Russo Brothers Creating Marvel vs. DC Docu-Series for Quibi
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Anthony and Joseph Russo, who have been key creative members of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, are now bringing a new show to Quibi documenting the decades-long rivalry between Marvel and DC.
Quibi, the mobile TV subscription startup founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg, greenlit “Slugfest,” a documentary series executive produced by the Russo Brothers, whose directing credits include a string of hits for Marvel: “Avengers: Endgame,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Captain America: Winter Soldier” and “Captain America: Civil War.”
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“Slugfest” is inspired by Reed Tucker’s book “Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-Year Battle between Marvel and DC.” The docu-series will chronicle the growth of comic books as a new American art form, following the rise of the two companies that went on to become comics-publishing and Hollywood powerhouses.
Producers promise that “Slugfest” will bring to light little-known stories from the history of both Marvel and DC, including interviews with creators of the best-known superhero characters in the world. Among the show’s retrospective dives will be the history behind the bone-crushing handshake between Superman and Spider-man in the first official Marvel-DC crossover comic in the ’70s.
Quibi plans to launch the “quick-bite” service on April 6, 2020. Aimed at a millennial target audience, it’s set to cost $5 (with ads) or $8 (without ads) per month for a bouquet of premium content produced in episodic chunks of 10 minutes or less.
For Quibi — bankrolled with $1 billion in funding and seeking more — the Russo Brothers are the latest A-list talent that Katzenberg and CEO Meg Whitman have brought on board. Other Quibi projects are in the works from Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Antoine Fuqua, Sam Raimi, Jason Blum, Steven Soderbergh, Catherine Hardwick, Anna Kendrick, Doug Liman, Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Curry’s Unanimous Media.
“Slugfest” comes from Wonderburst (formerly known as ROAM), the nonfiction arm of the Russo Brothers’ AGBO. The docu-series will be directed by Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce, directors of the award-winning documentaries “Believer” and “Framing John DeLorean.” The series will be produced by AGBO CEO Todd Makurath, Peter Rieveschl (“The Amazing Race,” “Undercover Boss,” “Family Bonds”), Nick Gilhool (“Top Chef”) and Jen Casey (“Extreme Weather,” “Tornado Alley”).
In 2019, Netflix launched Wonderburst’s “Larry Charles’ Dangerous World of Comedy.” The Wonderburst IMAX nature documentary “Back From the Brink: Saved From Extinction,” narrated by Claire Danes and presented in partnership with the Nature Conservancy, is slated to open in limited theatrical release this fall and globally in January 2020.
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