Captain America: Civil War revolves around the conflict between Captain America and Iron Man, as these two iconic superheroes have differing views on the regulation of superhuman activity around the world. However, according to directors Joe and Anthony Russo, there was a pivotal moment when they considered an entirely different version of Captain America: Civil War.
In a recent interview, the Russo brothers shared insights about the turning point when they began planning for a standalone Captain America film. At that time, Robert Downey Jr. was still negotiating his contract with Marvel. This negotiation created a situation where the directors had to consider alternative plot approaches in the absence of Iron Man’s appearance.
When the time came, both directors had to develop many contingency plans, but the new storyline for Civil War had to account for Iron Man’s absence.
“If Downey Jr. wasn’t available, we would have to consider other plans that would fit into the new storyline. The team was prepared to use a type of new bomb called Madbomb, which causes everyone to go crazy and attack their own kind,” Anthony revealed. “It also works similarly to a virus that turns people into zombies.”
“The unique aspect of Madbomb is that it forces Captain America to fight against civilian populations he once protected. Even if they go crazy, it’s a conflict that Captain would find very difficult to accept. In addition, he will also have to face other superheroes who were once allies but have now become enemies.”
Joe further stated that Madbomb would have represented an internal conflict for Captain America at the film’s climax.
“The essence of the Madbomb storyline is that it forces Captain America to fight against the very people he has sworn to protect. Even though they may have been driven mad, it’s a situation that Captain would struggle to accept. Additionally, he would have to confront other superheroes who had turned into his adversaries.”
Fortunately, in the end, Downey Jr. re-signed with Marvel, and fans were treated to a perfect version of Captain America as we know it today.
