Saturday 18 October 2014

Could Iron Man being in Captain America 3 actually be a BAD thing?

Wow, three posts in a week! Don't know what's got in to me! Anyway,  regular visitors to my blog will be familiar with my fandom of Marvel Studios' output, and how I like to idly speculate and comment on their future slate; well some news emerged this week that I've felt compelled to comment on...


After dropping some not-very-subtle hints that he's been in talks with Marvel Studios about reprising the role of Iron Man beyond his current contract (Avengers 2 & 3), word finally slipped this week that Robert Downey Jr will be in the next Captain America movie.  The title for this hasn't been announced, but recently the directors of this year's Captain America sequel 'The Winter Soldier' stated that fan's minds would be blown when they found out who was going to be in it, and that the title of the sequel would give away what it is about in a big, big way.  Well, since the news about RDJ being in the next Cap movie came out it has also been reported that this movie will cover one of the most dramatic arcs in Marvel Comic's recent history: Civil War.  (For the sake of brevity, you can read the summary of this story at all number of websites like this, this or this.)

Previously, despite many people expressing a desire to see this arc put on film, it seemed unlikely it would happen: after all, Spider-man is pretty central, and Fantastic Four and Wolverine also feature prominently - none of which can be portrayed in a Marvel Studios movie due to their rights being with Sony and Fox respectively.  Add to that, the Civil War arc is a pretty dark one, and ultimately has a depressing conclusion - the assassination of Captain America.  Whilst that element is one I don't think Marvel Studios should shy away from portraying in some way at some point in one of their films, I personally have felt that they'd have been better choosing elements of this story and working them in to one or more of their movies.  But if reports are to be believed, Captain America 3 will be strongly based on this story.  And I must admit, I'm worried.

I'm not worried about the handling of this particular story arc - Marvel's handling of their own characters and stories has been successful so far, and given the quality of their last five films (okay, maybe not so much the recent Thor, but that did have strong points!) I think we can trust that they will handle it in a way that is as effective, satisfying and entertaining as these films.  No, what has got me worried is that it has been reported that Robert Downey Jr has negotiated himself a far bigger role in the next Captain America movie than was originally planned.

'But Robert Downey Jr is GREAT as Tony Stark/Iron Man!' I hear you cry - yes, you're right.  You can argue that without his performance in the first Iron Man film, Marvel Studios would not have gone on to have the success they have since enjoyed.  The charisma he brought to the role was part of what made the first Iron Man such fun, and he is without doubt an immense box-office draw in the role. It is impossible to to imagine anyone else playing him, and if he will continue in the role beyond the next two Avengers films he's contracted for (Age of Ultron and the next sequel), that in itself is a good thing. 

If rumours that RDJ argued his way to a bigger role in Cap 3, what does this mean for Cap's story and character arc?
However, if the reports of 'fraught negotiations' are true, then I believe there are some implications for how Marvel Studios have been doing things. Bear in mind, this is the studio that, whilst giving their directors and stars a certain amount of creative freedom, still has a very set plan for their films. Look at what happened with Ant-man and the departure of Edgar Wright; he apparently wanted to do a standalone film, but Marvel Studios (I think it can be argued rightly) wanted a film that was part of their universe - so Wright parted, despite spending almost 8 years on and off working on it. This demonstrates how focussed Marvel Studios are on their plan for their characters and their films.

But despite this, RDJ can apparently argue his way to a bigger role in a film that isn't even his own. Again, I'm not going to debate storylines or characterisation - as I've said, going on their track record, I trust them to pull that off.  My concern is that Marvel can apparently be swayed to alter their plans at the demands of one actor. Especially when the film in question is ostensibly a Captain America sequel; if more room is being made to accommodate RDJ as Stark, how will this leave room for the plot and character threads that 'Winter Soldier' introduced like the redemption of Bucky, or Cap's friendship with Falcon? I am concerned that this could be the first time Marvel Studios have made a compromise that effects the portrayal and development of one (or more) of their characters - one of the strengths that has put them ahead of some other movie studio's comic adaptations.



Despite the potential problems, this story could be the Superhero clash people remember in 2016, instead of that other one...
Also, this may set a precedent where other compromises start to be made on other films, further eroding the character and story focus and thus the high standards that have so far been a mark of their films.  If these reports are true, and RDJ's contract negotiations do indicate the start of worrying compromises, then there's no small irony that there's a parallel with the arc apparently being put on film:

In the comic, it is the hubris and stubbornness of Tony Stark that ends many superhero alliances with cataclysmic results for the Marvel universe; whilst the actor that portrays him could potentially undermine the Marvel movies with his own hubris and stubbornness, perhaps leading to their decline.


I sincerely hope that this doesn't turn out to be the case and it must be said, a lot of this is based upon rumour and speculation at the moment. When Marvel Studios finally officially announce the title of Captain America 3 things may be clearer. But hopefully they'll still continue to do right by their characters, AND maintain the high standards of their films. 

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