POSSIBLE SPOILERS?? BUT PERSONALLY, I DON’T THINK IT’S THAT BAD, BUT  GO AT YOUR OWN RISK….

That headline seems very click bait-y…and I’m sorry for that, but if what I’m reading is right….oooboy….things are going to get crazy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

First, Variety has the scoop that Robert Downey Jr is set to sign up for a major role in Captain America 3.  And it’s not a cameo either, Tony Stark’s essentially the second lead. The Variety article even states that the storyline could lead into what is the MCU’s version of the 2007 Marvel Comics event, *Civil War.

I’m quiet surprised by this announcement, mostly because I assumed that Downey was only contracted to be in the Marvel movies as Tony in Avengers 2 and 3. But the man has been hinting for the last few weeks that somethings up and that we might be getting more Tony Stark then we realized.

Now…this announcement alone would have been enough for me to just do a quick write up and go on my Merry Marvel Marching Society way….

Until I went to Badass Digest and saw that Badass head honcho, Devin Faraci, had even MORE info. (And DO READ HIS full article! It’s a great read!)

Faraci’s articles states that Cap 3 leads into some major shake ups, and a darker tone for the Marvel Movies to be in.

He points out that after Joss Whedon (who wants to start focusing back on original concepts again), the Russo Brothers are in the lead to being the main guys who will direct Avengers 3 and 4 (I also heard a rumor that Guardians of the Galaxy’s director James Gunn might also be a strong possibility.)

This…this is some exciting stuff.

If Marvel Studios pulls this off, then it continues the game changing that they have been doing to franchise filmmaking. It’s a way to keep Tony Stark in the loop with out doing an Iron Man movie.  I like the plans with Cap, and the idea of Captain America sitting out Avengers 3 is very much in line with a couple of stories from the comics.

It also creates an simple in and out for Chris Evans. See, Evans KNOWS he’s going to come back, but not obligating him to do Avengers 3 is a way for him take a nice break.

AND, it creates a great heroic story beat if Cap returns in Avengers 4.

I’m also quiet surprised to hear that the Russos are the top choice to take over Avengers after Joss, but it makes sense. Yes, they did an AMAZING job with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but it’s  not just that. The Russo’s careers as TV directors have gotten them used to working under someone else story. What makes it really clear is that the Marvel Studio movies can be looked at as a real big budgeted enselbe TV Show. So hiring TV directors makes sense. (P.S. I understand why Joss is leaving, but I do hope that he comes back to the MCU at some point….perhaps to direct what could be THE Marvel Cinematic Universe Crossover movie…..maybe that movie could be called The Infinity Gauntlet…just tossing that out there.)

I’m not gonna lie, I did take a pause in hearing that the MCU’s tone might get darker after Captain America 3, but one will hope that it’s not the kind of dark that the DC Comics movies are hinting at.

Here’s hoping this all pays off. You can’t fault in the fact that the Marvel Studio movies are ambitious as hell, and the fact that they seem to know what they want, is the main reason why everyone else in Hollywood is struggling to keep up.

*Don’t get too caught up with the Civil War thing. I’m sure it’s more inspired by then a legit adaptation of that storyline, much like how Avengers: Age of Ultron is not really an adaptation of that miniseries.

SOURCES: Variety and Badass Digest.