Robert Downey Jr. Signs On for 'Captain America 3' to Bring 'Civil War' Storyline to Life

Iron Man 4 isn't happening, but Robert Downey Jr. has signed a new deal to bring Iron Man back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a huge way. Downey will play Iron Man in Captain America 3 as Marvel Studios brings the epic Civil War storyline to life, Variety reported on Monday night.

The Civil War crossover event dominated Marvel comics a few years ago and remains one of the biggest comic book events in years. In that miniseries, a disaster caused by rogue superheroes forced the American government to pass the Superhero Registration Act, requiring all masked heroes to reveal their secret identities for accountability. Tony Stark backed the government's efforts in the matter while Captain America led the charge against the Superhero Registration Act. The Marvel universe was torn apart by a superhero civil war over the matter. Spider-Man originally joined Stark's side, even unveiling his secret identity to the world, but eventually sided with Captain America. The series ended with Captain America being assassinated and Bucky Barnes taking his place.

Variety reports that "the moral question and battle with his Avengers teammate essentially makes Stark a villain of sorts in Captain America 3, providing Downey with a meaty role he could play out into future Marvel films, including a fourth Avengers."

Marvel already got the Internet in a Civil War mood on Monday, tweeting that a new chapter of the comic series was coming in Summer 2015.

News of Downey joining Captain America 3 is incredibly exciting when it comes to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only is Downey sticking around, but Captain America: Civil War (which is what Marvel will most likely call Captain America 3) have huge repercussions for Marvel's megafranchise.

This is how the studio will replace Chris Evans with either Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier) or Anthony Mackie (Falcon) as Captain America.

This will take Stark out of the Iron Man suit and into the job of director of SHIELD.

This is how Spider-Man will transition into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, I believe this is finally going to happen. Spider-Man's unmasking was such a big deal during the Civil War storyline it earned headlines in USA Today and news outlets around the world. Iron Man and Captain America are high-powered leaders in the Superhero Registration Act battle — Peter Parker represents the audiences' torn consciences. He needs to be in this movie.

It sounds like getting Downey a new $40 million (plus backend) deal for Captain America 3 wasn't an easy journey:

Originally, Marvel wanted to hire Downey for a small role, which would have required just three weeks of work. But Downey wanted Stark to have a more substantial role in the film’s plot, which would give him more screen time and naturally a bigger payday. This angered Marvel Entertainment chief Ike Perlmutter, who ordered the screenwriters to write Iron Man out of the script entirely, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
Even though the deal appeared dead, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Downey’s reps at CAA continued talks in hopes of working out their issues. Feige was bent on executing his grand vision for extending the life of the Marvel characters over many years.
The executive needed his boss to see the big picture, considering the introduction of the Civil War story is seen as a way to drive the plots of sequels and new franchises for the next seven years, given the dramatic possibilities it offers for future films. 

Captain America 3 is set to hit theaters on May 6, 2016. Good thing Warner Bros. bailed on challenging this movie with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Geez, this is exciting. Disney is the best thing to ever happen to Marvel.