In an unprecedented feat of corporate synergy, Marvel Studios and American Zoetrope have announced that next year’s “Avengers: Doomsday” will feature Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina, the visionary architect he portrayed in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” (2024).
“At Marvel, we expand our audience by refusing to follow a pattern or a mold or a formula,” said Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios. “I can’t think of a better way to continue doing that than by making Cesar Catilina a cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
According to insiders, Cesar—an alcoholic futurist who spends “Megalopolis” constructing a city that looks like a psychedelic airport terminal—will have a crucial role in “Doomsday,” joining the heroic Avengers as they battle the villainous Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.).
“When Marvel called, I did a lot of soul searching,” Driver said. “‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is a leap for me, but I realized that’s the reason to do it. As Cesar says in ‘Megalopolis,’ ‘When we leap into the unknown, we prove that we are free.’”
While details about how Cesar will be integrated into “Doomsday” (which is currently being filmed at England’s Pinewood Studios) are scarce, screenwriter Stephen McFeely has offered some tantalizing hints, teasing easter eggs for hardcore “Megalopolis” fans and a team-up with Peter Parker/Spider-Man.
“Some people say ‘fan service’ like it’s a dirty word, but I have a different mindset,” McFeely said. “Do people want Cesar to recite a Hamlet soliloquy to the Hulk or tell Peter Parker to ‘go back to the club’? If the fans demand it, we’d be fools not to consider it.”
Along with Feige, Driver, McFeely, and Coppola (who will serve as a creative consultant), Cesar’s entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be supervised by “Doomsday” directors Anthony and Joe Russo.
“It’s not an elitist notion to bring a character from an artsy film like ‘Megalopolis’ to Marvel,” Joe Russo said. “I believe in creating content for everyone. I’m confident that adding Cesar won’t turn off the numbskulls—I mean moviegoers—who we make blockbuster films for.”
Russo added that at Coppola’s request, “Doomsday” will feature a scene where Cesar teaches the “Megalopolis” pledge—“I pledge allegiance to our human family, and to all the species that we protect”—to Ant-Man and Thor.
“At first, I thought that idea was kind of out there,” Russo said. “But Francis confided in me that Ant-Man is his all-time favorite Marvel superhero. Plus, he’s Francis Freaking Coppola! Who am I to say no?”
Happy April Fool’s Day!
Sincerely,
The Gang at Fools Who Dream
