Robert Downey Jr. talks Captain America: Civil War

Ever since word got out that Tony Stark would serve as one of the antagonists in Captain America: Civil War, folks have been talking. Strangely enough, you know who wasn't talking? Robert Downey Jr. Not anymore, though. He's got a bit to say about where Tony fits in Captain America 3 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Avengers: Age of Ultron.

For one thing, he doesn't consider Tony to necessarily be the villain of Captain America: Civil War. "I wouldn’t put it that way," he says. And as for whether his presence might overshadow the presence of the title character, he assures fans that "Ultimately it’s Steve’s story; it doesn’t say Iron Man 4: Civil War. I think that’s great too."

But what's really interesting is how carefully considered Tony's turn seems to be. He promises that "the clues are in Ultronabout where we might find him next," but it also sounds like the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a movie where Iron Man was nowhere to be seen, that helped make all this possible.

"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. When the first Iron Man came out the liberals and conservatives were both like, ‘You’re our guy’. Yes! Score! But 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."

The entire interview can be found over at Empire, and it's a good read. We wrote more about Captain America: Civil War and how it ties in to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe right here. For the complete Marvel movie release calendar, click here.