The big news over the last couple of days has been the revelation that not only will Robert Downey Jr co-star with Chris Evans in CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 but that the plot will likely be based on the Civil War storyline from 2006. The recent New York Comic Con also served as a reveal for Marvel Comics upcoming event series Secret Wars, also based on an older Marvel crossover event. Both story arcs have been rumored as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years and both could be major game-changers for the film franchises, but which one will it be?
The short answer is that it could be both or neither. Much like next summer’s AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, Civil War and Secret Wars could both be used in name only and serve as a jumping off point for a film adaptation. The MCU is not beholden to being 100% accurate to the comic books, so both The Russos and Joss Whedon could be creating a new movie based on either event series. Secret Wars and Civil War both feature Spider-man in a central role which could also explain why we have been hearing so much about a potential deal between Disney and Sony to bring the webslinger to the MCU. Still, that doesn’t guarantee Peter Parker will appear in the storyline.
Secret Wars dealt with a character named The Beyonder bringing all of the Marvel heroes to Battleworld to face off against each other in mortal combat. The arc was designed as a way for Marvel to get better merchandising for their toys and has often been looked at as a low point in Marvel Comics history. Civil War, written by Mike Millar, was a huge event that introduced the Superhero Registration Act and pitted Captain America versus Iron Man with Spider-man caught in the middle. The series led into Fallen Son which saw the death of Steve Rogers and Bucky taking over the Captain America persona. Both series have been announced to return next year.
Not all Marvel Comics are designed to be directly linked to the feature film universe, but there does seem to be a correlation. Next year will also see the debut of Age of Ultron versus Marvel Zombies. Obviously, we won’t see our Avengers film crew turned into zombies, but the use of Ultron is clearly to capitalize on next summer’s big event film. Rumors also have next year seeing the end of the comics run of THE FANTASTIC FOUR which many are seeing as a Disney/Marvel tactic to hurt 20th Century Fox’s upcoming reboot from director Josh Trank.
When it comes down to it, there is a possibility that any of the upcoming Phase Three or even Four films could feature elements of Secret Wars or Civil War, but all signs are pointing to both being significant for the future of the MCU. We will obviously know for sure once CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 announces its subtitle in the near future.
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON opens May 1, 2015 and CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 hits screens on May 6, 2016.