Scarlett Johansson Confirmed to Return for 'Captain America: Civil War'

Never one to go into battle without a strong lady by his side, Captain America fought alongside Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) in Captain America: The First Avenger and Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow in 'The Winter Soldier'. Now as the heroes are about to undergo a serious ideological split in Captain America: Civil War, Cap is turning to an old friend to help see him through.

While in Beijing, 'Civil War' directors Joe and Anthony Russo confirmed (via CBM) that Johansson will return for the film, along with Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier...

Anthony Russo: “We’ve been preparing for the movie since the last one debuted last year. So, we’ve been working on it for a long time now. We’re very happy how it’s coming along. Captain America 3 is gonna be called Captain America: Civil War and it’s going to star Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson will be back, Winter Soldier [Sebastian Stan] will be back, and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man will also be joining us in the next film.”

They'll join Chadwick Boseman who will make his Marvel debut as Wakandan king, Black Panther; Anthony Mackie is also returning as Falcon, and we can expect to see Daniel Bruhl in a role that is being kept under a tight lid. My guess is that he's playing a modern version of the Red Skull.

The question is which side will Black Widow be on? In the comics version of Civil War she sided with Tony Stark in favor of a Superhero Registration Act. Will she do the same now and stand against Captain America even as they seem to be forming a close, possibly romantic relationship?   Captain America: Civil War opens May 6th 2016. 

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Sony/Marvel Spider-Man Deal would be a Reboot; Russo Bros. Directing 'Avengers: Infinity War'

After getting off to a roaring start Sony has royally botched The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, that much is no longer in dispute. And as we've seen them scramble to formulate some kind of plan, rumors have been growing they may be willing to share the character's rights with Marvel, thus allowing him into the same universe as the Avengers. A leaked email revealed just days ago confirmed those talks had taken place, and while it seemed like a dead idea a new story suggests it could still happen.

According to Latino Review, Sony's parent company has noticed just how badly the Spider-Man movies have done in relation to other comic book franchises and are open to the deal with Marvel. Their hope is to negotiate some kind of 60/40 split that would see Sony retaining creative control, but what are the chances Marvel would run with something like that? Probably slim. If it did happen, though, it would be without Andrew Garfield, or anything relating to Marc Webb or Sam Raimi's films. It would be a completely new franchise, one that would skip out on the origin story we've seen depicted twice in only a few years. Smart move, there.

Of course, none of this may happen. For now Sony is pushing ahead with their Spider-Man plans, such as they are. That includes a Venom movie, a Sinister Six film, a female-led Spidey film, and an animated comedy series with Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

Meanwhile, the Sony hack continues to be an information goldmine. A Brazilian website dug through the leaked emails and discovered that Captain America: The Winter Soldier directors the Russo Brothers were approached to be Spider-Man producers. That offer may still stand, but the duo revealed to Sony chief Amy Pascal they would be directing Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War, which would confirm a rumor that's been making the rounds.  Keep in mind that due to all of this hacking stuff there are likely to be some big changes at Sony, so who knows how much any of this stuff holds up in the long run.

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Civil War Breaks Out as Robert Downey Jr. Joins 'Captain America 3'; Russo Brothers may Direct 'Avengers 3 & 4'

So all last week Robert Downey Jr. was giving fans the runaround about Iron Man 4. One day he said it was happening, only to come back that same day and say it wasn't, but that he and Marvel were negotiating SOMETHING. Well, now we know what those talks were about and it is huge. Variety is now reporting that Downey will join Chris Evans in the untitled Captain America 3, but the even bigger news is what the storyline will be.

The next Captain America film, which is officially set for May 6th 2016, will use elements of Marvel's mega-crossover Civil War. The highly-controversial storyline saw the superhero universe fractured over the Superhero Registration Act, which forces everyone with powers to become registered with the government and reveal their civilian identities to the public. One team of heroes, led by Captain America, fought against this idea. Tony Stark led the other faction that believed in the registration act. That led to a massive "civil war" that split up the Avengers and caused the entire hero community to distrust one another. It also was a key step that led to Captain America's eventual "death".

This is a pretty big deal for a few reasons, but primarily it keeps Downey under the Marvel umbrella for awhile longer. He wasn't signed on for any appearances after The Avengers 3, and apparently negotiations were tense with Marvel nearly ending them altogether. But there's even more, as Variety's piece states “The fallout from the government and Stark’s actions would factor into a new 'Avengers 4' film and beyond that will assemble new characters being introduced like Ant-Man and Doctor Strange, among others, in their own movies.” This seems to fit with recent rumors of a major lineup change for Avengers 3 that would see most of the original cast left out.

Finally, this means Captain America 3 will be a bigger part of the Marvel cinematic universe as a whole rather than a standalone film. To that effect, Badass Digest says Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America 3 directors the Russo Brothers are in talks to helm Avengers 3 & 4.

So this is a lot to take in but the point is that Marvel is flipping the script once again and taking the superhero genre to a different level.

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'Captain America 3' Directors Tease a Passing of the Shield

Change is inevitable in the world of the Avengers; it's kind of their thing, really. And over the last few years there has been a lot of change for Captain America who has died, been replaced by his formerly dead buddy the Winter Solider, only to return and get replaced again by his other friend, Falcon. With all of those guys wearing the suit in the comics, and Chris Evans' contract status kind of up in the air, many have wondered if we might see a new Captain America on screen. Returning directors Joe & Anthony Russo were asked by MTV about if a change was in the works for Captain America 3, and they certainly didn't shoot the idea down, in fact they seem to confirm that this will be the end of Cap's story...

Anthony Russo: "It is a hard question to answer because it gets to the specific of where the narratives are going. I will say this: yes, for satisfying storytelling, you want a beginning, middle and end. That’s the natural arc that we all thrive off of in narrative.” 

When one looks at what Marvel did with Iron Man, they were able to wrap up his story neatly in Iron Man 3. While there have been some minor discussions about a fourth film it doesn't seem likely, especially with Robert Downey Jr. more than happy only to return for Avengers movies. That's opened up room for new franchises to begin, like this summer's Guardians of the Galaxy. The Russos believe the cinematic universe will begin to look even more like the comics, meaning new characters will often be shuffled in to prominent roles while older ones step aside for a time...

Anthony Russo: “The great thing about the Marvel universe, just like the publishing, it’s a very vast, inter-connected universe, where characters will have their rise and fall, so to speak, and hand off to other characters. As the cinematic universe moves forward, you may start to see the cinematic universe adopt that same pattern, as the publishing has, where there’s closure with some characters and new beginnings with other characters. How those hand-offs are made is always part of the fun.”

Yes, he's talking openly about Steve Rogers handing off the Captain America mantle to another, but does that mean it will happen? And if so, who would pick it up? The Russos tell Collider....

Anthony Russo: "You know, to be honest with you, it’s just – even though there’s sort of a grand plan of things, Kevin Feige also has this awesome attitude of one movie at a time, which I think is very healthy, not to get too far ahead of yourself.  And I think even though we can see in the distant horizon some contracts coming to an end and whatnot, and sort of wondering about what happens, I think the truth is, we’re not close enough to it to really be addressing it on a narrative level yet."

Joe Russo: "When Bucky takes over the mantle at the end of Cap 3 – [turns to Anthony] did I just …[LAUGHS] Did I just say that?  I meant to say Falcon. Falcon takes over the mantle at the end of Cap 3.  It’s a process that, you know, you have to tell the best story that you can now and the contract issue’s not necessarily something that we’re worried all that much about."

Anthony Russo: "All we know is we get Chris Evans for this movie."

All jokes aside, these questions are going to keep popping up from now until Captain America: The Death of Captain America or whatever it will be titled opens on May 6th 2016. 

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Jeremy Renner Says Hawkeye May Turn Up in 'Captain America 3'

Avengers: Age of Ultron is filming now, and as we saw in the set photos released today, Jeremy Renner will be sporting some new threads...even if they're ugly and super impractical. The character hasn't really had his time to shine yet or make multiple guest appearances in other films, but Renner hints that could be about to change.

Speaking with Collider, Renner teased Hawkeye making an appearance in Captain America 3, following his partner Black Widow having a key part in Captain America: The Winter Soldier...

Renner: "There are rumblings of Captain America 3. I don't know what's going to happen there. I've got to find the time, man (laughs). I'm trying to stay home and I can't."

He's not kidding about finding the time. Renner is currently shooting Mission: Impossible 5, and he also has a sequel to The Bourne Legacy coming up. That's a lot of franchises for one guy to handle which makes it more incredible he finds time for American Hustle or this fall's Kill the Messenger.

For what it's worth, returning directors Joe & Anthony Russo were vague when SuperheroHype asked them whether Captain America 3 had room for Hawkeye....

Anthony: "Unfortunately we can't (comment)"It's too specific to what the movie may be."

Joe: "There are certainly characters that Cap is close to or has a strong relationship with that would make sense appearing in his films. I think that's all we can say about it."

Hawkeye and Captain America share a friendly but antagonistic relationship in the comics, one we haven't really seen play out on screen yet. Captain America 3 opens May 6th 2016.

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Russo Brothers to Direct Former Brad Pitt Project, 'The Gray Man'

Generally regarded as comedy directors, Joe and Anthony Russo changed the conversation with their thrilling Bourne-esque Marvel entry, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The duo did so well they're already involved in preparing the 2016 sequel, and once that is finished the Russo Brothers will continue their trek through the world of espionage with an adaptation of Mark Greaney's novel, The Gray Man.

Once a project that had Brad Pitt starring and James Gray directing, the brothers will now write and helm the film based on the first of Greaney's "Court Gentry" series, with plans to turn it into a franchise. Gentry is a legendary CIA operative-turned-assassin who must "evade mysterious forces as he tries to save the lives of the daughters who don’t know he exists."

The script needs to be finished up before a lead is found, and with so long before production the Russo Brothers have plenty of time to try and get it right. [Variety]

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Cinema Royale #57- Captain America: The Winter Soldier; The Raid 2

Two kick ass action flicks and one awesome interview makes for an amazing show! Captain America: The Winter Soldier storms into theaters, bringing back the "First Avenger" to face a threat from his past! We'll look at whether it can keep up Marvel's incredible momentum as they march towards Avengers: Age of Ultron! But that's not all, as Cinema Royale will be joined by directors Joe and Anthony Russo to discuss Captain America's latest adventure!

The Raid: Redemption was an instant classic when it premiered a couple of years ago. Can the eagerly-anticipated sequel, The Raid 2, possibly hope to live up to the extraordinary expectations?

+Jeffrey Lyles  from the Lyles' Movie Files website joins us for an action packed show!

Head over to the Cinema Royale website and sign up to receive the free podcast every single week, full of movie news and reviews from some of DC's top critics. And while you're there, consider signing up for the premium service, which grants you access to the full back catalog of shows; complete unedited interviews with top guests such as Jason Bateman, Jesse Eisenberg, Steve Coogan and more. Plus you'll receive special premium content such as our Oscars and WAFCA awards specials, and our comic book movie refresher courses!

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Interview: Joe and Anthony Russo Talk 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier', 'Cap 3', and Being Marvel Geeks

Never let it be said that Marvel hasn't been doing some out of the box thinking when it comes to building their cinematic universe of superheroes. And part of that was their decision to hire Joe and Anthony Russo, directors best known for comedies like Welcome to Collinwood, You Me & Dupree, and NBC's Community, to helm Captain America: The Winter Soldier. But just like nearly every other gamble Marvel has taken, it was one that paid off in spades. The film thrusts Cap into an unfamiliar world where the good guys and bad guys aren't clearly defined, and the government is willing to sacrifice freedom at the altar of security.

My colleague +Tim Gordon  and I had a chance to sit down with the Russo Brothers and talk about their inspirations for Captain America 2, their comic book geek credentials, and what the future holds for Captain America 3.  Check out the interview below, then check out my review of the film here! Captain America: The Winter Soldier is in theaters now!

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'Captain America 3' in the Works; Joe and Anthony Russo to Direct

It should come as no surprise that Marvel is already looking ahead to a third Captain America film. The early reaction to Captain America: The Winter Soldier has been strong, and Marvel tends to get a jump on future projects early to make for a seamless fit into their cinematic universe. With test screenings going extremely well, Variety reports that Captain America 3 is in development now, with Joe and Anthony Russo expected to return as co-directors.

No deals have been signed yet and won't until the second film wraps up, but Marvel has been impressed enough by the Russos that they're being brought back. Of course, if the film flops that could all change, but when was the last Marvel movie to be a box office dud? Ever since The Avengers we've seen all of Marvel's movies get a considerable bump, including Thor: The Dark World which hauled in over $630M. We can probably expect a similar bounce from the Captain America sequel.

The Russos are already putting together a storyline, and it'll be interesting if this turns out to be the final part of a trilogy. So far no Marvel movie has gone past three films.  If it is, we may see them use some version of "The Death of Captain America" storyline, as many of the characters are already present and accounted for.

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The Russo Brothers to direct 'Captain America' sequel

When Marvel's short list to direct the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger emerged, it was an oddball mix to say the least. F. Gary Gray(The Italian Job), George Nolfi(The Adjustment Bureau), and the virtually unknown Russo Brothers(Welcome to Collinwood) were in contention, and the smart money was on Nolfi. Turns out we were all wrong, as THR reports the Russo boys will be helming Cap's next adventure.

Apparently they won over Marvel by immersing themselves in The Avengers over the last month, which helped make up for their relative inexperience. The Russos haven't dine much on the big screen lately. Their last notable film was the Owen Wilson comedy, You, Me, and Dupree. They're also producers and directors on the NBC sitcom, Community.

We'll see how this pans out, but I like the way Marvel is bringing in unexpected filmmakers for some of their sequels. They made the same moves when hiring for Iron Man 3 and Thor 2.

Captain America 2 is expected to open on April 4th 2014.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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