Here on CBM, we talk a lot about movies, especially superhero ones, being ‘epic’. This is a word that’s usually thrown around to hype up an upcoming film, or to praise an existing one. This can be applied to any upcoming film really- everyone has different tastes, and what one person thinks is ‘epic’ another could find mind-numbingly boring. But every now and then, a movie comes along that almost all fans, regardless of allegiances, can agree will be ‘epic’. And one such upcoming film in next year’s Captain America: Civil War.
It’s pretty easy to see why Civil War could be classed as ‘epic’. The sheer scale of the thing would fill the quota anyway- over a dozen superheroes and villains confirmed to appear, and many others rumoured to, filming all over the world, the first introduction of both Black Panther and Spider-Man to the MCU…… I could go on, but I feel I’ve already made my point. The scope of Civil War is unrivalled in the MCU, even by the Avengers movies, and most likely won’t be until Infinity War rolls along. And with such a big project comes a slew of fan requests, hopes and excitement.
I am no different, and am eagerly awaiting the film’s eventual release next year. With the official synopsis and cast list released, we now know a bit more about who’ll appear and the way Marvel are approaching the story. Despite this, there’s still plenty of room for speculation, which is what we fans do best. And in the spirit of anticipation, I’ve decided to present my wish-list of not 3, not 5, not 10, but 12 characters, events, fights and cameos I want to see in Captain America: Civil War. Let’s get going!
1. Wakanda
Given that Civil War will see the introduction of the Black Panther into the MCU, this one is something of a given, but it’s important nonetheless. For those who don’t know, Wakanda is a fictional African nation home to the Panther himself and also the world’s largest store of vibranium, the indestructible metal that Cap’s shield is made of. Wakanda is known not just for its vibranium stores but also for its advanced technology- everything from flying thrones to anti-gravity boots.
Wakanda is a really unique locale, and one I hope we get to see in some factor in this film. I hope the design team don’t make it look too much like a stereotypical utopia, and incorporate some African and tribal designs into it. A few months ago, I stumbled across a hoard of stunning artwork by John Buscema, and that captures the spirit of Wakanda beautifully- combining African and traditional elements with advanced technology. I’ll post a link to it at the bottom of the article.
2. Iron Man vs Winter Soldier
We’ve known since day 1 that Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier will play a major part in this film. The exact nature of his role is unclear, but many have speculated that his actions (or even just his existence) will be a major cause for the rift between Cap and Iron Man in the film. JoBlo, in a recent scoop, said that ‘his existence is the big question as he has the ability to be a hero, but has also been a villain.’ And let’s not forget that Bucky is the man who killed Tony’s parents.
I would love to see Stark and Bucky throw down at some point in this movie. I also think that it could be used to demonstrate the problems with Stark and the Registration Act. Presuming that Tony fights him alone, this raises a few problems- is Tony, an alchoholic who created a robot that nearly killed the world, the right person to be entrusted with overseeing the superhero community? Who decides whether or not people are villains, and would a registered superhero team mean that the Avengers would be manipulated to fulfil agendas?
3. Shifting Allegiances
This movie wouldn’t be worth the title of Civil War if somebody didn’t switch sides at some point. In the comic, characters would often change allegiances or reject comrades and switch to the other side, be it anti or pro registration. The movie will likely have a fair deal of alliance-swapping as well. The most obvious candidate for swapping sides is Spider-Man, who in the comics was a major player on Tony Stark’s side before quitting and siding with Cap. But as we know Black Panther will play a major role here, it’s likely T’Challa will take his place.
I’m no expecting the Panther to unmask on live TV like Spidey did- given that this will be the first time audiences are introduced to the character, this would carry no real narrative weight. However, I do think that there is a distinct possibility that the Panther will have a similiar sort of role, initially siding with Stark and the registration before defecting to Cap’s team. Also, a sidenote- I would love it if they had Stark and Steve set up opposing Avengers teams, with Stark’s called the Mighty Avengers and Cap’s the Secret Avengers. Just a thought.
4. Daredevil Cameo
Since its debut on April 10, Marvel’s Daredevil has gone on to become the most watched show on Netflix, and has garnered rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. A second season has already been confirmed, and we know that Murdock will team up with Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist in 2017’s Defenders miniseries. It seems like the devil of Hell’s Kitchen will be getting up to a lot over the next few years- but despite all this, there’s still a possibility he could appear in Civil War.
I have a personal idea for a scene that features registration forces- probably government agents rather than the Avengers themselves- hunting DD in Hell’s Kitchen. They capture him and try and transport him to a secure facility, but they’re ambushed by Cap’s Secret Avengers, who rescue Murdock and invite him to join their team. There are plenty of ways they could work Murdock into this story. Having him there would add more heroes to the conflict and also explore how the Registration affects the street level heroes.
5. Red Hulk
One of the biggest surprises we got when Marvel announced the cast list and synopsis was the revelation that William Hurt would be reprising his role as General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross from The Incredible Hulk. Given that, up until this point, Marvel has largely neglected the film and its characters, this was a pleasant surprise, and opened up the possibility of seeing some of the other characters from the film (Betty, Doc Samson, Leader etc) appearing in future Marvel movies. But the return of Ross, in a film that’s set deal with government-registered superheroes, does suggest that we could see a different side to Ross altogether……
In case it wasn’t obvious, I’m talking about the Red Hulk. I understand that many o this site, don’t like this character, but this is my Civil War wishlist, and if you don’t like it, make your own. In regards to his origin, my idea is that Stark is looking for support to help him push forward with Registration, and goes to Ross, a well respected general and war hero, and offers him great power in exchange for helping him. Cue a little bit of crazy science, and boom- we have Red Hulk.
6. The Introduction Of New Heroes
As soon as it was rumoured Marvel would be adapting Civil War, many were concerned that Marvel didn’t have enough characters to pull this off. In the comics, almost every existing Marvel hero factored into the storyline in some way or another, but in the movies, there are only about a dozen or so super-powered people. Having seen the cast list for this thing, I think they’ll be fine, but the prospect of superhero registration does allow for Marvel to introduce several new superheroes into the MCU.
The most obvious choice is Spider-Man. While it’s been said he won’t have too big a part in this film, I think it would be cool to introduce Spidey as a young, up-and-coming superhero recruited by Iron Man as part of the registration. There are plenty of other heroes they could introduce here, and they don’t need to have major roles- just small cameos to tell audiences that these characters exist in the Marvel universe, and can appear in numerous Marvel films going forward.
7. Steve And Sharon, Sitting In A Tree…..
A few weeks ago, Chris Evans finally told us what we’d all be wanting to know- is Captain America a virgin? The answer- yes, he is. This didn’t surprise me- he only got to first base with Peggy, and I imagine he’s been too busy Avenging to pursue a relationship with anyone post-Winter Soldier. However, given that Civil War will see the return of Emily VanCamp’s Agent 13, better known as Sharon Carter, there’s a distinct possibility that one of Marvel Comics’ most long-standing couples could be united on screen.
How Sharon will factor into the story is a mystery. I have a personal theory that Agent 13 will be the one who helps Cap’s team out initially, after the Registration Act splits the team in two, providing them with a place to hide and some resources to help combat the Registration forces. Over time, Cap and Carter grow close, and perhaps even spend the night together before the inevitable final showdown. It’s about time the First Avnger got some action, and I can definitely think of worse people to get it with………
8. Heinrich Zemo
After months of speculation, Rush star Daniel Bruhl has confirmed that the secret role he will be playing in the film is in fact Baron Helmut Zemo, one of the Captain’s longest running adversaries. But Helmut isn’t the only Zemo that the star-spangled superhero has fought over the years. That honour goes to his father (probably grandfather in the film), Baron Heinrich Zemo, who opposed the Captain during WW2 and formed the first incarnation of the Masters of Evil.
Including the original Baron Zemo would not only help flesh out the backstory of Cap and the MCU, but also perhaps help explain Zemo’s motives. He could be trying to avenge his father by destroying the man who defeated him all those years ago. Having Zemo be trying to restore honour to his family name would be an interesting angle, and help distinguish him from numerous other HYDRA baddies and villains. Plus, we’d get to see the TFA Cap suit in action again, which is never a bad thing.
9. Political Intrigue
The concept of the government registering all superheroes and forcing them to work as government agents is one that will, inevitably, be politically charged. Something like the Registration Act could be easily abused by powerful people with hidden agendas (such as Zemo). The Russo Bros did a great job of interweaving themes of surveillance, freedom, security and control into the framework of a superhero spy story in Winter Soldier, and hopefully they’ll continue their strong work in this film.
The concept of the Registration Act means that the film-makers have an opportunity to explore the philosophies and characters of all the heroes. Why some of them would choose to support it or fight against it, how that affects them as characters and why certain factions would choose to back or oppose registration. Another way to explore political themes is through Baron Zemo- presumably, he’ll be backing Registration discreetly to serve the interests of HYDRA, which could help explore how easily these things can be manipulated.
10. The Wasp
Notably, before Civil War hits next May, the tiniest Avenger will make his big screen debut in Marvel’s Ant-Man when that movie hits cinemas in July. Clearly Marvel were impressed with how the film turned out, as it has been confirmed Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang will appear in Civil War. There have been rumours which suggest Lang will take on his Giant-Man form at some point, but many have overlooked the possibility of another size-changing superhero appearing in the film. I am, of course, talking about the Wasp.
Apparently, the original Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, is dead by the time Ant-Man takes place, so she likely won’t be appearing. However, there is a distinct possibility that Evangeline Lily’s Hope Van Dyne could end up donning the yellow and black uniform of the Wasp at some point. The JoBlo article did mention that Hope will become Wasp at some point, and Bleeding Cool have stated that Wasp will be in this film, so there’s a chance that we could see a version of the classic superheroine appear in this film. As for who she’ll side with? I reckon she’ll stick with Lang and Pym and join the registration.
11. New Costumes
It’s something of an MCU tradition for characters to get new costumes in every film, and judging by the leaked promo art of Cap and Iron Man, it’s a trend that’s set to continue for Civil War. I personally love it- it’s great to see the different interpretations of the suits, and comic characters change costume more often than Blake Lively changes outfits, so it’s no big deal.
Black Panther’s duds will likely be the same as the concept art unveiled at Marvel’s Phase 3 event. We already saw Falcon and Scarlet Witch’s new costumes at the end of AOU, and Cap and Iron Man’s new looks have been unveiled in the leaked concept art we saw a few days ago. So, it seems like Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Crossbones, Wasp, Baron Zemo and War Machine could get new duds. I’ll post links to my preferred designs at the end.
12. A Major Death
And last but not least we come to this. One of the most prevalent rumours surrounding this film is that the star-spangled Avenger will meet his maker at the end of the film, presumably at the hand of Crossbones. I do think that this is a possibility- however, even if Cap makes it through to the end, there’s still room to axe one or two major players as the film goes on. It wouldn’t be Civil War without a few shocking moments to shake up the audience, and a major death would do that nicely.
The big question is, who could it be? Hawkeye seems like an obvious choice, given that he’s big enough of a character for audiences to be affected when he dies but minor enough that his death wouldn’t drastically affect the overall MCU. Plus, the introduction of his family does add some dramatic weight to his potential demise. There is also the possibility that Scarlett Johannson’s Black Widow could be on the chopping block, but the fact that she’s one of only two female Avengers (possibly 3 if Wasp ends up in the film) makes her death unlikely.
Bonus Round
· A reference to or cameo from the Abomination or the Leader. If we’re finally acknowledging TIH, we may as well go all out.
· Hank Pym leading the registration along with Tony Stark. You imagine a grumpy old man who calls superheroes ‘undisciplined morons’ would support a campaign to make heroes accountable for their actions.
· Cap saying ‘Avengers assemble!’ We were cheated out of it at the end of AOU, so let’s get it here.
· Vision fulfilling Dr Strange’s role- being the one who abstains from the conflict and ponders over the potential outcome.
· Maria Hill leading registration forces against Cap and his side.
· The AOS cast appearing- perhaps they’re the ones, along with Carter, who give the anti-registration heroes a place to hide out.
· Tony making a joke about Cap being a virgin.
· Some sort of dynamic between Wanda and Vision. In the movies, Vision was ‘grown’ organically, so isn’t a robot, making that less weird.
· A scene where General Ross slams the Avengers for not keeping track of Hulk. He disappeared at the end of AOU, and it doesn’t look good for Cap and co if they can’t keep track of a dangerous monster like him……
And that brings us to the end of my wish-list for 12 things I want to see in Captain America: Civil War. Agree/disagree with my suggestions? Have any of your own? Let me know in the comments below! Thank you for reading!
Wakanda concept art: http://moviepilot.com/posts/2014/03/05/is-this-what-wakanda-will-look-like-in-marvel-s-black-panther-movie-1264835?lt_source=external,manual
Baron Zemo: http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/3/39027/3753218-helmut_zemo_(earth-616)_from_captain_america_vol_6_1.jpg
Ant-Man: http://media.comicbook.com/uploads1/2014/10/ant-man-1-cover-mark-brooks-109167.jpg
Hawkeye: http://www.sketchoholic.com/uploads/old_files/13709/hawkeye.jpg
Wasp: http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101214013411/marveldatabase/images/6/60/Janet_van_Dyne_(Earth-80920).png
Crossbones: http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110914081544/marveldatabase/images/8/84/Crossbones1.jpg
War Machine: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bf/IROMcover33F.jpg