In a recent event by Marvel Entertainment held in Hollywood, the Russo brothers (comprising Anthony Russo and Joe Russo), directors of the Captain America series, shared insights regarding the fate of the characters in the Marvel Universe, specifically the possibility of Captain America (commonly referred to as Cap or Steve Rogers) dying as depicted in the comics.
As we know, Captain America: Civil War features a storyline that significantly diverges from the comic book’s conclusion. In the comic, Cap is struck by a bullet and dies temporarily, leading to a conflict with Tony Stark’s faction. However, in the film, Cap’s team is largely sidelined, while a “news bulletin” hints at a potential alliance with Tony Stark’s group if necessary, signifying a philosophical conflict among the Avengers regarding how to preserve world safety.
Reflecting on the Russo brothers’ direction for Captain America: Civil War and the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, set to be released in May 2018, they hinted that there had been discussions concerning Steve Rogers’ potential death in the film to align with the comic storyline. However, the outcome ultimately takes a different path, primarily so that the Avengers would not be deprived of a crucial character during Infinity War, a battle for the universe against Thanos.
In a detailed interview discussing the narrative choices in Captain America: Civil War, the Russo brothers elaborated on how their approach diverged from the comics:
Anthony Russo: We never discussed the possibility of Cap dying in this film (CA: Civil War), honestly.
Joe Russo: We did talk about various scenarios.
Anthony: In my view, the notion of a character dying was something we had discussed extensively during the development of CA: Civil War, from the very beginning through to production. However, the possibility of Cap dying was not included in the film.
Feige (President of Marvel Studios): Yes, the conclusion of Civil War almost shattered the Avengers before stepping into the Infinity War battle.
Joe: We (the filmmaking team) did explore various characters who had the potential to die in CA: Civil War. But we realized that doing so would diminish the emotional weight of the film. Having the Avengers fall apart felt like a very heavy blow. If anyone were to die, it would create a strong emotional response and demand time to address the consequences, which we did not want to happen.
Feige: In the comic, Civil War involves many characters facing multiple battles and includes a death (Steve Rogers). We deliberated a lot on this matter. Ultimately, it was decided that Rhodey (War Machine) and Tony Stark’s father would suffice, so no further deaths were necessary.
Anthony: The tragedy lies in the destruction of a family unit (a reference to Tony Stark’s father being killed by the Winter Soldier). It doesn’t have to be just one family that suffers; there could be additional deaths.
