Getting their version of Captain America: Civil War made wasn’t an easy task, as the creative heads in the studio butted heads with the Russo Brothers, which almost led to the directors getting fired. While Civil War, starring Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans, doesn’t have the Avengers title labeled to it, it is no less than any of those movies and is often considered the very best MCU has to offer.
Unlike most MCU third-acts, where the heroes fight against some CGI monstrosity and his faceless goons, Civil War strays away from that, as the Russos didn’t want it to be a typical superhero outing. However, their decision to do that wasn’t met with laudation from the studio higher-ups, as they wanted it to be more in line with their other big Marvel hits.
Also read: MCU’s Godfather Robert Downey Jr Surprisingly Was Not the Highest Paid Actor in Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evan’s Fight Almost Didn’t Happen
Captain America: Civil War‘s third act, which sees Robert Downey Jr‘s Iron Man fighting against Chris Evan’s Captain America, is arguably one of the most powerful sequences in the MCU. However, the creative heads at the MCU weren’t too pleased with the idea of heroes fighting each other, as they wanted to go a safer route. That would’ve involved the Avengers taking on some super soldiers and ultimately saving the day, which was deemed too predictable by the Russo brothers, who held on to their guns. Per MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios,
“The Committee proposed a different version in which the heroes team up to fight a bunch of unfrozen Super Soldiers. As Kyle remembered it, ‘We were discussing Civil War and the question posed to us is, ‘Who wants to watch a movie with heroes fighting heroes?'”
Fortunately, Kevin Feige stood beside the directors, and eventually, Alan Horn, the chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, took matters into his own hands and sided with the Russos’ vision.
The Russo Brothers Want Fans to Be Patient About MCU’s New Direction
While things have gone off the rails for the MCU since the Russos parted ways with MCU, they are optimistic about Marvel’s future, urging fans to be patient as the MCU is dealing with a very different story. Joe Russo said,
“They’re telling you a very different story, a very new story and I think the audience just needs to be patient with the redirection because you can’t keep telling the same story over and over or you lose the audience.”
Although turning our favorite heroes against each other was a bold move, fans are grateful Marvel went that route instead of sticking to the Avengers taking on some one-dimensional villains.
Captain America: Civil War is available to stream on Disney Plus.
