Joss Whedon replaced by Russo brothers for upcoming Marvel film Avengers: Infinity War

The pair will replace Joss Whedon on the next Avengers film, following their work on Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The Russo brothers will replace Joss Whedon on the next Avengers film (Getty Images)

Director brothers Anthony Russo and Joe Russo have been confirmed to take over Marvel's Avengers franchise from Joss Whedon.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the pair will replace Joss Whedon on the next Avengers film, following their work on Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Both Avengers: Infinity War films are expected to be shot back-to-back next year.

Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 has been lined up for a 4 May, 2018 release, with the second part opening on 3 May, 2019.

Whedon has often hinted that Avengers: Age of Ultron would be his final project in that particular part of the Marvel Universe.

He told Empire in January: "I couldn't imagine doing this again. It's enormously hard, and it [will] be, by [the time I would make 'Avengers 3 & 4'], a good five years since I created anything that was completely my own.

"So it's very doubtful that I would take on the two-part 'Infinity War' movie that would eat up the next four years of my life.

"I obviously still want to be a part of the Marvel Universe, he continued. “I love these guys, but it ain't easy. This year has been more like running three shows than any year of my life. It is bonkers."

Whedon said of the swollen Avengers team, which now includes Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson has Quicksilver, that it had been difficult ensuring that everyone fit into the same universe without looking out of place.

"They’re very disparate characters. The joy of the Avengers is they really don’t belong in the same room. It’s not like the X-Men, who are all tortured by the same thing and have similar costumes," he said.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is out on 1 May. The Russos' Captain America: Civil War is due for release on May 6, 2016. The first of the two Infinity War films is out May 4, 2018.