Civil War is coming! With leaked concept art, screen caps, and gifs from Marvel’s D23 teaser sending fans into a frenzy everyone is talking Civil War. So while we await the release of the actual trailer I’d like discuss the fight that’s being teased. The sides have been drawn we know who stands with Stark and who remains loyal to Cap. That superhero battle we all want is on the horizon, and it’s going to be epic, let’s rundown those lineups for those of you who were under a rock last week.
First we have Captain America’s renegade Avengers with Falcon, Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, and Ant-Man. On paper they look a bit light, but I like this team. If Ant-Man has the ability to grow and Wanda has some semblance of control over her powers The Avengers have a shot.
Then there’s Tony’s sanctioned peacekeepers consisting of War Machine, Black Widow, Vision, and Black Panther, and while he wasn’t pictured I’m going to take creative liberties and throw Spider-Man on that list. I know none of the screen caps show evidence of Spider-Man being present for this rumble, but none of them proved he wasn’t. I stand by my theory that he’s standing next to Black Widow and that’s why we didn’t get a pre-fight dramatic pose from Natalie in the edit. Plus we all want him to be there, and it evens the sides out so baby Spider-Man is there for now. I won’t lie this team is stacked. Honestly no one on the opposing squad should be able to beat Vision, but hey its comics and anything can happen right? So let’s explore this idea. Who squares off against whom and what are the results.
Not the pairing I would have liked to see, but the screen caps confirm that this one is happening. They could have been a bit more creative and possibly have Widow tangle with Falcon for example. I’d be interested to see how she would ground him to even out the fight. I get it through two heroes without powers, and more importantly two very close friends on opposite sides of the conflict. They really don’t have anyone else to play this role. There’s Steve and Bucky, or Tony and Rodney, but they are both on the same side. Steve and Sam are relatively new friends, and Wanda and Vision have not begun their relationship. As for Tony and Steve both have been portrayed as rivals in the movies from the start, and we actually want them to kick the crap out of each other. This is where the movie version of Civil War really misses the Fantastic Four. In the comics Reed and Sue were on opposite sides, a family torn apart. Because I find the actual fight between Black Widow and Hawkeye a bit predictable they need to sell the emotional angle. Give me Reed and Sue, no jokes and no one-liners. I want to see sadness and regret in their eyes as you would expect from a fight between two people who care about each other. As for the fight itself I’m giving it to the Widow. She’s the colder of the two, and Clint will pull his punches giving her the opening she needs. Hawkeye will be feeling the “
Widow’s Bite” and get a glimpse of Natalia’s darker side.
If done right this one could steal the show. Falcon’s ability to fly opens up all kinds of possibilities. It’s not the obvious choice but step back and think about how many times Peter has battled The Vulture. There is plenty of source material for this type of aerial battle. Spider-Man is more interesting in the air than on the ground, and a battle with Falcon provides that opportunity. Peter has the ability to dodge Sam’s bullets and create all sorts of havoc for the winged avenger. What really sells me on this potential matchup is how the Russo’s handled the fight between Falcon and Scott in the Ant-Man movie. It was a perfect showcase of each of the Heroes abilities, and from an entertainment standpoint Mackie proved to be a quality straight man to Rudd’s comedic riffs. An essential part of any Spider-Man fight is the never ending wise cracks. Spidey will cause him all kinds of headaches, but ultimately I’m giving the win to Falcon. Experience wins out this time. Enjoy the victory Sam because Peter won’t lose to you again.
Yes I know Ant-Man is bit over matched, but just like a Batman vs Superman fight. Fans are going to have to expect a nerfing of sorts for certain overpowered heroes to make the matchups compelling. In order for this one to work Scott needs to grow as well as shrink. Again I turn to the Ant-Man vs Falcon fight in Ant-Man’s solo film. Scott’s ability to execute timely size changes is key to the matchup. When small he remains an elusive target and can infiltrate Rodney’s Armor. Then introduce the ability to grow which will allow Ant-Man to absorb some of War Machine’s more potent attacks, and physically overpower him. War Machine will deliver some powerful blows because he possesses an incredible arsenal and much of the same tech as Iron Man, but he isn’t the tactical genius Tony is. So I believe Scott will out maneuver his bulkier opponent much like he did to Falcon. The actual attacks will leave War Machine relatively unhurt but frustrated and unable to apprehend Ant-Man which in the end is all Scott needs to accomplish.
Here we go you want emotion this one’s personal for Stark. If the theories can be believed the prior films have set up Bucky as the one responsible for the death of Tony’s parents. So whether it’s true or not at this point in the film Tony will believe it. The Winter Soldier is a criminal in Iron Mans eyes and he plans to bring him in, but not without extracting a bit of well-placed retribution. While I’m sure a lot of you expected Iron Man vs Captain America, you don’t waste your main event this early on the card. This warmup bout will be fast and furious, and the Winter Soldier will get his licks. Iron Man will have to work for his victory but in the end a pissed off Iron Man will be too much for the assassin. Iron Man is going to hurt him which will make this personal for Cap. Like I said you have to set up the big fight. Bucky will be sacrificed for the final throw down between the two team leaders.
Earlier I mentioned that none of these guys can beat Vision one on one, but Scarlet Witch can at least keep him busy. She is a powerful character on the pages of Marvel Comics, but this isn’t the House of M Wanda. This is a young untrained girl still struggling with all these powerful abilities. Vision has both the power and the knowledge to contain her and eventually incapacitate her. This task while necessary will be accomplished reluctantly. The vision doesn’t want to hurt anybody, but will defeat her because it’s the rational thing to do. A scene of the Vision gently lifting an unconscious Wanda out of harm’s way not unlike his timely save in Age of Ultron would be a nice touch to seed future bond between these two.
The big one! With respect to Iron Man vs Captain America this is the matchup I’ve been anticipating since the inclusion of Black Panthers was announced. No iron suits here. Just two combat specialists doing what they do best. The young T’Challa vs a seasoned Rodgers, as a comic book fan this is the type of fight we dream about. Here’s the tough part though any other film or story I want Black Panther to win, but this film is called Captain America: Civil War not Black Panther. So they fight to a draw and interference from another hero either distracts Panther or causes his defeat freeing Cap up for his showdown with Stark. It needs to be done in a way that doesn’t diminish any of T’Challa’s strength. In my eye’s he is the future leader of the Avengers, but ultimately he needs to step aside in this film so we can get the main event.
Well that’s it. I’m sure I ruffled a few feathers, but no matter what I think some combination of matchups is coming soon, and I can’t wait. It’s interesting that we get more excited for heroes fighting each other than when they square vs villains. Share you matchups and give your thoughts about mine.
As always discuss it debate it or destroy it…
Peace