Yes, you heard that right: the invincible Ironman is boarding Captain America’s bandwagon. The news was announced today that Robert Downey Jr. himself will board 2016’s as of yet untitled Captain America 3 alongside Chris Evans as a part of a new phase of films that will start a cinematic adaptation of Marvel’s historic Civil War arc.
The actor is reportedly in final negotiations to replay the arguable face of the Marvel cinematic universe for the last six years and about to sign on for a $40 million deal or more depending on the film’s box office take. This follows his alleged reprisal of the playboy billionaire role for Ironman 4 earlier last week and further reports that Downey Jr.’s continue role in Marvel films to come.
Captain America 3, already slated for a May 6th, 2016 release (the former date of Warner’s Batman V. Superman) will further serve as a springboard for expanding Civil War beyond Evans and Downey Jr. and into upcoming films such as Marvel’s Ant-man and Doctor Strange following a narrative split between the two characters in the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron, opening May 1st, 2015.
The cross-over mini series “Marvel Civil War” ran from 2006 to 2007 and featured nearly every character in the Marvel universe going head to head over a proposed “superhero registration act” in which American superheroes were forced to reveal their identities and provide their services to the U.S. government. Ironman was in support of the act with Steve Rogers’ Captain America opposed, resulting in the two’s factions warring. Marvel most recently announced that the series would be rebooted next year.
Captain America 3, judging from the incoming reports, would adapt the basics of the storyline which also featured Spider-man, whose film rights are currently owned by Sony.
We’ll update this headline as soon as either Disney and Marvel make a formal statement on the breaking news.
Via Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, & IGN