Robert Downey Jr. Hints at Iron Man's About-Face in 'Captain America 3'

By Graeme McMillan

Robert Downey Jr. has opened up about the future for Tony Stark, talking about the character’s journey from standing alongside the other Marvel heroes in this summer’s Avengers: Age of Ultron to facing off against Chris Evans’ Captain America in next year’s Captain America: Civil War.

”Age of Ultron feels like a beginning and an ending,” the actor told Empire magazine, saying that Joss Whedon’s second Avengers movie provides clues for Stark’s direction in the next Captain America movie — although he stops short of agreeing that Iron Man will be the bad guy in the intra-superhero punch-up.

Downey in ‘Iron Man’

"The idea of Tony being able to march into Washington and say, ‘I’ll sign up’, wouldn’t have made sense if the political climate in the real world hadn’t shifted the way it has," Downey explained. "There’s always the bigger overarching question, that Joss brings up all the time — it’s kind of weird that these guys would have all these throw downs all over planet Earth and it looked like a little collateral damage happened over there, and yet when the movie’s over, it’s like nobody minds. You have to figure, ‘Were you to ask the question, what would the American government do if this were real? Wouldn’t it be interesting to see Tony doing something you wouldn’t imagine?’ "

He also talked about signing on for more Marvel movies, saying that he feels that the studio is “making all the right moves,” and wanting to continue to be part of that. “I also recognise that I’ll be turning 50 by the time I promote this movie,” he added, joking that “the clock is ticking down on the amount of memories and participation that I would allow myself and not embarrass the medium with.”

Downey and Chris Evans in ‘Age of Ultron’

He’s being modest, of course; he also refers to contributing some ideas that producers picked up on for future installments, and says that he hopes to be able to “take even a lesser position in support” of other franchises to “keep things bumping along … a little longer than they might have.” Whether onscreen or off-, it appears that Iron Man is at the heart of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, no matter which side of an argument he may be on.

Avengers: Age of Ultron will be released on May 1.

Related: ‘Iron Man 3’: Does Tony Stark Have PTSD? (Guest Column)

Watch the Age of Ultron trailer:

Image credits: Disney, Everett