Robert Downey Jr. Joins ‘Captain America 3’ For Civil War Storyline
Well, now we know what all ofRobert Downey Jr.’s vague promises of"plans" and “other stuff” with Marvelwere about. The actor is reportedly in final negotiations to joinChris Evans' titular hero inCaptain America 3.
Even more exciting is what he’ll be doing there: Going head to head with Cap in an adaptation of the Civil War storyline from the comic books. Hit the jump for all the details on the Robert Downey JrCaptain America 3casting.
Eventually, Rogers and other superheroes are forced to go on the run to avoid arrest. Effectively, this makes Tony Stark the villain ofCaptain America 3. The meaty premise also gives the Marvel Cinematic Universe plenty to work with over the next several films leading up toAvengers 3 and 4, as various characters find themselves dealing with the fallout or grappling with the thorny issues raised by the Superhero Registration Act.
What slightly off about Civil War as Phase 3 in the MCU is that in the comic books, the question of secret identities is a big sticking point. There are no secret identities in the movies, so the Civil War storyline will have to be altered. Marvel’s done this before.Age of Ultronwas modified from the comic to screen and Tony Stark’s trouble with booze was alluded to but never directly addressed.
(Also worth noting is that Spider-Man plays a major role in the originalCivil War. And Marvel is relaunching the storyline in the comic books in 2015 withthis photoof Spider-Man being torn between Captain America and Iron Man.)
Presumably the events and destruction ofAvengers: Age of Ultron, whatever they may be, will kick off the battle between Stark and Rogers. AfterUltron, Marvel introduces a new character inAnt-Manand thenCaptain America3 comes along, continuing theAge of Ultronstoryline much in the same wayCaptain America: The Winter SoldiercontinuedThe Avengers.
The Civil War news also leaves us wondering how the plot arc will fit with the Infinity Gauntlet/Thanos storyline that has been ramping up over Phase 1 and Phase 2. Is that now slated for Phase 4? Is that the big event that finally gets all the superheroes back together? We’ll have to wait and see about all that.
Back to reality, one interesting note in the trade is Downey almost didn’t appear at all. Marvel originally wanted him for a smaller role, but Downey lobbied for more screen time (and therefore more money). Marvel Entertainment chiefIke Perlmutterwas so angry he ordered screenwriters to cut Downey out ofCaptain America 3entirely. But the two sides kept talking, and eventually they came to a deal.
Ultimately, Downey is expected to collect about $40 million plus backend on the dealplusanother bonus ifCaptain America 3does better thanCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. Which it probably will, because Iron Man is still arguably the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best known hero. The new film is not covered by his current contract, which only takes him throughAvengers 3.
Captain America: The Winter SoldierdirectorsJoeandAnthony Russoare back to helmCaptain America 3, and are currently working on the script withChristopher MarkusandStephen McFeely.Captain America 3shoots next spring for release onMay 6, 2016. Expect an official announcement, along with a title, very soon.
