The Marvel Cinematic Universe is gearing up to commence its third phase, which will kick off in May with the release of Captain America: Civil War. Pitting old allies against each other in a heated political confrontation, the film promises to have major implications for the franchise moving forward - including an emotional finale that could prove to be controversial with fans. Even after two Avengers movies, it sounds like the stakes in the MCU have never been higher.
So far, the studio has done a great job building up hype and anticipation, with the second trailer generating an enthusiastic response thanks to its mixture of drama, action, and Spider-Man. A key selling point of Civil War is the #TeamCap vs. #TeamIronMan debate and watching the heroes come the blows when things boil over. The previews have offered glimpses of the two sides duking it out, and now some behind-the-scenes photos will give viewers a better idea as to how things will go down.
Released by Mundo Vengador (via Comic Book Movie), the images showcase three hero vs. hero fights that moviegoers will see in the film: Scarlet Witch against Vision, Black Widow versus Hawkeye, and Captain America facing off against Black Panther. Given that the actors appear to be on a stage surrounded by large amounts of green screen, it’s difficult to read the context of the sequences being filmed. However, a safe assumption would be the airport “splash page” set piece, which is said to run about 15 minutes.
One of the biggest takeaways from the pictures is that directors Joe and Anthony Russo crafted match-ups that are even on-paper. It makes sense for Natasha Romanoff to be fighting Clint Barton, given that they both do not possess any super powers (they’re just highly trained soldiers). As illustrated in the latest trailer, Scarlet Witch has the capability to bring Vision to his knees, weakening one of the most powerful figures in Marvel Comics. Considering all of the individual battles are like this, the action should be very exciting to watch - the viewer unsure of who will win when it’s all said and done.
The pairings also seem to have a strong emotional component to them, which only adds to the intrigue. Black Widow and Hawkeye are longtime friends; the previous films have made references to their history in the field together (Budapest). Of great interest is Steve Rogers going toe-to-toe with T’Challa. It’s been speculated that Black Panther is trying to hunt down the Winter Soldier a.k.a. Bucky Barnes, which will obviously be a point of contention. Captain America’s mission in this film appears to be keeping his companion safe after an international incident, meaning Rogers could view the newcomer from Wakanda as the greatest threat. Black Panther looks like a force to be reckoned with in the trailers, so watching him square off against the Star Spangled Man could be a great treat.
Billed as a film that is more “aggressive in tone” than the Russos’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War is promising to be a project that pulls no punches, a welcome development since a common criticism about previous Marvel movies is that they can be a little too cheeky for their own good. A serious-minded work that leaves a huge impact on the MCU is just what the franchise needs, starting Phase 3 in a manner where anything can happen.
Captain America: Civil War opens in U.S. theaters on May 6, 2016. 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.
Source: Mundo Vengador (via Comic Book Movie)
