'Avengers' stars Downey, Evans set the stage for looming 'Civil War'.

AuthorBahr, Lindsey
PositionLiving

Byline: Lindsey Bahr

BURBANK, Calif. -- There's a conflict brewing in "Avengers: Age of Ultron,'' and it doesn't involve megalomaniac robots. After reaching a peace with their structure and roles on the superhero fighting team, Tony Stark/Iron Man and Steve Rogers/Captain America have begun to clash ideologically.

The stoic Steve, still reeling from revelations of widespread corruption in "The Winter Soldier,'' is starting to question the precepts he's followed blindly for so long. Tony, meanwhile, is drifting toward the desire for order and control.

"Morality hits Tony, humanity hits Tony. All of a sudden he feels responsible,'' said Chris Evans, who plays Rogers for the fourth time in the billion dollar Marvel franchise.

"Neither one of them are blindly convicted. It's blurry and that's what makes it great. No one's right, no one's wrong,'' said Evans in a recent joint interview with Robert Downey Jr., back for a fifth turn as Stark.

"It's going to make it even harder for them to come to an agreement, which I'm really excited about,'' said Downey.

While the seeds of a fight are scattered throughout "Ultron,'' the second gathering of the "Avengers'' on the big screen out May 1, it's also setting the stage for next year's "Captain America: Civil War.'' Plot details are sparse, but any casual comics fan knows that "Civil War'' is where the "Avengers'' fracture, divided down lines set by Tony and Steve.

It's also the only upcoming Marvel film for which Downey and Evans have been confirmed.

"It's like a marriage,'' said Evans. "We love each other but it's explosive. You're working toward the same goal but you have very different approaches to it.''

Added Downey: "I'm really stoked to see when we have more stuff to actually do together besides act like we're about to have a fight one day.''

Off-screen, the dynamic is, of course, a bit more polite. Sitting on a patio at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Downey and Evans were calm and casual with each other.

When Evans tried to explain how others on set are more talented and smarter than he is, Downey quickly jumped in to offer some reassurance.

"I have stood toe to toe with some of the greatest folks of all time and if Spencer Tracy is right -- you know, hit your mark and tell the truth -- nobody that I've worked with does it the way that (Evans does),'' said Downey.

"God. I tinkled a little bit,'' laughed Evans in response.

As with the rest of the "Avengers'' actors, Evans is downright...

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