Robert Downey Jr. On 'Captain America: Civil War:' "It's Steve's Story"

As much as we're all looking forward to Joss Whedon's Avengers: Age of Ultron, fans are already looking beyond that film. Specifically, they're looking towards May 6, 2016 and Captain America: Civil War. Directed by the Russo Brothers, the film will feature two of Marvel's most popular superheroes, Captain America and Iron Man, going head to head. The conflict not only kicks off Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it might even set the stage for the return of Spider-Man.

Though the title says "Captain America," the inclusion of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man is what makes Civil War so epic. He's the biggest movie star in the world. And yet, in a new interview, Downey stresses that Civil War is "Steve's story," meaning Steve Rogers as played by Chris Evans. He also talks a bit about the conflict between the two characters. Read the Robert Downey Jr Civil War quotes below.

The Robert Downey Jr Civil War quotes come from an interview with Empire Online. The full transcript is here, but these are the parts about the new movie.

First up, Downey doesn't quite think Tony Stark is the villain in the film:

I wouldn't put it that way. Ultimately it's Steve's story; it doesn't say 'Iron Man 4: Civil War'. I think that's great too.

As for what exactly the conflict is and where it brews, Downey offers these hints:

The clues are in Ultron about where we might find him next, but what would it take for Tony to completely turn around everything he's stood for, quote-unquote, because he was the right-wing guy who could still do his own thing. 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. It's a little bit of things following a real world continuum in, 'What would you do?' 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?'

The actor also talked a bit about how the film will delve deeper into the psychology of Steve Rogers because of this conflict:

I think Chris [Evans] has been hungry to bring even more of an underside and some shadow to [the character]. I remember the comics – on the surface you got the sense that Cap was baseball and apple pie, but underneath there was all this churning stuff of being a man out of time. Now we know he's made his peace with that. What's the bigger issue? It can have a little something to do with the past, but it can be about someone becoming more modernised in their own conflict.

The prevailing rumor is the destruction and loss that happens because of Ultron – a creation of Tony Stark – is going to change Stark's views on superheroes in general, leading to the Civil War. What do you think this interview says about that?