The Russo Brothers are back in session, and they’re bringing in the heavyweights.

The first episode of Pizza Film School Season 3 wastes no time in diving deep, welcoming Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, the writing duo behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War & Endgame, and the upcoming The Electric State.

With a spread of West Hollywood pizza and a few cold beers, the group gets straight to what they do best—breaking down the craft of storytelling, reflecting on their time in the MCU, and revealing the behind-the-scenes moments that shaped some of the biggest films in history.

From Teaching High School to Writing Blockbusters

Not everyone’s journey into Hollywood starts the same way. For Stephen McFeely, it began in a high school English classroom. Teaching for two years before realizing he wanted to write full-time, he took a leap, enrolled in UC Davis' creative writing program, and met Christopher Markus, who had been stacking thrift-store books and wrestling with the idea of turning his love of storytelling into a career.

The two bonded over a shared passion for writing—and a shared fear of entering the real world. “It’s just terrible out there,” Markus jokes about his pre-Hollywood days in Buffalo, NY. Faced with the decision to either return to an uninspiring 9-to-5 or take a risk on screenwriting, they went all in.

Breaking into Hollywood: From ‘Friends’ Spec Scripts to ‘Winter Soldier’

Before they were mapping out the Infinity Saga, Markus & McFeely started out like every other aspiring writer—writing spec scripts for shows they loved (Friends was their go-to). The duo spent hours figuring out the mechanics of sitcom writing, experimenting with structure, and ultimately realizing they wanted to break into feature films.

*Markus and McFeely wrote a Friends script they titled “The One With The Flippy Thing” where Pheobe believed she was telling real fortunes*

Their first attempt? A thriller script called Lamb of God that, according to them, was “the least thrilling script ever written.”

Luckily, they didn’t let that define them. Instead of trying to force their way into Hollywood with something they weren’t passionate about, they leaned into what they did love—sharp, character-driven storytelling. That shift landed them their first major break writing The Life and Death of Peter Sellers for HBO, which eventually led them to The Chronicles of Narnia and, later, the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Why ‘The Winter Soldier’ Changed Everything

When Markus & McFeely landed Captain America: The First Avenger, they weren’t thinking about crafting a multi-film arc just yet—but they were laying the foundation for something bigger. They purposely planted the seeds of Bucky Barnes’ transformation into The Winter Soldier, hoping Marvel would pick up that thread in the future.

By the time they met the Russo Brothers for The Winter Soldier, the four of them immediately clicked on one major idea: making Captain America feel like a modern-day political thriller.

“He missed Watergate. He missed 9/11. He’s not just catching up on technology, he’s waking up to a world that made compromises he never got to weigh in on.”

From there, the film evolved into something more grounded, grittier, and faster-paced than its predecessor. The team pulled inspiration from ‘70s espionage thrillers and even real-world police chases in Brazil (which directly influenced Nick Fury’s car chase scene).

The Winter Soldier didn’t just redefine Captain America—it redefined what an MCU movie could be.

The High-Stakes Gamble of ‘Infinity War’ & ‘Endgame’

As the conversation shifts to Infinity War and Endgame, the Russo Brothers reveal just how risky those films were from a storytelling perspective.

• Giving the villain the lead role – Infinity War wasn’t about the Avengers. It was Thanos’ movie, structured entirely around his journey.
• The snap wasn’t always the ending – At one point, the snap was Act 1 of Endgame, but they eventually realized it needed to be the devastating conclusion of Infinity War instead.
• Thor vs. Thanos: The Fake-Out – The writers leaned into classic hero storytelling, setting up Thor’s weapon as the solution, only to flip the script when he failed to land the final blow.

“We wanted audiences to feel like they knew what was coming, only to pull the rug out from under them.”

That gamble worked. Fans didn’t just watch those movies—they felt them.

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The Reality of Long-Form Storytelling in the MCU

Markus & McFeely reflect on how Marvel’s interconnected films created a new kind of cinematic storytelling.

• “It’s a soap opera,” McFeely jokes. Not in a bad way, but in the sense that each film built on the last, carrying emotional weight from movie to movie.
• The MCU was always an experiment. Even Kevin Feige didn’t know if it would work. Every single film was a gamble, and Infinity War could’ve easily backfired.
• Endgame’s tone was inspired by Breaking Bad and Fargo. The five-year time jump was directly influenced by how those shows took bold narrative swings.

Writing Process: What Makes a Great Script?

So how do two writers craft some of the biggest films in history? Meticulous outlining.

Markus & McFeely revealed their process:
📌 They start with note cards, writing down every key idea, moment, and character arc.
📌 They figure out what moments define the story and where the emotional beats land.
📌 They separate to write individual scenes, then come back together and rewrite—again and again.

"Every script is a first draft until you’ve broken it apart and rebuilt it a hundred times."

Final Takeaways: What They Learned From Marvel & Beyond

As the episode wraps, the group reflects on the biggest lessons from their time in the MCU:

✅ Best idea wins. Collaboration is key—no ego, just great storytelling.
✅ Know the rules before you break them. Structure matters, even in a movie as wild as Everything Everywhere All at Once (which follows a strict three-act structure).
✅ Take risks, but earn them. You can kill half your characters (Infinity War) if you’ve built up the emotional stakes to make it land.

And most importantly…

"Don’t let them pigeonhole you. Keep surprising them."

Next Episode Sneak Peek… 🍕

Episode 1 set the bar high, but there’s plenty more to come. Stay tuned for the next Pizza Film School drop, where the Russos bring in more of their closest collaborators to keep the film school energy going.

Until then—watch, learn, and grab another slice. 🍕🎬

Watch the full episode here → YouTube Apple Podcasts Spotify

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