As the co-director of the highest-grossing Marvel film to date, as well as the second highest-grossing film overall, Joe Russo stands as one of the most prominent figures in Hollywood today. Surprisingly, his personal wealth is a topic rarely brought up in discussions.
Considering their earlier work helming episodes of TV sitcoms like Arrested Development and Community, Joe and his brother Anthony Russo were not initially anticipated to become the creative forces behind immensely successful franchise films. Prior to their breakout with 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, their most notable cinematic endeavor was the 2006 romantic comedy You, Me and Dupree.
However, their exceptional contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) — overseeing the latter two-thirds of the Captain America trilogy and Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame — propelled the Russo brothers’ reputation to new heights. After their tenure with Marvel, they achieved further acclaim with the critically acclaimed and Oscar-winning film Everything Everywhere All at Once. Additionally, they joined forces with Netflix for major streaming hits like The Gray Man, and are currently working on the highly anticipated project, The Electric Slate. Not to be overlooked, they’re also returning to Disney to produce the forthcoming Hercules remake.
Despite the widespread respect garnered by the brothers, Joe Russo faced some backlash after posting an Instagram video in which he seemed to make light of the financial performance of Killers of the Flower Moon, a film directed by the perennial Marvel critic, Martin Scorsese. Many viewed Russo’s jesting as insensitive, given his own success at the box office, and cast Scorsese as the underdog. However, the reality is more nuanced, as it’s worth noting that the esteemed director of Goodfellas possesses a substantially higher net worth than Russo.
While Joe Russo’s net worth is estimated at $10 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, Scorsese boasts a staggering 20 times that amount, with a net worth of $200 million. Interestingly, Joe’s brother Anthony is reported to have twice as much wealth, with an estimated net worth of $20 million. Even if these figures are somewhat approximate and Joe Russo’s actual worth exceeds $10 million, he still has significantly less in his coffers compared to Scorsese. This context might suggest that Russo’s light-hearted jab at the accomplished auteur could be taken in a more forgiving light.
