After a billionaire in a robotic suit, a Norse god, a WWII-era super-patriot, an expert archer, a Russian spy and an angry green rage monster descended upon New York to repel hordes of alien soldiers emerging from a wormhole, a few things changed for the people inhabiting Marvel’s cinematic universe. Next year’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier will be set two years after The Avengers and will examine some of that climactic battle’s fallout, said co-star Scarlett Johansson.
Speaking with Refinery 29 to promote her film Don Jon, Johansson, who portrays Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the Marvel universe, said that:
This film is in real time. It’s been two years since [the characters] appeared, and now both are agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fighting in the streets. We are not superheroes flying side by side. They help each other because we are fighting in a similar way. It’s a working relationship.
Her comment about the film being in real time most likely refers to the film coming out two years after The Avengers, but a more streamlined, play-by-play plot would certainly fit with the gritty, political-thriller vibe that the superhero sequel is rumored to have.
Setting a chronological distance from the Battle of New York also fits with the series’ timeline – this past summer’s Iron Man 3 took place six months later, this November’s Thor: The Dark World is rumored to take place about a year after the battle, and ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is set sometime in between the two.
Regarding the complex relationship between Chris Evans’ out-of-time Captain America and her character, Johansson added that:
By a series of unfortunate encounters, they will be in a situation in which their friendship becomes more intimate. They share many similarities because they live on the defensive without relying on anyone. Also, the two have been working for the government throughout their professional careers. With their friendship they begin to question what they want and what is their true identity.
So far, we know that Captain America: The Winter Soldier will find the Cap, employed by S.H.I.E.L.D., uncovering a conspiracy in modern-day Washington D.C. when one of his fellow heroes is targeted by a villainous group. Recruiting Black Widow and a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative named Falcon (Anthony Mackie) to help him bring down villainous enemy agents, the Cap soon finds himself face-to-face with former best friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who has been brainwashed by the Russians and turned into the evil Winter Soldier.
The film, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, co-stars Cobie Smulders, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Redford, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp.
Are you excited for the fresh tone and story promised by those involved with this superhero sequel? Let us know in the comments section!
Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens April 4th, 2014.
