After witnessing Superman and Batman finally battle it out in the big screen, the world turns its eyes to the next highly anticipated superhero feud that will be finding its way to theaters this year. That film is of course Captain America: Civil War, which is only a few weeks away from its release.
In anticipation for the touted clash of heroes, we have configured a list of the moments, characters, and plot points we want to see on the big screen. Using the Civil War comic as a guide of sorts, we plucked the 10 things that not only would we like to see during the movie, but also selected these items based on the varying likelihood that they could actually take place. With multiple trailers and the comics at our disposal, this list reflects the things we most want to see when Captain America: Civil War finally lands in theaters on May 6, 2016.
Here are the 13 Things We Want To See In Captain America: Civil War.
13. Acknowledgement of Marvel’s Television Characters
It is no secret that Marvel Studios have been keeping their cinematic and television universes somewhat separate. In terms of quality, some of the television characters in Marvel’s repertoire may be worthy of making the transition to the big screen, but it does not appear that the superhero film and TV juggernaut is willing to mix the two respective mediums. That being said, Marvel Studios has their hands on some quality characters that contain rich histories in stories such as Civil War, and it would be nice to at least make a reference to them; giving a nod to the more hardcore fans.
While it is unlikely to see these characters crossover, due to a drastically difference in tone between both the television and cinematic universe, a small wink or acknowledgement to these street level, vigilantes like Daredevil and Jessica Jones could certainly be a fun reference that could leave the door open for more characters to be added in the future.
12. The Secret Avengers
The Secret Avengers is a group of superheroes assembled by Captain Steve Rogers in order to fight crime at a time when unregistered heroes are being persecuted. In response to the Superhero Registration Act, Captain Rogers and company band together in secret to protect the world from evil, and in turn show the public that they are in fact still the good guys. The team managed to make a lot of progress in the fight against crime during the Civil War period – including the arrest of the villainous squad known in the Spider-Man universe as The Sinister Six.
The Secret Avengers are important in the Civil War story to indicate that Captain America and company are still heroes. Showing that both sides are fighting for the good of mankind makes the divide between them more interesting; juxtaposing a difference in philosophy rather than making one team nefarious, and the other side righteous. It would be great to see the Secret Avengers make the jump from the comic book to the big screen.
11. Public Debate About Superheroes
One of the most interesting aspects of the Civil War comic series is the debate between the public; reflecting the difference in philosophies at play among the heroes in the story. In our brief history in the Avengers universe, we have seen cities become war zones and even elevated miles into the sky. While it is true that The Avengers have saved mankind numerous times, it is also true that they have also put mankind in danger numerous times. In fact, the big battle between The Hulk and Iron Man in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, as well as the creation of the titular villain himself were both consequences of mistakes made by our heroes.
There is a debate to be had here. Should the heroes be kept in check? Or should they be allowed to police the world as they see fit? These are interesting questions that deserve to be addressed, and it would be nice for fans to see that there are consequences for the actions taken in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
10. Giant-Man
Those familiar with the Ant-Man comics are aware of the fact that moviegoers have only seen half of the heroes’ powers thus far. In response to feeling insecure as a hero fighting among the likes of Iron Man and other powerful Avengers in the comics, Hank Pym decides to design a suit in which he can grow exponentially and become Giant-Man.
It could be really fun to witness this spectacle on the big screen in all of his glory. While some fans have voiced their speculation in claiming that this could be too soon in the young career of Scott Lang to take on such a power, a report just a couple months ago suggest that Marvel Studios may disagree. A six inch Funko Pop! toy featuring Giant-Man was tweeted out with the hashtag, #CaptainAmericaCivilWar. While this is not a confirmation by any stretch, it does give some hope that we may get to see Giant-Man on screen even sooner than we thought.
9. Information on the Hulk
Given the political nature of the events in Captain America: Civil War – at least based on what we know from the trailers – it appears as though a great emphasis will be placed on the destruction resulting from the heroes’ battles in previous films. Skyscrapers crumbling and cities being suspended in mid-air only to come crashing down have been known to cause copious amounts of expensive, collateral damage. Pragmatically, these damages need to be paid for, and as sensibly boring as that may sound to some comic book movie fans, these expensive repairs could certainly be an argument given by the government within the Civil War storyline.
Unfortunately for Bruce Banner, his giant, green alter-ego has been known to cause some serious property damage in the past. As the poster child for uncontrollable destruction, it is curious that The Hulk will not be present for any of these discussions between The Avengers and the United States Government. Of course, we are aware of the fact that Ruffalo’s Hulk sadly flew off into the sunset at the end of Age of Ultron, but Banner has been tracked down before, and given the circumstances, it appears to be high time to locate him once again.
8. Wakanda
We have heard about Wakanda. The Avengers made a brief pit stop there in Age of Ultron, and we have seen Black Panther in action throughout the trailers, but now it is time to see Wakanda in all its glory. Truth be told, this fictional African country is actually an interesting new part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Not only is Wakanda home to T’Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther, one of the newest members in the MCU, but the country also has a rich history and culture in the comics. In fact, vibranium, the fictional metal used in the construction of Captain America’s shield, was first found in the ruins of a crashing meteor that landed in the small African nation. Not to mention, this fictitious metal is used liberally in Wakandan technology which, in some ways, far surpasses that of the rest of the world. Without being otherworldly or extra-terrestrial, this country that plays home of the Black Panther is a much different landscape then we are familiar with from the rest of the MCU, and could be really intriguing to behold on screen.
7. Villain Recruitment
In the Civil War comic series, Tony Stark and his team of heroes in line with the government outnumber the squad led by Captain America early on, but things begin to turn on their head a little bit as the narrative continues. When team Iron Man starts to fall behind in terms of numbers, Stark and the government turn to the villains in order to even the odds.
This creates an interesting dynamic as villains and heroes must play together on the same side. The enemy of one’s enemy becomes a friend, and they are forced to fight together for a common goal. Of course, everything does not go according to plan when the government realizes that they cannot control the villains, but it is all part of the spectacle when events unfold unexpectedly. One of the criticisms thus far for the Marvel Cinematic Universe is their underdeveloped villains, and this could be a way to rectify that situation.
6. Prison 42
Created in order to restrain unregistered heroes, Prison 42, also referred to as Project 42 by Tony Stark, was constructed during the Civil War storyline. This structure is not only available to constrain the unregistered heroes, but it also serves to further illustrate the divide between the two sides. Construction of the prison shows just how serious Stark and the government are.
Arresting and detaining the heroes unwilling to comply with the registration act is more than a difference of philosophies, it shows a real divide between the two sides. The dispute between both parties is more than a backyard brawl or scrimmage match; there are real stakes at play. Not to mention, many fans have been speculating that the latest trailer has already given us our first glance at the infamous Prison 42. The word around the web is that the giant structure emerging from the water during the trailer could in fact be the prison from the comics.
5. The Watcher
Uatu, more commonly known as The Watcher, is a character that appears in Marvel comic stories from time to time. As a member of the Watchers, Uatu is an extra-terrestrial being charged with the task of watching over Earth and the solar system in which it resides.
The Watchers are the oldest and most advanced race in the Universe and have their own interesting and unique mythology. The goal of Uatu is to record the existence of humanity and occasionally work in their favor, and his appearances in the comics is generally followed by a time of great turmoil. His appearance to the heroes before the Registration Act infers that a time of disarray is about to take place. An appearance as an Easter egg or even a small a cameo could be a nice little wink to the comic fans in the audience, as well as a more cosmic character that widens the universe and transitions moviegoers to the world of Dr. Strange.
Note that since Uatu made its first appearance in the Fantastic 4 comics, the character rights unfortunately belong to 20th Century Fox. Still, heres to hoping that – given the state of the franchise – Fox will be more than willing to accept a check in exchange for a mention to something even somewhat tangentially related to their mishandled property.
4. Doctor Strange
Now, we are not suggesting adding another lead character to the packed roster of heroes already confirmed in the Captain America: Civil War film, but a small cameo or even an end credit scene featuring the comic book hero could be fun and interesting. Doctor Strange’s appearance in the Civil War comics is nothing more than a cameo, so it would not make sense to have him as anything more than a brief appearance.
Doctor Strange is not the typical Marvel hero we have seen on screen during the successful run of the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far. He is a much different, much more cosmic and psychedelic character that is a decent change of pace from the heroes we have seen on screen. With that in mind, the more that moviegoers can be exposed to him before his standalone film finally arrives, the more they can be accustomed to his brand of character.
3. Casualties
Not to be morbid for morbidity sake, but the name Civil War harkens back to one of the darkest times in the history of the United States. The American Civil War was a period of the nation’s history in which brother was pitted against brother, and friend against friend. Alluding to this dark period infers that there will be casualties on both sides of the battle.
Not only were there casualties on both sides of the American Civil War, but the Marvel Civil War comic series featured a death toll on both sides of the aisle as well. If the leading critique of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were the underdeveloped villains, than a close second would be the fact that Marvel Studios is unable to kill off a character and leave them be. Almost every character that has “died” in the MCU thus far has returned in one fashion or another. No one wants to see their favorite hero die, but the name “Civil War” implies that there will be some real stakes at play.
2. Iron Spider Suit
Another staple of the Civil War series is the Iron Spider suit that Tony Stark designs for Peter Parker. While the suit was not necessarily a fan-favorite when it was first revealed to comic book fans, it has since become beloved by the community at large.
The inclusion of the Iron Spider suit also comes with a character arc in the comics that will most likely be abandoned on screen for the sake of time and the availability of Peter Parker actor Tom Holland, but a change here and there could potentially give us the fan-favorite Spider-Man suit we have all been waiting for. While we are not holding our breath for it, it would be extremely fun to see this iteration of the Spider-Man costume on the big screen. Marvel Studios has already proven that they are not afraid to veer away from the comic story arcs, but this is one we would like to see on screen at some point.
1. Red Skull
If we are to take Marvel at their word when they claim that Civil War is in fact the third installment to the Captain America saga, rather than Avengers 2.5, then why not bring back an iconic villain such as Red Skull. As the leader of Hydra, Red Skull is infamous for the assassination of Captain Rogers after the events of Civil War. So not only is this character so closely tied to the titular Captain America, but he is also a key to the subsequent story following Civil War.
Being the arch-nemesis of Rogers, they face off numerous times throughout the their long history in the comics. If this were to be the final installment in a trilogy, it would be nice to see Red Skull make another appearance. As a character that supposedly dies and returns many times, it would be fairly easy to write him into the story, and with the heroes at war with each other, his presence could be an interesting dynamic.
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Are you all excited for Captain America: Civil War? What do you want to see in the film? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Captain America: Civil War will release on May 6, 2016, followed by Doctor Strange – November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man – July 7, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; Black Panther – February 16, 2018; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Ant-Man and the Wasp – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel – March 8, 2019; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; Inhumans – July 12, 2019; and as-yet untitled Marvel movies on May 1, July 10 and November 6, 2020.
