Robert Downey Jr. may bring Iron Man to 'Captain America 3' | Inside films | EW.com 

Robert Downey Jr. may bring Iron Man to \'Captain America 3\'

Tony Stark and Steve Rogers have never really gotten along. They may not be enemies, but if not for

they probably wouldn’t be friends, and the abrasive relationship between Iron Man and Captain America has fueled one of the greatest storylines in the modern Marvel Comics universe:

, the epic 2006-07 crossover series that pitted hero against hero.

Now comes word that Robert Downey Jr. is in talks to join Chris Evans in

in a story that would bring this clash to the big screen, two sources confirm to EW.

But it is “far from a done deal,” one source says, noting that similar efforts to bring Joaquin Phoenix to the role of

fell apart after reaching a similar stage of negotiations.

In fact, the friction between Cap and Iron Man may be rivaled only by the hard-nosed dealmaking between Downey’s agents at CAA and notoriously cost-conscious Marvel CEO Isaac Perlmutter, according to a report in Variety by Marc Graser, who broke news of the talks and said Perlmutter had ordered Iron Man written out of the script. Reps at both CAA and Marvel declined to comment for this story.

For now, that impasse seems to have been settled, and talks are continuing, sources say. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, whose pioneering interlocked franchises reshaped the way Hollywood studios manage their tentpole pictures, has managed to bridge the divide between the two sides, determined to keep Marvel and Downey’s massively profitable partnership intact. Counting just

movies, Downey and the studio have earned nearly $4 billion at the global box office.

Not coincidentally, today Marvel Comics teased a relaunch of the

series for next summer, tweeting out a new cover emblazoned with Summer 2015.

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) October 13, 2014

The original storyline, written by Mark Millar (known for creating the graphic novels

) placed the heroes in a thinly veiled post-9/11 metaphor as the U.S. government tries to eradicate secret identities and force those with superhuman abilities to register and be monitored. Tony Stark is on board with the plan, while Captain America sees it as encroaching fascism, and a violation of everything they fight for.

The battles were as much philosophical as physical as fellow heroes, including Spider-Man (who makes a critical and influential decision) determine where they stand on the issue. This would explain the recent overtures made by Marvel Studios to partner with Sony Pictures, which owns the license on the web-slinger, to potentially share the character — something sources tell EW that Sony isn’t keen to do right now.

Downey has repeatedly stated he is happy to continue playing Iron Man as long as Marvel — which launched its enormous cinematic franchise off his charismatic hero’s metallic back — continues to share the wealth. The actor was listed by Forbes as the highest-paid actor in the world, having earned $75 million from his backend deal for 

, the highest-grossing live-action movie of last year at $1.21 billion.

Captain AmericaChris EvansComic Book AdaptationsIron ManMarvel StudiosRobert Downey Jr.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

\'Reign\' sneak peek: Dressing the cast for a coronation

\'Walking Dead\' storyboards: How they sketched out Carol\'s explosive plan

\'Sons of Anarchy\': On-set photos, cast reflections on a wild ride

\'Gone Girl\': How Gillian Flynn defended that divisive ending to EW back in 2012

\'Big Bang Theory\' recap: \'The Focus Attenuation\'

\'The Voice\'; \'DWTS\'; \'The Originals\'; \'Gotham\'; \'Sleepy Hollow\'; more TV recaps

\'Jane the Virgin\' series premiere: Your take on its \'Pilot\'?

\'SNL\' remembers Jan Hooks with \'Love is a Dream\'

\'Once Upon a Time\' star Elizabeth Mitchell dishes out some Snow Queen scoop

Fired-up Ben Affleck clashes with Bill Maher over Islam 1570

Here\'s how Gillian Flynn defended the ending of \'Gone Girl\' in 2012

\'American Horror Story\' renewed for fifth season after setting ratings record

\'Gotham\' stars and producer tease new friends and foes set to appear

\'The Walking Dead\' showrunner Scott M. Gimple answers premiere burning questions (like that secret scene)

Exodus: Gods and Kings" /> Exodus: Gods and Kings

This Week\'s Cover: EW takes a deep dive into the making of the electrifying drama \'Birdman,\' an Oscar-ready film that seems custom-made for star Michael Keaton.

Man of the Times: As Ichabod Crane on Fox\'s \'Sleepy Hollow,\' Tom Mison went from unknown actor to TV star in under a year. But as far as he\'s concerned, his career is just waking up.

Meghan Trainor\'s on a Roll: How a 20-year-old upstart conquered the pop charts—with a song she almost couldn\'t give away.

\'Gone Girl\': How Gillian Flynn defended that divisive ending

Marvel confirms \'Fantastic Four\' comic book series set to end in 2015

On the Books: Amazon reportedly opening its first physical store

On the Books: Salman Rushdie shares PEN prize with Syrian activist

Haruki Murakami didn\'t win the Nobel -- but these books prove why he deserves it

A Brief History of Seven Killings A- Marlon James

J.K. Simmons: A relaxed chat with the \'Whiplash\' taskmaster

First look: Vampire film \'Girl Walks Home Alone at Night,\' as a comic

Box Office Mojo is back online, and its editor isn\'t taking questions

Hugh Grant says he\'s not doing a third \'Bridget Jones\'

Laura Jane Grace: \'True Trans\' series \'gave me a chance to ask other people questions\'

Meghan Trainor\'s first thought on \'All About That Bass\'? \'We\'ll never make a dime off this\'

Hear the Barr Brothers\' eclectic playlist for \'Half Crazy\'

Stream Harriet Brown\'s intensely funky \'New Era\' EP

Hear Miley Cyrus and the Flaming Lips\' trippy \'Lucy in the Sky\' cover

Prince Rupert\'s Drops\' \'Climbing Light\' is mystical retro acid pop

Nickelback\'s Chad Kroeger lends support to an anti-Nickelback campaign

(What\'s the Story) Morning Glory? reissue A Oasis

Cheek to Cheek B+ Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga

\'The Voice\'; \'The Originals\'; \'Gotham\'; \'Sleepy Hollow\'; more TV recaps

\'Walking Dead\' season premiere recap: \'No Sanctuary\'