Avid followers of the Marvel cinematic universe have been wondering for awhile now when and if Robert Downey Jr. will appear as Tony Stark / Iron Man after Avengers: Age of Ultron. Some fans wondered if Iron Man 4 could be in the works, but it's now been revealed that Downey Jr. will return as the beloved billionaire, though not in an Iron Man film.

Variety reports that Robert Downey Jr. is set to join the cast of the third Captain America movie, currently referred to as Captain America 3, to reprise his role as Tony Stark / Iron Man. Additionally, the third installment in the super soldier franchise is on track to follow Marvel's Civil War storyline that took place in the comic book world from 2006 – 2007.

At its core a seven-issue mini-series penned by Mark Millar (though its influence weaved through other comic book titles), the Civil War plot followed the response of superheroes to the U.S. government's implementation of the Superhero Registration Act, which called for all United States citizens with super powers to register with the government and act under the political system's orders and supervision.

In the comics, Iron Man supported the bill and Captain America opposed it, leading to confrontations between the two former friends. If Captain America 3 stays even remotely true to its source material, Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man could be viewed as a villain of sorts, though it depends what side you take and how gray certain areas are shaded. And in paneled page news, earlier this week Marvel revealed that they are rebooting the Civil War comic book storyline next summer.

Captain America 3 is scheduled to begin production next spring and is set for a May 6th, 2016 release, with brothers Anthony and Joe Russo (the directing duo behind this year's Captain America: The Winter Soldier) returning to helm the third film off a screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (both of whom scribed the first two Captain America movies and Thor: The Dark World).

Before Captain America or Iron Man potentially take opposite sides in the big screen adaptation of the Civil War conflict, they will fight alongside each other in Avengers: Age of Ultron, set for a May 1st, 2015 release. Stay tuned for further announcements regarding Captain America 3.

Source: Variety
  • Derek Anderson
    About the Author - Derek Anderson

    Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.

    When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.