Robert Downey Jr is set to extend his tentacles even further into the Marvel universe as he is lined up to play Tony Stark, the billionaire who transforms into Iron Man, in an another Marvel franchise, the Captain America series.
According to Variety, Downey will be handed a major role in Captain America 3, which is due for release in May 2016. This will follow another crossover appearance as part of Marvel’s superhero team (which includes Captain America) in the second Avengers film, The Age of Ultron, which will be released a year earlier, in May 2015.
On Monday, a tweet from Marvel Entertainment suggested the storyline of Captain America 3, which will again feature Chris Evans in the title role, will take its cue from the Marvel Civil War, which sees individual superheroes pitted against each other in the wake of the US government passing a Superhero Registration Act. According the Variety, Stark and Steve Rogers (aka Captain America) feud over the new law, which the latter sees as an attack on civil liberties. Marvel plan to reboot the comic book series to pave the way for Captain America 3.
Stark’s appearance in the film would mark a major turnaround for Downey, who as recently as September suggested he would not be returning to the character, which helped make him Hollywood’s highest-paid actor two years in a row. However, it was revealed in October that negotiations for Iron Man 4 were under way, and it now appears that he has secured a bigger role and more screen time than was originally intended for Captain America 3. Variety have suggested that Downey clashed with Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter over the issue, but Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige persuaded his chief that Downey’s continued participation would benefit the entire Marvel franchise, and upgraded Stark from a small role in Captain America 3 to the main antagonist.
Captain America 3 is due to be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who helmed the second Captain America film, Winter Soldier; that film grossed $714m (£444m) worldwide. Downey is rumoured to be receiving around $40m (£24.9m) for his role in the third.
