Parts I and II can be read here Part I, & Part II. I’ve updated the chart to reference who’s been covered already.
As my trilogy comes to an end let’s hope it’s more like the TDKR than Spiderman 3. In the final part I will discuss Shield, General Ross, and the Television Universe.
Before I begin a caveat, I do watch AoS and because both Fury and Hill have appeared on the show. I feel the events on the show, and depiction of how shield operates should be included in my analysis. That doesn’t mean that the filmmakers will think that though.
On AoS the main purpose of Shield is to track, monitor, detain and protect from enhanced beings. By their very nature they would be pro-registration, policing, and controlling the heroes. The 4 people I’m focusing on in this discussion have had multiple interactions with enhanced beings and have a view different from the majority of the organization. Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Sharon Carter, and Coulson’s Team. I’ll save Coulson and his team for later, but let’s start with the shield director.
Nick Fury: Nick always sides with the avengers, mostly because it suits his interest at the time. This time he has to pick a side between two separate factions of Avengers. Fury has authorized surveillance on all the enhanced avengers. He has used Hawkeye, Black Widow, Sharon Carter, and Maria Hill to accomplish this task. Those four are loyal to Fury. Are they loyal enough to be agents and turn their back on former teammates is the question. It is one of the big reasons I’ve had a hard time deciding where Widow and Hawkeye end up. If utilized properly Fury could be a very important character in this movie. His end goal is to quash this fraction in the team, and make the team function as a unit again. He will help both sides.
Opinion: 100% neutral but very much involved
Maria Hill: She currently works for Stark so it would appear that she would side with him. In a AoS episode we were shown that she’s very active with Shield. In the Comics, Maria is much more aggressive and isn’t the loyal Fury protégée we see in the MCU. Could she split from him in this movie and become the Hard Ass we get in the Civil War novelization? I don’t think so. She’ll keep tabs on what Iron Man and his team are doing. She’ll be with Tony but really working for Fury.
Opinion: 15% Ironman 85% Neutral
Sharon Carter: Is she even with Shield anymore? At the very least she’s FBI which makes her a Government operative. We haven’t had any indication how she feels about heroes. She was running a protection and surveillance assignment on Steve, per Fury’s orders of course. She fought to take down Hydra, but she hasn’t actually teamed with them. In the comics she develops a romantic relationship with Captain America and does what she can to protect him. In the MCU the common thread is Peggy. Agent Carter may have talked extensively about Steve influencing Sharon. So whether she agrees with him she feels the need to protect him. Like the others, spying is what she does best. I predict she spies for Cap and Fury.
Opinion: 75% Neutral 25% Captain America
Before I move on to TV I want to throw in one more Character.
General Thunderbolt Ross: Last time we saw Ross, Tony was mocking him about the Hulk. Nine movies later Ross finally gets his I told you so moment. Unlike Nick Fury who coerces the Avengers, and fights alongside them at times. Ross wants to control them and use them as weapons. Then there’s all-out hatred for the Hulk. Captain America has a very dangerous enemy. He and Pym will be the evil face of Registration (Come on you know they are not Making RDJ a bad guy). Here’s to hoping he’s the A-hole we know he is.
Opinion: 100% Iron Man
Now the TV shows. We have AoS on ABC and members of the Defenders on Netflix.
AOS in my opinion only has two characters worth mentioning. Apologies to Fitz and Simons fans, but it’s Skye/Quake and Bobbi /Mockingbird. Coulson Is an Ally to the enhanced community, but realistically there is no place for him in this packed movie.
Quake: She has powers and her current storyline on the show has been about the Index i.e. registration but I still feel her story is more leaning towards the Inhumans.
Mockingbird: when they added her to the show I was so sure they were going to put her in Civil War with Hawkeye. After AoU I’m saying no chance. Whedon took Hawkeye a whole different direction and Bobbi doesn’t have a place in the movie anymore. Her skills are covered by Black Widow and Agent 13.
In Conclusion no one from the show will be in Civil War. Like the two past Avengers movie. The show will have its own parallel story. 100% Neutral.
The Defenders, Dare Devil , Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist All are in the comic.
Dare Devil: With the Dare Devil series complete and very successful. Matt is the most likely of the 4 to make it on the big screen. Ok before I get the comments. I know Matt wasn’t in the Comics but Daredevil was. roles can be adjusted to just make it Matt in this version. A theory that’s been out there has Steve geting arrested. Maybe the Avocados in Law represent him. That would be really cool fanboy moment. Unfortunatly I think what we’ll get though is a mentioned on the news or a newspaper headline.
Opinion: 5% chance he’s in the movie and he’ll be with cap.
Jessica Jones: In the comic she leaves the country at the request of her husband to protect their baby. Jessica and Luke’s story won’t be that advanced in the TV show yet. Also there’s the fact that she’s retired. I don’t really see a role for her in Civil War.
Opinion: Not in the movie.
Luke Cage: His own show arrives in 2016. I’m hoping it’s in April like DD was, leading us into Civil War. So if he doesn’t appear in the movie he at the very least lays some ground for it. Like Dare Devil maybe he gets mentioned on the news or a newspaper headline. But I’d love to see him flatten some arrogant hero though.
Opinion: 5% chance he’s in the movie
Iron Fist: Danny Rand plays a prominent role as a member of Captain America’s team in the comics, but not as Iron Fist. He delivers that great line to Tony “guess that’s thirty-one pieces of silver you’ve got now. Huh? Sleep Well. Judas." It’s one of my favorite moments. Problem is he’s Daredevil when he delivers it. So why not just use Dare Devil. The other problem is his show is still way off. He could get introduced in Luke Cage’s show but it’s probably not enough for inclussion.
Opinion: No Iron Fist in this movie.
Well that part was depressing to write. It’s too bad the Defenders series were not completed before this movie was being made. These four were more suited for Civil War than they are for Infinity Wars. The concept of registration affects these street guys the most. Plus they would we formidable allies in this fight. I fear they will only be cannon fodder in Infinity Wars. They deserve better. An opportunity lost.
Sorry to end on a down note. Like I said the third part of the trilogy never meet the expectations. I hoped you enjoyed my editorial on Civil War. In the end it’s amazing that I can even write an article about a movie with all these heroes. At this time next year we will have all enjoyed it coming to life on the big screen.
Like always. Discuss it. Debate it. Destroy it.
Peace