Nothing stays the same forever, and it looks like the Marvel-verse is getting shaken up big time at the end of "The Avengers: Age Of Ultron." And warning, things may get a bit spoilery from here on out.
First let’s start with some recent comments by Marvel honcho Kevin Feige. Speaking with Buzzfeed from the set of ‘Ultron,’ he revealed that the superhero team may not be the same when credits roll on the sequel. “The Avengers films, ideally, in the grand plan are always big, giant linchpins,” Feige said. “It’s like as it was in publishing, when each of the characters would go on their own adventures and then occasionally team up for a big, 12-issue mega-event. Then they would go back into their own comics, and be changed from whatever that event was. I envision the same thing occurring after this movie, because the [Avengers] roster is altered by the finale of this film.”
It’s an intriguing comment, particularly given what Robert Downey Jr. shared with Screen Rant about the ending of the movie.
"There was a Rubik’s Cube to how not to make these things have an Act Three, that you’re just going ‘I really hope you like Acts One and Two because now we’re just gonna do all this stuff!’ And to me, and I think it was the same thing in ‘Iron Man 3,’ Act Three was the strongest act. And I think that ‘Ultron’ is really gunning for that sort of thing…," he said. "And so without giving too much away, and why I generally just kinda like stamped it when the first draft came in, is ’cause I thought, ‘oh wow, it didn’t fall into that trap.’ And I read the last page and I got chills for a reason I definitely can’t explain. [Laughs]"
So, what could Feige and Downey Jr. be hinting at? Well, you’ll recall the bombshell news that Iron Man would be appearing in "Captain America 3," launching a new phase of the Marvel-verse. But there’s more to it than that. According to Badass Digest, some big changes are coming, particularly with ‘Cap 3′ reportedly following/inspired by Marvel Comics’ Civil War storyline. Here’s an excerpt from what they say will be happening as Ultron closes:
How will Civil War play out? I know that at the end of Age of Ultron Tony Stark retires from The Avengers and possibly even from being Iron Man. He feels very responsible for what happened in that film, as the Ultron project was his brainchild. Here’s my guess for Cap 3: with that in mind, and aware of the destruction his out of control robot caused, Tony thinks that the Age of Miracles is too unregulated. With the fall of SHIELD there’s simply no one keeping tabs on everybody. That scene of Black Widow in front of the Congressional committee in The WInter Soldier was a late addition, and it speaks to this – these super beings are answering to no one. And Tony decides that’s wrong. Which brings him into direct conflict with Captain America, who is still leading a team of Avengers. I don’t think this will follow the exact outline of the comic book story, but simply take the concept and the beloved Marvel idea of heroes battling.
Essentially, we may find the Avengers as we know them broken up and potentially pitted against each other. It’s a notion that changes the landscape of the Marvel world and beyond (hit Badass Digest for more, particularly as it may pertain to "The Avengers 3"). And find out what Joss Whedon has conjured when ‘Ultron’ opens on May 1, 2015 and keep your eyes peeling for a new trailer later today.