Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Those five narrative threads that sent such shockwaves throughout the MCU, due to the dismantling of S.H.I.E.L.D., snake their way into Captain America: Civil War – intertwining to form the tapestry upon which the next phase of Marvel films can be sewn. Taking the idea of conflict to the next level, this film pits Avenger against Avenger as the team is confronted with the consequences of its collective unilateral actions. In this movie, it is the absence of S.H.I.E.L.D. – the organization that formerly oversaw the Avengers Initiative – that leads to the inciting issue, and therefore the spectre of events from the previous movie informs this plot as it moves forward.
Where The First Avenger focused on Steve’s determination and stubbornness, and The Winter Soldier focused on his dogged loyalty, so Civil War centres on his moral compass and his questioning of authority. Here, he is faced with challenges on two fronts – firstly, from the United Nations and its demand that the Avengers sign international legislation, agreeing to oversight and management of their actions; and secondly, from Bucky, who reappears with allegations of mass murder against him.
Steve instinctively rejects the idea of government oversight for the Avengers (since that has never ended well), which immediately puts him at odds with Tony Stark. The wider superhero team naturally divides into two camps, and their conflict is exacerbated by Steve’s determination to help Bucky, who is accused of bombing a United Nations meeting.
[zergpaid]The point here is that, although Bucky is demonstrably a cold-blooded killer, due to his HYDRA brainwashing, Steve’s loyalty is steadfast, because he can prove that Bucky was not responsible for this specific crime. At the same time, this film sees Steve attend the funeral of Agent Peggy Carter – his talisman – and so, his need to feel connected to childhood friend Bucky is particularly heightened (despite his realization that Sharon Carter is, in fact, Peggy Carter’s niece).
As Steve and his allies go to any length to protect Bucky and clear his name, the consequences of those unilateral actions are devastating for Tony Stark. The actual villain of this piece – Sokovian Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) – exposes the historic connection between Bucky and Stark, and the explosive information brings the Avengers to the point of no return. Stark and the Avengers, as they once were, are now collateral damage in the wake of Captain America, as he charges ahead according to his own moral compass.
As Markus and McFeely deliver their closing emotional punch in the final scenes of Civil War, it is not immediately obvious how the character of Captain America might next develop. He is now effectively a fugitive – a rogue superhero, operating outside of the law – albeit a superhero that continues to pledge his loyalty to his former colleagues. As for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Markus and McFeely have laid the foundation stone for a new Spider-Man franchise, and a Black Panther franchise – as well as signing on to carry these narrative threads through to Avengers: Infinity War Parts I and II. It seems that Marvel has come to realize how lucky it is to have these writers, after all.