Gotta give credit where it’s due: Marc Graser at Variety just dumped a big-ass scoop on Cap 3, and it’s pretty cool. Here’s the rundown. Robert Downey Jr. is “on the verge of signing” a deal to be major player in the next Captain America, a deal which will pay very handsomely. According to Graser, Downey has been working with Kevin Feige to really push the importance of Tony Stark’s role in the film, which will introduce the Superhero Registration Act, and therefore the Civil War storyline.
Head of Marvel Entertainment, Ike Perlmutter, was supposedly not pleased with the idea of enlarging Stark’s role, and ordered screenwriters to write him out of Cap 3 entirely. Marvel’s all about pinching pennies, so I can understand the hesitation when it comes to putting a very costly A-lister in your movie that wouldn’t need him for any more than a few scenes. Feige kept pushing, though, because the Civil War storyline would have a tremendous impact upon a fourth Avengers film. Now he’s gotten his way, and I think we will reap serious benefits.
Captain America 3 will retain directors Joe and Anthony Russo from the highly successful Winter Soldier, along with screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. It looks like we’ll see Frank Grillo again, too.
Mark your calendars if you haven’t already: May 6, 2016.