'Captain America 3' to Open on May 6, 2016; Will Challenge 'Batman vs. Superman'

Marvel Studios seems to be pretty confident that Captain America: The Winter Soldier is going to be a huge hit. How huge of a hit? Not only is the studio bringing back Anthony and Joe Russo to direct, but Marvel is giving the next Captain America sequel a May 6, 2016, release date ... which puts it head-to-head against Warner Bros.'s Batman vs. Superman movie.

The May 6 date has been dibs'd by Marvel for some time now, but the studio still hasn't officially announced which movie will be going there. The Captain America 3 news comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which also says:

That's the plan, anyway, creating the biggest superhero box office showdown in history. (Marvel Studios and parent company Disney staked out the date first.) Shooting schedules and postproduction could always impact the current blueprint, however. Also, Marvel and Disney have a second untitled movie scheduled to open that summer on July 8, so there is wiggle room.

Warner Bros. piggybacked on the May 6 release date when the studio had to push back production on its Man of Steel sequel. You'd think the specter of a movie featuring both Superman and Batman would scare off rival movies, but this is Marvel Studios we're talking about. While Warner Bros. has struggled to get its Justice League universe going, Marvel has been printing money with its Cinematic Universe. Marvel's not scared of any superhero Warner Bros. throws its way.

Captain America 3 becomes the second (well, third if you count The Avengers 3) confirmed film for Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ant-Man is already coming in July 2015 and there have been reports that a Guardians of the Galaxy sequel will also be in Phase Three. There's still a chance for a Thor sequel, with a Doctor Strange movie seeming likely based on the buzz surrounding Marvel's search for a director. There's also the outside chance the studio finally gets Black Panther going.

It's also likely that the Winter Soldier will be in the Captain America sequel, as Newsarama broke the news on Thursday that Sebastian Stan has a nine-movie deal with Marvel.