Joe Russo is an American filmmaker best known as one half of the Russo Brothers, alongside his brother Anthony Russo. The brothers began making independent films together before moving into television and eventually becoming two of Hollywood’s most successful blockbuster directors. Joe Russo has also worked as a screenwriter and producer, with his credits spanning comedy, horror, action, science fiction and superhero films. His biggest breakthrough came with Marvel Studios, where he and Anthony Russo directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Although directing and producing have remained his primary professions, Russo has made occasional acting and voice appearances, often using the name Gozie Agbo. His later work expanded beyond Marvel into projects such as Extraction, The Gray Man, Cherry and The Electric State.
1997 — Pieces
Pieces marked one of Joe Russo’s earliest feature-film credits and an important starting point for the Russo brothers’ filmmaking career. Joe Russo co-directed and co-wrote the dark comedy with Anthony Russo, while also appearing in the cast. The film follows three brothers operating a wig clinic as a front for illegal activities and combines crime elements with offbeat comedy. It was independently made on a very small budget and helped establish the brothers’ early filmmaking partnership.
2002 — Welcome to Collinwood
In 2002, Joe Russo and Anthony Russo directed and co-wrote Welcome to Collinwood, a crime comedy inspired by the Italian film Big Deal on Madonna Street. The movie features William H. Macy, Sam Rockwell, George Clooney, Michael Jeter, Luis Guzmán and Isaiah Washington. Its story follows a group of Cleveland criminals who attempt an ambitious robbery but repeatedly encounter bad luck. The Warner Bros. release represented a major step forward for the Russo brothers and brought their independent sensibility to a larger studio production.
2006 — You, Me and Dupree
Joe Russo returned to feature filmmaking in 2006 with You, Me and Dupree, which he directed with Anthony Russo. The romantic comedy stars Owen Wilson as Dupree, a carefree best man who remains in the home of newlyweds played by Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon. Joe Russo also made a small acting appearance as a personnel manager, credited as Gozie Agbo. The film became one of the brothers’ most prominent pre-Marvel studio projects and combined relationship comedy with a broad, mainstream style.
2014 — Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier was the film that transformed Joe Russo and Anthony Russo into major blockbuster filmmakers. Released in 2014, the Marvel action thriller was directed by the brothers and starred Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie and Robert Redford. Joe Russo also appeared in a small cameo as Dr. Fine, credited as Gozie Agbo, while the movie itself blended superhero spectacle with political thriller and espionage elements. Its strong reception played a major role in Marvel choosing the Russos for increasingly ambitious projects.
2014 — A Merry Friggin’ Christmas
Joe Russo also served as an executive producer on A Merry Friggin’ Christmas, a 2014 holiday comedy directed by Tristram Shapeero. The film stars Joel McHale, Robin Williams, Lauren Graham, Clark Duke and Oliver Platt and follows a dysfunctional family attempting to recover Christmas presents before the holiday morning. Russo’s involvement was behind the camera rather than as an actor or director. The movie is notable as one of the projects associated with Robin Williams during the final period of his film career.
2014 — Harmontown
Harmontown was a feature-length documentary released in 2014, with Joe Russo serving as an executive producer. Directed by Neil Berkeley, the film follows television writer and comedian Dan Harmon during a cross-country tour connected to his podcast of the same name. Rather than being a conventional narrative movie, it documents Harmon’s performances, relationships and personal experiences on the road. Russo’s credit reflects his producing relationship with the creative team behind Community and other comedy projects.
2015 — Anomalisa
Joe Russo was an executive producer on Anomalisa, the acclaimed 2015 stop-motion animated drama directed by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson. The film follows Michael Stone, a lonely customer-service author whose trip to Cincinnati leads to an unusual encounter with Lisa, a woman who appears different from everyone else around him. David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tom Noonan provide the principal voices. Russo was credited as Joe Russo II and worked on the production side rather than as a director or performer.
2016 — Captain America: Civil War
Joe Russo’s next major feature was Captain America: Civil War, which he co-directed with Anthony Russo for Marvel Studios. The 2016 superhero film pits Captain America against Iron Man following political pressure over the Avengers’ destructive activities and features Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland. Russo also made a cameo as Dr. Broussard, again credited as Gozie Agbo. The movie was a major turning point for the MCU because it introduced Black Panther and Spider-Man to the franchise’s central superhero conflict.
2018 — Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War was one of Joe Russo’s biggest achievements as a director. Co-directed with Anthony Russo, the 2018 Marvel epic brought together heroes from across the MCU as they attempted to stop Thanos from collecting all six Infinity Stones. The film featured Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chadwick Boseman, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch and Josh Brolin among its huge ensemble. Its scale, cliffhanger ending and crossover storytelling made it one of the defining superhero movies of its era.
2018 — Nightmare Cinema
Joe Russo served as a producer on Nightmare Cinema, a 2018 horror anthology assembled from five separate segments. The movie was directed by Alejandro Brugués, Joe Dante, Mick Garris, Ryūhei Kitamura and David Slade and featured performers including Mickey Rourke, Richard Chamberlain and Patrick Wilson. Each segment explores different forms of fear and psychological horror through a mysterious movie theater. Russo’s role was behind the scenes as a producer rather than as director or actor.
2018 — Assassination Nation
Assassination Nation was another 2018 feature associated with Joe Russo as a producer through AGBO. Written and directed by Sam Levinson, the dark comedy thriller follows four teenage girls whose lives are thrown into chaos when their community descends into violence and paranoia. Odessa Young, Suki Waterhouse, Hari Nef and Abra lead the cast. The film is particularly notable for its aggressive visual style and commentary on privacy, social media, mob mentality and public outrage.
2019 — Avengers: Endgame
In 2019, Joe Russo and Anthony Russo directed Avengers: Endgame, the conclusion to the MCU’s first major saga. The film follows the surviving Avengers as they attempt to reverse the devastation caused by Thanos in Infinity War, bringing together an enormous cast led by Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo. Joe Russo also appeared as a grieving man during Captain America’s support-group scene, credited as Gozie Agbo. Endgame became a landmark event in modern cinema and one of the most commercially successful films ever released.
2019 — 21 Bridges
Joe Russo produced 21 Bridges, a 2019 action thriller starring Chadwick Boseman as NYPD detective Andre Davis. Directed by Brian Kirk, the movie follows Davis during a citywide manhunt in which Manhattan’s bridges are closed to prevent two suspected cop killers from escaping. Sienna Miller, Stephan James, Taylor Kitsch, Keith David and J.K. Simmons also star. Russo’s involvement came through production alongside Anthony Russo and the AGBO team.
2019 — Mosul
Mosul was produced by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo and directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan. The action drama follows an Iraqi police unit fighting to liberate the city of Mosul from ISIS militants, with the story based on a New Yorker article. The film was presented at the 2019 Venice Film Festival and later received a wider release through Netflix. Its Arabic-language approach and focus on the experiences of Iraqi fighters distinguished it from many conventional war action movies.
2020 — Extraction
Joe Russo wrote and produced Extraction, the 2020 action thriller directed by Sam Hargrave and starring Chris Hemsworth as black-ops mercenary Tyler Rake. The story sends Rake into Dhaka to rescue the kidnapped son of an international crime lord, resulting in a series of intense battles and escape sequences. Russo wrote the screenplay from a story developed with Anthony Russo and based on the graphic novel Ciudad. The Netflix film became a major streaming success and established a new action franchise.
2020 — Hard Kill
Hard Kill was a 2020 action thriller for which Joe Russo co-wrote the screenplay with Chris LaMont. Directed by Matt Eskandari, the film stars Bruce Willis and Jesse Metcalfe and centers on a technology entrepreneur whose daughter is kidnapped during a dangerous mercenary operation. Russo’s contribution was as a screenwriter rather than a director, producer or principal performer. The movie represents one of the less widely known action projects in his writing filmography.
2020 — Relic
Joe Russo served as an executive producer on Relic, a psychological horror film directed by Natalie Erika James. The movie stars Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin and Bella Heathcote as three generations of women confronting a disturbing presence inside their family home. Its horror story also works as a metaphor for aging, memory and dementia, giving the film a more psychological focus than a conventional haunted-house movie. Russo and Anthony Russo were among the executive producers through AGBO.
2021 — Cherry
In 2021, Joe Russo and Anthony Russo directed Cherry, a dark crime drama starring Tom Holland in the title role. Adapted from Nico Walker’s semi-autobiographical novel, the film follows a young man from Ohio whose experiences as an Army medic lead to trauma, addiction and eventually bank robbery. Joe Russo also appeared as a restaurant owner, credited as Gozie Agbo. The film was a significant departure from the Russos’ superhero work, favoring a more fragmented and emotionally difficult style.
2022 — Everything Everywhere All at Once
Joe Russo was a producer on Everything Everywhere All at Once, the 2022 genre-bending film directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn Wang, an overwhelmed laundromat owner who becomes connected to alternate versions of herself across a vast multiverse. The film combines science fiction, comedy, martial arts, family drama and absurdist elements, with Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis among the principal cast. Russo’s producing involvement helped connect the project to AGBO, while the Daniels remained its creative directors and writers.
2022 — The Gray Man
Joe Russo co-directed, co-produced and co-wrote The Gray Man with Anthony Russo in 2022. Based on Mark Greaney’s novel, the Netflix action thriller stars Ryan Gosling as CIA operative Court Gentry, who becomes hunted by a former colleague played by Chris Evans. Ana de Armas, Regé-Jean Page, Dhanush and Billy Bob Thornton also feature in the international spy adventure. Russo additionally made an uncredited cameo as a CIA director, making the movie another example of his occasional on-screen appearances.
2023 — Extraction 2
Extraction 2 reunited Joe Russo with the Extraction team in 2023. Russo wrote and produced the sequel, while Sam Hargrave returned as director and Chris Hemsworth reprised his role as Tyler Rake. The story follows Rake on another dangerous mission, this time rescuing a Georgian gangster’s family from a prison. The sequel expanded the franchise’s large-scale action sequences while continuing Russo’s involvement as its principal screenwriter and producer.
2023 — All Fun and Games
Joe Russo served as an executive producer on All Fun and Games, a 2023 horror thriller starring Natalia Dyer and Asa Butterfield. Directed by Eren Celeboglu and Ari Costa, the movie follows teenagers who discover a cursed knife and accidentally unleash a malevolent supernatural force. The story turns familiar children’s games such as Hangman and Hide-and-Seek into deadly challenges. Russo’s involvement was as an executive producer through the Russo brothers’ AGBO production operation.
2023 — The Locksmith
The Locksmith is a 2023 crime thriller for which Joe Russo co-wrote the screenplay with Chris LaMont, John Glosser and Ben Kabialis. Nicolas Harvard directed the film, which stars Ryan Phillippe, Kate Bosworth and Ving Rhames and follows a former safecracker trying to rebuild his life after prison. The story mixes crime, family drama and mystery after an unexpected kidnapping complicates the protagonist’s return home. Russo’s contribution was primarily as a screenwriter on the feature.
2024 — The Inheritance
Joe Russo co-wrote The Inheritance with Chris LaMont, a 2024 horror thriller directed by Alejandro Brugués. The movie stars Bob Gunton, Peyton List, Briana Middleton, Rachel Nichols and Austin Stowell as members of a wealthy family summoned home by a billionaire father who believes he will be murdered. The film combines family secrets with mystery and supernatural horror. It was released in the United States on July 12, 2024, giving Russo another feature writing credit outside the blockbuster action genre.
2025 — The Electric State
The Electric State marked Joe Russo’s return to directing feature films in 2025, once again alongside Anthony Russo. The Netflix science-fiction adventure stars Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt in a retro-futuristic world devastated by conflict between humans and robots. Joe Russo served as co-director and producer, while Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely wrote the screenplay based on Simon Stålenhag’s illustrated novel. Russo also contributed voice work to the film as Skeevy Bot, making this a particularly broad credit across directing, producing and acting.
2025 — The Legend of Ochi
Joe Russo served as an executive producer on The Legend of Ochi, a 2025 fantasy adventure directed and written by Isaiah Saxon. The film stars Helena Zengel as Yuri, a young girl who discovers a wounded baby Ochi and sets out to return it to its kind. Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson and Willem Dafoe also appear in the cast. Russo’s involvement was behind the scenes as an executive producer, making the film one of his more recent released feature credits.
Joe Russo’s Movie Career
Joe Russo’s movies by year show a career that has developed from small independent productions into some of the largest films in modern Hollywood. His early work with Anthony Russo on Pieces and Welcome to Collinwood established a collaborative filmmaking style before You, Me and Dupree brought them into mainstream studio comedy. The success of Captain America: The Winter Soldier opened the door to Marvel’s most ambitious productions, culminating in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Beyond superhero cinema, Russo has continued working across action, horror, science fiction and drama through projects such as Extraction, Cherry, The Gray Man, Relic, The Inheritance and The Electric State. His filmography also demonstrates that directing is only one part of his career, with substantial credits as a writer, producer and occasional actor. As of 2025, The Electric State and The Legend of Ochi are among the latest officially released feature films connected to Joe Russo’s movie career.
