Early last month, the first rumors of team compositions for and against the Superhuman Regulation Ac in Civil War arose, and with them the rumor than someone on one side would be a double agent. Speculation abounds on who will it be, especially with sides turning out (mostly) to be true.
Double agents are a stable of spy fiction and political thrillers of the type The Winter Soldier was and Civil War will likely dip into to some measure. Unless the story is from their perspective, the identity of the mole will practically without exception remain hidden until a moment of climax.
It’s not going to be Bucky or Sam or Rhodey, not any more than it’s going to Cap or Iron Man themselves. However, jury’s out on the following.
Ant-Man
He’s not too fond of Tony Stark, as his interview with Christine Everhart had shown. His adventure didn’t see him getting the kind of in-universe exposure that the Avengers got, so the only one whose radar he might have been on is Sam Wilson.
However, if Ant-Man is set well before Civil War (likely) then there’s a chance Tony might have learned about him anyway. Furthermore, his activities as Ant-Man would likely be a breach of parole that Stark could exploit. I might also say that working for the government would improve his lot, but when it comes to it I don’t think he’s that kind of guy.
Agent 13
Rumor has it that Steve will find love again in this movie with Sharon Carter, to which double-dealing would be a major hurdle.
She works for the CIA. We’ve seen that to the case already, so it isn’t going to be a twist at all if she’s reporting for the government. And while the SHRA is a government-backed initiative, government agencies don’t always work in tandem, and the CIA has a reputation of undermining the efforts of other government apparatus. The CIA might have their own cause to support anti-reg faction, or it might be that CIA are merely hunting for Zemo and Sharon ends joining forces with Cap because of that.
She isn’t a prior Avenger, nor is she connected to anyone who is, like Bucky or Scott are. The only one who might know her well is Natasha, who could recruit her to spy for them, but that presupposes that she could get in with Cap, who doesn’t know her, and they hadn’t really been on exactly amicable terms last they met.
If Sharon is the double agent, then Black Widow, Fury, Peggy, Bobbi, they all need to step aside cause that’d make her the best spy in the MCU.
Black Widow
We know she spent CATWS budying-up with Steve, so many were knocked for a loop with the revelation she’s supporting registration. The audience knows this, and the Avengers know this, including Tony. I’m no Iron Man fan at all, but Stark trusting her when she’s lying is selling him way short. What’s worse, it insults the audience’s intelligence.
The only ways I can see it working is if the duplicity is not made secret from the audience. That still sells Tony short, though. Alternatively, the same happens, only Tony is wise to her and feeds her false information and locks her up. However, that still puts his side down to 4 against six, though they’re four with more firepower.
When it gets down to it, Natasha supporting regulation works best if it is for real. Due to Steve and Tony’s lack of a meaningful friendship in the MCU, there are should to be someone he was close to on the other side.
Black Panther
I don’t have a lot to go on but my gut feeling says if BP is a double agent, it’s for his own interests, though he might, after his interests are served and he decides to opt out, end up offering Cap’s side a boon of some sort out of courtesy.
Hawkeye
He’s particularly close to Natasha, not that particularly close to Steve, and is a likeable sort who can be believed to be reliable as soon as he joins Cap’s side. Tony or Natasha could have persuaded him to join Steve should they ever come to him and report back to her.
“ Are we still gonna be friends after this?”
“Depends on how hard you hit me.”
Could it be two friends on opposites sides who don’t want to loose that friendship, no matter what politics are in play? Definitely. It could also be something said out of earshot of Cap’s team as they’re trying to maintain Clint’s cover.
Scarlett Witch
Not a Stark fan. Rumored to be present and partially responsible for the inciting incident. Really hard to imagine she’d atone by turning against the people trying to help her. I’d considered not even making this entry and just listing her as one of those self-evident examples like Bucky and the others. Ultimately, having her on Iron Man’s side is putting Team Cap at a severe disadvantage.
Vision
Vision is an interesting case because of what he is. Sentient and on the side of life though he is, he’s still an android and not necessarily prone to behave as a human of the same convictions would. He might decide to join Tony’s side to undermine him on his own. I see him as the real wild card.
With that, I’d out the odds on each one being the double agent as follows;
Ant Man - 1:7
Agent 13 - 1:16
Hawkeye - 1:4
Scarlett Witch - 1:16
Black Widow - 1:8
Panther - 3:16
Visioin - 3:16
And that’s assuming there’s only one double agent. Think Hawkeye is too far fetched? Sound off bellow.