While Robert Downey Jr. was always going to return for a third Avengers film after next year’s Age Of Ultron, but until recently all suggestions had been that other than that he was hanging up the exo-suit.
However recently he suggested that against all odds he may well make an Iron Man 4 too, and now Variety reports he’s set to be a huge part of Captain America 3.
It would seem that what’s convinced Downey to remain a major part of the Marvel world (other than the gargantuan pay deal he’s negotiating, said to be $40 million plus profit participation) is that it will allow him to be central to a massive development in the comic book universe – the eruption of Civil War, which it seems will start in Captain America 3.
That means it won’t just be Batman Vs. Superman pitted against each other in 2016, as the Civil War storyline in the Marvel Comics centres around the Superhero Registration Act, which demands that those with super-human register themselves with and serve the US government. Steve Rogers is unimpressed by this and rebels against it, while Tony Stark thinks it’s a good idea. As a result the various heroes split into factions that ending up doing battle with one another.
It means that in Captain America 3, Stark is likely to be close to being the villain, although we’re sure they won’t make him too bad.
There are also rumours that Anthony Russo and Joe Russo won’t just direct Cap 3, but will also take over from Joss Whedon for Avengers 3 & 4, but at the moment that is far from being confirmed. Captain America 3 is due out May 6th, 2016.