy scale - upcoming Avengers film Infinity War fits somewhere comfortably between withheld JFK assassination documents and lost UFO files.

With the Marvel furore in overdrive following the dramatic climax of Captain America: Civil War, the critical smash which pitted two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) heroes - Steve Rodgers (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark AKA Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) against one another.

Despite being promised UK exclusive interview time with both Anthony and Joe Russo, we sadly - but no less gratefully - only spoke to one-half of the directing duo who, along with Ant-Man's Peyton Reed and Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, has helped steer Marvel back on course following the underwhelming Avengers: Age of Ultron (I'm told Joe was off having a physical - a contractual obligation for any film director, apparently).

So here it is: an interview with a Russo brother.

How do you plan to top that Civil War fight-scene?

That sequence in Civil War was very very important to us and it’s something that we spent more time and effort and energy on than any part of the movie. We had very high expectations of it ourselves so we do think about that and it is daunting when you think about where to go from that. It took a couple of years to build that sequence from the time we conceived it to the time we finished it. If we are able to bring some special things to the table in these next couple of movies, it will be a long process that we’re at the beginning of right now

At the end of Civil War, characters are split and there's a whole new generation of superheros being trained up. What is the state of the Avengers at the start of Infinity War?

There's a writing adage that says “write yourself into a corner.” My brother and I have always loved that adage. That was one of our favourite things about Civil War - that it ended in a difficult place where it’s hard to imagine what the road forward exactly is for both Tony Stark, Steve Rodgers and these two sides that have suffered the consequences of this division. On a storytelling level, it is a very difficult place and yes, that is very much the condition of the world as we move forward after Civil War. This very much sets the stage for where Infinity War begins - it’s a place of a strong divide.

Will some of the tensions have been resolved when we next meet those characters?

We believe things that are important and complex for a character to go through should be seen on camera. The divisions that happened at the end of Civil War were so deep they’re not the kind of things you can resolve or move through off camera; they’re the kind of things you have to directly deal with in the storytelling.That's our philosophical approach to how we handle those things.

33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 Show all 34 1 /34 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 1. Captain America: Civil War Release date: 6 May 2016. Iron Man and Captain America are set to face off in this superhero blockbuster that will feature nearly all the Avengers but won’t be an Avengers film. It will also mark the first time Spider-Man will feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Sony having made a deal with Marvel Studios. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 2. X-Men: Apocalypse Release date: 27 May 2016. Following the success of Days of Future Past, Apocalypse will follow the young X-Men team as the battle against Oscar Isaac’s titular villain as he gathers his four horsemen; Magneto (Fassbender), Angel (Hardy), Storm (Shipp), and Psylocke (Munn). Expect carnage and no Wolverine. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 3. Suicide Squad Release date: 5 August 2016. The first ‘supervillain’ film, Suicide Squad is also based in the DCEU (DC Extended Universe, where Batman and Superman live) and will introduce the world to Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Jared Leto’s Joker. One of the more exciting upcoming DC films that’s for sure. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 4. Doctor Strange Release date: 4 November 2016. Benedict Cumberbatch will debut in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe, where Captain America and Iron Man live) as the Sorcerer Supreme. The film already has an incredible cast, including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachael McAdams and Tilda Swinton. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 5. Untitled Lego Batman film Release date: 20 February 2017. Kicking off 2017 is the Lego version of Batman, who will lead his own spin-off, having already featured in the amazing Lego Movie. Will Arnett voices the titular character, while Zach Garfianakis - from the Hangover - will voice The Joker. But will he better than Leto? 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 6. Untitled Wolverine film Release date: 3 March 2017. Having not starred in X-Men: Apocalypse, Wolverine will return to the big screen in a solo film which was recently made R-Rated following the success of Deadpool. It is expected to be Hugh Jackman’s last outing as the titular character. Fox 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Release date: 5 May 2017. Chris Pratt and the crew are returning to space in the sequel to the surprisingly successful Guardians of the Galaxy. According to director James Gunn, the film will not feature Thanos, even though he will to play a major role in phase MCU Phase 3. Cast includes newcomers Kurt Russell and Pom Klementieff, as well as, rumour has it, Sylvester Stallone. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 8. Wonder Woman Release date: 23 June 2017. Gal Gadot is returning to the DCEU in her very own film, marking the first female-led superhero film on this list. Chris Pine is on board to play Wonder Woman’s love interest. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 9. Untitled Spider-Man reboot Release date: 7 July 2017. Yes, it is another Spider-Man reboot, having previously been redone with Andrew Garfield as the lead. However, this time it is part of the MCU, with Tom Holland as the titular character, and a heavily rumoured cameo by Iron Man could be in the pipeline. We can dream. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 10. Untitled Fox film Release date: 6 October 2017. In a strange announcement, Fox decided to withhold the release of Gambit until a future, as-yet unannounced date, which could be here, or this could be a completely separate project. Many suspect Deadpool 2 could nicely fit here, Fox capitalising on the success of the first film. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 11. Thor: Ragnarok Release date: 3 November 2017. Chris Hemsworth will be returning as the Norse God in his third solo MCU film. Flight of the Conchords’ Taika Waititi is on board to direct, and promises a fun adventure that will likely lead into Marvel’s next project, Infinity War. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 12. Justice League Part One Release date: 17 November 2017. Hot on the heals of Thor comes Justice League Part One, the first DCEU team-up flick which will see Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg work together to fight bad guys. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 13: Untitled Fox film Release date: 12 January 2018. Kicking off 2018 will likely be the second Deadpool film, but then again, this could very well be another X-Men team-up. There’s also talk of an X-Force film, with Deadpool and other mutants teaming up to fight evil. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 14. Black Panther Release date: 16 February 2018. The first non-white male-led superhero film in the MCU comes in the form of Black Panther, with Chadwick Boseman reprising the titular role, having also starred as the Panther in Civil War. Creed’s Ryan Coogler is on to direct what could be a very exciting film. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 15. The Flash Release date: 16 March 2018. The Flash will be the first DCEU film since Justice League, and sees Ezra Miller take the lead. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were supposed to pen the film before Disney snapped them up for the Han Solo-film, leaving Seth Grahame-Smith to take charge. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 16. Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 Release date: 4 May 2018. And so, we finally get to the point of all these Infinity Stones! Thanos will be the big bad, with the Avengers needing to team up to defeat their biggest foe yet. It has previously been described as “the end of the Avengers as we know it”. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 17. Ant-Man and The Wasp Release date: 6 July 2018. Peyton Reed will be back to direct this surprise sequel to one of the better received MCU films. While the name is ridiculous, at least Marvel are finally having a leading female superhero. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 18. Untitled Fox film Release date: 13 July 2018. Again, not much word on this one except it is thought to be X-Men spin-off New Mutants, something Josh Boone has been hit up to write. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 19. Animated Spider-Man Film Release date: 20 July 2018. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and Amy Pascal - the team behind the live-action Spider-Man films - are producing this ‘unrelated’ animated adaptation of the hero. Because you can never have too much Spider-Man, right? 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 20. Aquaman Release date: 27 July 2018. Another Justice League spin-off, Jason Momoa plays the leading man. Furious 7’s James Wan is on to direct, but little else is known about the film. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 21. Captain Marvel Release date: 8 March 2019. We’ve hit 2019, and the first confirmed superhero film will be the first proper female-led MCU film. No-one is confirmed to be in the titular role of Carol Danvers just yet. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 22. Shazam Release date: 5 April 2019. Dwayne Johnson stars as the villain in this DCEU film which will be somewhat separate to the other DC films. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 23. Avengers: Infinity War Part 2. Release date: 3 May 2019. The conclusion to the long drawn MCU saga. Expect a big finish with at least a few planets being destroyed. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 24. Justice League Part Two Release date: 14 June 2019. Soon after the Infinity War story reaches its conclusion, so will the Justice League’s. Not much is known, except Darkseid will likely be the villain for at least one of the parts. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 25. Inhumans Release date: 12 July 2019. The concept of Inhumans (or Marvel’s mutants) has already been introduced in TV, through Marvel’s Agents of Shield, yet the film is expected to introduce the Royal Family who have yet to be seen in the show. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 26. Cyborg Release date: 3 April 2020. Having debuted in Justice League Part One three years previously, Cyborg will finally be making his own outing, with Ray Fisher as the titular character. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 27. Untitled MCU film Release date: 1 May 2020. The first of three untitled Marvel films. There are a couple of contenders, the first is a likely sequel to Spider-Man with Sony, or a third Guardians of the Galaxy film, thus finishing the trilogy. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 28. Green Lantern Corps. Release date: 19 June 2020. Before you start to worry, this has nothing to do with the Ryan Reynolds-starring flick that hit cinemas a little while ago. Instead, this will be another DCEU film that will likely spin-off from Justice League after the Green Lantern Corps cameo in one of the parts. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 29. Untitled MCU film Release date: 10 July 2020. As well as Spider-Man or Guardians of the Galaxy sequels, a Doctor Strange or Black Panther one could fit in nicely here. Or perhaps Black Widow may finally get the solo-film she deserves. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 30. Untitled MCU film Release date: 6 November 2020. Some speculators also think a Blade film could fit in here, marking over 20 years since the first Blade. But many believe the character may be better suited to a Netflix series, as with Daredevil and Jessica Jones. There’s also talk of a Runaways film reaching cinemas at some stage. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 31. Untitled Ben Affleck Batman film Release date: TBA. Now we’re onto the TBA release dates, the first of which is a Batman solo film, written and directed by Ben Affleck. When this is due, no one is quite sure but expect it sooner rather than later if Batman v Superman is a success. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 32. Suicide Squad 2 Release date: TBA (rumoured 2017). A sequel to Suicide Squad is expected to come in 2017 according to recent reports, but nothing has been confirmed. If the first is successful, it should come as no surprise for Warner Bros to rearrange their schedule to fit in this surefire hit. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 33. Venom Release date: TBA. This is an odd one, as it has been confirmed Sony are wanting to release a Venom film completely unrelated to the upcoming Spider-Man reboot. Venom, as you may know, is a Spider-Man villain, intrinsically linked to Spider-Man, so it seems odd they would release a film unrelated to the rebooted project and not linked to the MCU. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 Anything else? Well, now you mention it, there’s also that sequel to Fantastic Four that has seemingly been dropped by Fox. Plus, there’s the Gambit film which has been put on hold (but will likely fill an untitled Fox slot so we haven’t added it extra). Then again, it could be shoehorned in somehow… Marvel

There’s a hint that some stories could be coming to an end. Could Infinity War be the swan song for certain characters?

Without getting too specific with the surprises that the movies hold, we very much think of these [next two Avengers films] as a culmination of everything that's happened in the MCU. And in some respects, they’re going to be the end of some things and the beginnings of certain things. And there’s a big catharsis that happens in these movies in terms of what the MCU is and how it is formed.

Were there any characters that you wanted for Civil War that you couldn’t get?

No, the really lucky thing about Civil War is that everybody that was starting to work their way into our storytelling we got in the movie. There was a long time where we were working very closely with the writers, [Christopher] Markus and [Stephen] McFeely, where we would spend a few months revolving a certain story around characters we did not know for sure we would have access to; it was a little bit of a leap of faith on our part that things would work out and we were very fortunate that they did. It would have been a very complicated situation if it didn’t; it’s not like you can easily put characters in and pull them out - it’s a house of cards. So we were lucky we got everyone in. To be honest with you, we’re in a similar situation right now - the cast is so big for these upcoming films, we're in the midst of a leap of faith process. Hopefully, it will all turn out right again.

At what stage did you know Spider-Man was going to be in the film?

The second we started talking about doing the Civil War storyline with Marvel, we brought up Spider-Man. Right away, Kevin Feige hinted to us there might be a possibility of them being able to work that out and that's all we needed- he was in the movie the second we heard that. We knew we were going to be telling a very difficult story - a tragic story between the two leaders of the Avengers - and we knew that story was going to some dark places but we didn’t want it to be too overwhelming. So characters like Spider-Man were incredibly important to us because we knew we could balance the film with characters like him and Ant-Man, who didn’t have the emotional baggage that the rest of the characters did; they could have a bit of a lighter point of view on what’s happening because of their lighter emotional investment. So for us, he was essential to the movie from the get-go.

Personally speaking, which characters are you most excited to direct that you haven't yet had the opportunity to?

This might sound like a diplomatic or political answer but the cast is so large and there are so many amazing actors playing these characters, it’s an embarrassment of riches for storytellers and directors. Joe and I can’t believe we get to play with this level of talent all in one movie. It’s a challenge because the characters themselves and the actors that play them all deserve their own movie, but now you’re dealing with an ensemble picture where they’re only going to get a portion of the storytelling. But the trick for us is how do you have the most amount of fun with the portion a certain character gets? You can sometimes do a great deal with very little, and again to reference Spider-Man and Ant-Man who aren’t in much of Civil War, but I think leave a big impression on an audience. We have the same sort of opportunities for Infinity War - very talented actors playing really awesome characters that we love who can come in in very unexpected ways.

We bet you're excited to get to play around with Thor and Hulk in Infinity War…

Oh yeah, absolutely. We’ve been talking a lot with both Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth about what we’re doing with the characters in this movie and they’re really excited.

Why do you think DC films Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad haven't landed with audiences as successfully as Marvel films seem to?

It’s a very interesting question. I can’t speak to it directly because I haven’t seen either but all I can say is my brother and I’s tastes align with Marvel in a lot of ways: we both like very entertaining stories and very balanced movies. We like movies that are going to have a great sense of fun and thrill to them while at the same time remain very grounded in relatable human emotions and conflicts that the audiences can get behind and root for and empathise with. It’s the balance between those we strive for. When we first saw the original Iron Man movie, I remember thinking, ‘wow’ because it had that exact balance to it that we aspired to. So the fact we got to become a part of the Marvel family and find our own expression within that is a real joy for my brother and I.