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Is Civil War just the beginning of a massive shake-up in the Marvel Movie Universe?

October 14th, 2014 by Irwin Fletcher 1 Comment

So it looks like the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going ahead with the Civil War storyline for phase 3 (here). This tells us that the negotiations Robert Downey Jnr was having with Marvel was not for an Iron Man 4, but for a substantial (rumoured 40 million paycheck) role in Cap 3. It looks like the bonds between Marvel and Joe and Anthony Russo – directors of Cap 2 and Cap 3 – are strong as they are being trusted with playing a big part in the lead in to phase 3 of the MCU.

With the news of Downey Jr having a major part in Cap 3, this has further cemented the rumours that the Russo Bros are in line to direct Avengers 3 and maybe even Avengers 4, if Josh Whedon decides he needs a break.

Badass Digest posted some coverage of the Downey Jn news along with some rumours on how phase 3 is shaping up. Here is the excerpt: “How closely will Captain America 3 tie in with Avengers 3? I’ve been told that the Russo Brothers are in talks to direct Avengers 3 and possibly 4. Sources tell me that they’re the favorites of Marvel right now and that they are the guys Kevin Feige want to pick up the mantle from Joss Whedon.

“This is assuming, of course, that Whedon doesn’t want to come back. Everything I’ve heard is that Ultron has been a huge grind on him so I think he’s probably done for a while. And the Russos are super hungry after Captain America: The Winter Soldier. If Captain America 3 is the bridge to Avengers 3, it makes a lot of sense for them to helm.

“So basically it looks like this. Avengers Age of Ultron screws everyone up big time. Tony Stark invents a being, Ultron that almost destroys the world. The Avengers win, of course, but Stark doesn’t want to be a superhero anymore. This sets up Captain America 3 where the two battle it out in Civil War. This won’t be a literal adaptation of the comic book story, but something similar. Divergent viewpoints going head to head over the meaning of superheroism.”

According to Badass, Captain American will not be in Avengers 3 – which could be a good thing, giving Chris Evans a break, and leading to his return after missing the Marvel paychecks. That leaves more of a story for the new characters such as Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and hopefully some others. Also, we mustn’t forget about the Guardians of the Galaxy who may join forces with everyone reteaming to fight off Thanos when he comes to Earth in Avengers 4.

The kicker here is that Robert Downey Jr. has only signed on for Avengers 3 and not Avengers 4, so we need to wait and see how it all plays out as this is all pretty speculative at the moment. This certainly seems like plausible – albeit – educational guesswork, but it is speculation that sits the Russo Brothers right in the middle of it all. What do you think of the Russo Bros stepping up to take on not just one, but two Avengers gigs? Drop some comments below and let us know your thoughts.

I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.