Summary
The Russo brothers' MCU return is going to reportedly impact their involvement in Prime Video’sCitadelseason 2, despite an initial commitment to the returning spy thriller. At San Diego Comic-Con, it was revealed the directors would be returning to the superhero universe, directing theupcomingAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars. The creatives still have other projects they’re involved in, though, including acting as executive producers on the MGM+ seriesFromand being a key part of theCitadeluniverse.
Now,Puckreports that,despite an initial commitment from Joe Russo to direct all episodes ofCitadelseason 2, that number has been reducedfollowing the brothers' MCU return. Russo will instead be directing three or four episodes of the new season, although it’s unclear how many episodes in total it’s going to have. This shows where the brothers' priorities lie, but also seems to be another blow for the rather unpopular Prime Video original.
What The Russo Brothers’ Reduced Commitment Means For Citadel Season 2
The Show Isn’t Very Popular Already
Season 1 of the spy thriller series was plagued with issues, including an over-inflated budget of $300 million, extensive reshoots, and, ultimately, a show that was poorly-reviewed and poorly-watched. Even so,Citadelseason 2was confirmed, as Prime Video intends to make the series an international shared universe centered around the titular spy agency. This includes an Italian spinoff,Citadel: Diana, set for release on June 20, 2025, andCitadel: Honey Bunny, an Indian spinoff arriving on July 11, 2025.
Given the lackluster performance ofCitadelseason 1,it’s no surprise the brothers are putting their commitment to the MCU above the streaming show.While the prestige of the superhero series likely influenced their decision, the bad performance of the Prime Video show critically and commercially also likely made them decide not to make it their primary project. With Joe Russo no longer directing all episodes, it’s unclear how season 2 will pan out, and who will take charge of episodes he’s decided to no longer commit to.
Citadel Season 1’s 10 Biggest Unanswered Questions
Citadel’s season 1 finale answered some major questions, but the show still has many other unresolved mysteries for the second season to answer.
Since theending ofCitadelrevealed Mason to have been the mole who destroyed the titular agency the whole time, there is potential for an intriguing continuation depending on the direction the story goes. Even without the Russo brothers, the show could still succeed. However, given the lukewarm responses to season 1 and the overall viewership of the series being quite low,it’s unclear how Prime Video’s planned spyverse is going to farewithout the draw of its executive producers being at the forefront of season 2 as planned.
Citadel
Cast
Citadel is a 2023 action-thriller series developed by the Russo Brothers. The narrative follows agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh, played by Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who work for a global spy agency intent on maintaining world stability. They must confront a new threat from a shadowy organization bent on global chaos. Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville co-star in this high-stakes, globe-trotting espionage drama.
