Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6th and we are EXCITED. In anticipation of the new movie we’re spending the next two weeks leading up to the release spotlighting the Marvel Universe.
Captain America: Civil War, like the comic run it takes its name from, finds our heroes divided, falling into line behind Steve or Tony. On one side we have Tony, who is campaigning to protect the world from destructive super-powered individuals who are running around unchecked. On the other, we have Steve, as the champion for the civil liberties of those same super-powered people. It’s the age-old debate of safety coming at the cost of freedom, and we’ll get to see it play out to a hopefully satisfying conclusion this year. The trailers seem to heavily imply that this comes about both from the fallout from Sokovia as well as the recovery of the Winter Soldier, and it fractures the (mostly) functional team we last saw in Age of Ultron.
I’m breaking down the line-up, telling you who’s siding with whom (at least initially; who knows what shakeups will happen as the plot unravels), and why I firmly believe that #TeamCap can defeat #TeamIronMan rather soundly.
Team Iron Man
Iron Man/Tony Stark When we last saw Tony he was hanging up his Iron Man suit and quitting the super hero business. Clearly something has changed his mind to pull him back into the fight, but depending on how long he’s been out of the game, he could be a bit out of practice. Not to mention, out of the suit, he can’t do much damage.
War Machine/James Rhodes Rhodey is not only Tony’s best (and oldest) friend, but he’s also a trained Air Force officer who has spent years flying the War Machine suit. He knows how to use it, but if it gets knocked out, he’s still gotta be a force to be reckoned with in hand-to-hand combat.
Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff Natasha, a trained assassin and former Red Room operative, is the deadliest member of Team Iron Man. She’s worked closely with Clint, Sam, and Steve, so presumably she knows their weaknesses. She’s hands down the most dangerous member of the team.
Vision As we saw in Age of Ultron, Vision believes in the safety of humanity over anything else, so it’s no wonder he’s siding with Tony. He’s incredibly strong, able to levitate, and with a body made of partially of Vibranium he’s practically indestructible. Vision will be difficult to beat in battle, but seems the mostly likely to be swayed by a logical argument.
Black Panther/T’Challa T’Challa is the unknown on Tony’s team, as this is his introduction to the MCU. However, given what we know of him from the comics, he has the speed and the strength needed to match Steve and Bucky. What’s still unclear is just how skilled he is with his powers.
Spider-Man/Peter Parker Spidey is another mostly unknown to the MCU, and he’s joining up as a teenager. He appears to have all of his Spider-Man powers, so depending on when he joins the team, he’ll be able to cause some serious problems for Team Cap.
Team Cap
Captain America/Steve Rogers The original super soldier, he’s got enhanced strength, speed, durability, healing, agility, and reflexes. He’s a one man army and we’ve already seen him hold his own in a fight against Thor. If he can fight a god without so much as getting winded, no one on Tony’s team stands a chance.
Falcon/Sam Wilson Sam’s the eyes in the sky for Team Cap, and the only one who will be able to match Iron Man and War Machine in the air. His wings seem to offer him a bit more maneuverability, not to mention look a hell of a lot lighter than the suit, so he’ll be more than able to take them on.
Hawkeye/Clint Barton Though he’s the only member of the team without any super powers, Barton holds the title of World’s Best Marksman. His arrows have taken down aliens, Hydra bases, and Ultron’s flying army. As he’s proven himself time and time again, Cap is lucky to have him on his side.
Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes A version of the super soldier serum combined with an advanced tech bionic arm, all wrapped up in the body of a trained assassin? That you’ve then pissed off? Yeah, Bucky’s not going to hold back in this fight and that makes him one of the strongest members of the team.
Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff A telekinetic who (presumably) still harbors quite the grudge towards Tony? Not to mention her powers of levitation, mind manipulation, and the pretty incredible energy blasts she shoots out from her fingers? Wanda’s not someone to be messed with.
Ant-Man/Scott Lang Scott’s got his suit, a sweet ride on one of Clint’s special arrows, and the ability to sneak up on the other team and deliver quite the surprise attack. Not to mention the rumor is we’ll be seeing Giant-Man in the movie, so he’s a welcome addition to the team.
Agent 13/Sharon Carter A sharp shooter of an agent who also happens to be a descendant of Peggy Carter (somehow, the movies are still a bit fuzzy on the connection)? If she couldn’t take down half of Tony’s team on her own I’d be surprised. And Peggy would be sorely disappointed.
The Verdict
I’m pulling for #TeamCap on this one. There’s no way they wouldn’t be able to win with the way the teams are stacked. Two incredibly powered Super Soldiers, a telekinetic, a Master Assassin with a bow and arrow, a full on Paratrooper with his own wings, a CIA agent, and a dude who can shrink to the size of an ant but still deliver quite the epic punch. They’ve totally got this, even if they don’t pull from the comics and end up with a few individuals switching teams mid-to-late movie. (But if they do, please let it be Natasha!)
At this point, the only way I see Team Cap not coming out the victor of Civil War is if they willingly surrender and give up the fight. Which, I’m starting to think is a possibility just so there are at least some heroes left to battle Thanos in Infinity Wars.