All those rumours about Captain America: Civil War essentially being “Avengers 2.5”? Start believing them.
In their press release announcing that production has begun on the second Captain America sequel, Marvel Studios have revealed some further additions to the cast, some of which are very surprising.
Firstly, Paul Rudd is returning as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, suggesting that Marvel is happy with how Peyton Reed’s film has turned out. A much more surprising return is William Hurt as General Thaddeus Ross, last seen in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, meaning that Marvel hasn’t chosen to forget that that movie exists and that they don’t forget you signed a multi-picture contract seven years ago.
There are also some previously unannounced but welcome returnees, fresh from Avengers: Age of Ultron. Paul Bettany returns as The Vision and Don Cheadle Jim Rhodes/War Machine also enters the fray.
The new arrivals join an already stacked cast, which includes series stars Chris Evans (Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/The Falcon) and Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier). Returning from The Winter Soldier are Emily VanCamp (Sharon Carter) and Frank Grillo (Brock Rumlow/Crossbones). Other MCU returnees, of course, include Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye) and Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch).
They are all joining previously announced new arrivals Daniel Brühl and Martin Freeman, whilst Chadwick Boseman makes his debut as T’Challa/Black Panther.
Phew! Got all that? The Winter Soldier directors Joe and Anthony Russo are returning, working from a script by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. And the person responsible for bringing this all together, as ever, is master producer Kevin Feige.
Captain America: Civil War is released in the UK on 29 April 2016.
Source: Marvel