Rob Edwards wrote animated classics like Treasure Island and The Princess and the Frog before making the leap to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Captain America: Brave New World.
His newest movie is Angel Studios' King of Kings (you can watch the trailer below), and we recently had the good fortune to sit down with Rob and learn more about telling that epic story. As well as explaining how his past work prepared him for the project, he told us about the incredible cast and how animation was used to bring his script to life.
Talk did eventually turn to Captain America: Brave New World, and we wondered how the writer felt about the significant changes made to the story during reshoots.
"It's part of the process. There's this wealth of...there's so many comic books, so many thoughts. Everything takes these different roads and, at the end, you just have to make some choices," Edwards explained. "And not all of the choices are easy, and you just hope to wind up with the best movie...and I think we did."
When we put it to him that it must have been a blast writing Harrison Ford as a Red Hulk, he replied, "What a year, right? [Laughs] Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Anthony Mackie, it's phenomenal."
Captain America: Brave New World ended by setting the stage for Sam Wilson to lead The Avengers, and we wondered what Edwards hopes to see from the new Cap in next year's Avengers: Doomsday.
"He's Captain America now, so arguably, he's running the show. I think that's the next step," the writer teases in the video above. "I'm just guessing as a fan, but I think that's where you go with Doomsday. You recreate the Avengers as was suggested in the movie. I'm on for the ride now. I can't wait for the next one."
Finally, we wondered if Edwards found any parallels exploring the story of Jesus Christ and the time he spent delving into the epic mythology of the Marvel Universe:
"There's a saying at Disney/Pixar: 'Be a filmgoer first, be a filmmaker second.' You have the shield in the background, I have my Funkos and my plushies...I am a fan of these films. The standee for The Falcon was right on my desk as I was writing this and going, 'Oh my gosh, I'm writing this thing!' The approach is, write your favourite movie based on these things. Picture yourself in the theater with your popcorn and with your family, and you get the chance to type what you hope to see on screen. That's the thing. No matter how big or small it is, really, you're just trying to entertain. You're trying to give the audience some really fun characters and try to tell the story in a way that's truly enjoyable. And hopefully, you'll want to see it again and again."
Make sure to watch the full interview with Rob as he also talks about a possible return to the MCU and tells us more about his approach to King of Kings, which, as we write this, is Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and expected to do big business at the box office this weekend.
A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. The King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child.
King of Kings arrives in theaters on April 11.