To Infinity & Beyond: Captain America – Civil War

Phase 1 introduced the world to Earth’s mightiest heroes, in Phase 2 we watched the world of superheroes grow and a sinister plot begin to unfold. Finally in Phase 3 the stakes are only going to get higher and the ultimate climax is fast approaching (giggity). It’s time to begin Phase 3 with the biggest film to date! It’s time for Avengers: Civil War… I mean… Captain America: Civil War. They’re basically the same thing.

Plot

After Ultron nearly ended humanity by turning Sokovia into a meteor, people are fed up with the Avengers. Believing the Avengers are the cause of most of the world’s life ending events, (let’s face it they kind of are) governments around the world created a bill called “The Sokovia Accords.” The Sokovia Accords would require all superheroes to be to be maintained by the government; meaning the Avengers could only fight the bad guys when the government deemed it necessary. Iron Man, riddled with guilt from the death and destruction he’s caused agrees to sign the Accords. Captain America, however, feels like the Avengers should remain free and accept responsibility for their actions. He feels as if the Accords only moves the blame. With these two butting heads, the rest of the Avengers are forced to choose sides. Things get even trickier for Cap when his best friend Bucky aka Winter Soldier resurfaces and kills the leader of Wakanda (the leader exporter of Vibranium to the world). By protecting his friend and refusing to sign the Accords, Captain America involuntarily begins a civil war amongst the Avengers.

Villain

The villain section of this movie is a little tricky because it’s all about which side of the Civil War you agree with. That being said there’s one person that’s the villain no matter what way you see it and that’s Helmut Zemo. Zemo lost his family in Sokovia during Ultron’s battle with the Avengers. Ever since, Zemo has been obsessed with destroying the Avengers and he is the one villain in the MCU to this point that actually succeeds with his master plan. At the end of the film the Avengers are disbanded and still not on speaking terms. He does all of this without throwing a single punch making him a refreshing villain in the MCU. He DID create a terrible meme though with “Mission Report December 16th, 1991,” but besides that Zemo is a pretty great villain.

If you’re #TeamCap, then another villain in Civil War is Iron Man. Iron Man thinks the Avengers need to be brought under the government’s surveillance. He has Captain America arrested, tries to kill Bucky, and locks up half the Avengers at the end of the film. Sure he lets them go and gives them a running start, but it can be argued that if Tony didn’t sign the Accords then maybe the other Avengers wouldn’t have either.

Now if you’re a monster and are #TeamIronMan then the other villain for you is Captain America. Captain America defends his friend Bucky who kills the leader of Wakanda and murders Tony Stark’s parents. Yes, he was under mind control but he definitely deserves some type of punishment for his actions right? Both Iron Man and Cap have blame for all the bad to come out of Civil War along with the Avengers splitting, so deciding who the bad guy is is based solely on opinion.

Best Scene

The battle at the Airport. What else could it be? Before this, I think it can be argued that the Battle of New York was the best action sequence in the MCU, but this fight takes the cake. In fact, I think this battle is the best scene in the entire MCU. Not only is it Spider-Man’s big debut, but it has several memorable moments! Ant-Man finally uses his “Giant Man” technology, Black Panther actually scars Cap’s SHIELD, War Machine nearly dies, and every  other hero in the MCU (minus Thor and Hulk) clash! There’s even a great Star Wars reference! It’s a battle that’s only possible because of years of universe building and will undoubtedly be considered one of the best superhero film scenes of all time.

Stan Lee Cameo

At the end of the film after Tony lets Cap and the other rogue Avengers free, he and War Machine (Now slowly recovering feeling in his legs) are talking about whether or not signing the Accords was the right call. They agree that it was “the right thing to do” despite what happened to their friends. While they talk there is a knock on the door and it’s Stan Lee working as a FedEx employee with a package for a “Tony Stank.” It’s hilarious.

Post Credits Scene

Cap and Bucky are in a research lab in Wakanda. Bucky says he thinks it’s best he stays in cryogenic sleep until the scientists in Wakanda can help fix him. Cap then thanks Black Panther for keeping Bucky safe and warns him that if the government finds out that Bucky is in Wakanda then they’ll come after him. Black Panther simply laughs and says “Let them try.” The shot then zooms out to reveal they’re in the “true Wakanda” which is a hidden technical marvel.

The second scene shows Peter Parker coming back from his trip to Berlin where he fought the Avengers. While looking at a watch from Tony Stark, he finds out that it contains tons of tech to make Spider-Man a more credible hero than ever! Clearly we haven’t seen the last of Peter Parker!

Final Thoughts

The people that directed Civil War also directed its predecessor Winter Soldier. Anthony and Joe Russo have made two of the best superhero movies of all time. Civil War is another knockout featuring incredible action, a story with some genuine meaning and significance behind it, and plenty of fun surprises to please the most diehard Marvel fan. The Civil War story in the comics is considered one of the best superhero stories ever and although the film version is drastically different, I think it’s a more than worthy adaptation. With the Russo brothers being on a winning streak making films, it makes me so excited to know they’re making Infinity War. You just KNOW it’s going to be incredible with these two behind the camera.

Thanos Meme of the Week

To Infinity & Beyond: Captain America – The Winter Soldier

After what was undoubtedly the worst movie in the MCU with Thor – The Dark World, it’s time to shift gears to everyone’s patriotic hero Captain America! After saving the world twice, you’d think things would be going pretty well for the captain but in reality, things are worse than ever!

Plot

After saving the world in the Battle of New York, Captain America has become a full time agent of SHIELD completing countless missions under Nick Fury’s orders. However, after a mission to save SHIELD agents shows Fury’s ulterior motives, Captain America quickly learns that SHIELD may not be as heroic as it used to be. The world has become consumed with fear and people’s freedom has come into question especially with the arrival of a new mysterious villain by the name of The Winter Soldier. Only one thing is certain: things will never be the same.

Villain

Remember how Captain America’s BFF Bucky died? In reality, when Bucky fell in the original Captain America film he was saved by HYDRA scientist Arnim Zola. HYDRA then froze him (much like Cap) and brainwashed Bucky into the Winter Soldier: a relentless killing machine. Next to Loki, Marvel villains don’t get much better than Winter Soldier. He is one of the few villains with a genuine backstory, he comes off as downright TERRIFYING in the film, and Sebastian Stan puts on a great performance as the character. He’s a really tragic villain and a great addition to the Captain America franchise. His chemistry with Chris Evans’ Captain America is the best in the MCU next to Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston.

The other big baddie in Winter Soldier is the “SHIELD agent” and member of the World Security Council Alexander Pierce. I put SHIELD agent in quotations because it’s revealed that Pierce actually works for HYDRA which was not defeated in WWII. Cap defeated Red Skull and stopped their mission but, “cut off one head and two more grow in its place.” HYDRA lived on with Arnim Zola and quietly infiltrated SHIELD for years until the time was right. People that appeared to be allies were actually working for the enemy for decades. Alexander Pierce lead the charge for HYDRA and headed Project Insight which was a plan to make people so afraid of the world around them that “SHIELD” (aka HYDRA) would “protect them.” That protection though involved arming massive Helicarriers with enough firepower to wipe out thousands of people in mere minutes. To put it briefly, Pierce was an excellent villain alongside Winter Soldier.

Best Scene

The best scene in “The First Avenger” was an emotional exchange between Cap and his love interest Peggy Carter. While they have another heart shattering scene in Winter Soldier, there’s a new soul crushing exchange to be had here. I of course am talking about the final fight between life long friends Captain America and Winter Soldier. Captain America is trying to stop Project Insight and save the world and the last person standing in his way is his friend Bucky. Cap has no intention to fight his friend though and Bucky is finally beginning to remember his friend Steve. Winter Soldier is about to finish Cap off for good when Cap mutters “I’m with you to the end of the line.” Bucky in that moment stops attacking and has a look of horror as if he finally remembers his past. The Helicarrier they are fighting on crashes and we see Bucky dragging an unconscious Cap out of the water. Bucky not only remembered who he was, but he saved Cap’s life!

Stan Lee Cameo

Captain America is on the run after SHIELD is revealed to be under HYDRA control. He and Black Widow meet up with Sam Wilson aka Falcon and they decide to take the fight to Pierce. Cap says to fight in a war you need a uniform and the scene cuts to the Captain America Museum. Stan Lee playing a security guard passes the Howling Commandos exhibit and notices that someone stole the Captain America’s uniform to which he says, “Aw man I’m so fired.”

Post Credits Scene

Two men in a HYDRA facility are discussing how Nick Fury revealed all of HYDRA’s secrets to the world. The one (obviously a leader of some kind) corrects the other saying Fury revealed “everything he knew” to the world. This man is revealed to be none other than HYDRA leader Baron von Strucker! Strucker goes on to say SHIELD and HYDRA are meaningless in the scheme of things because he has something far greater: Loki’s staff from Avengers!!! Strucker’s subordinate then asks what they should do with their test subjects. The dead are to be buried “so deep that not even their ghosts can find them” and that they will eventually need “the survivors.” Who are the survivors though? Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch!!

“It’s not a world of spies anymore, not even a world of heroes. This is the Age of Miracles doctor. There is nothing more horrifying than a miracle.”

It’s a lengthy post credits scene filled with a ton of useful information! Loki’s Staff is back, the new big bad for HYDRA is the classic Baron Von Strucker, and now we’ve got two mutants in the MCU! There was a lot to be excited about with this post credits scene!

The second post credits scene takes place at the Captain America Museum. Among the crowd we find Bucky taking it all in. He comes across the memorial for himself, and it’s clear that more and more of his past is coming back to him.

Final Thoughts

This is in my opinion the best movie in the MCU. The action is incredible, the story is full of twists and turns and has important commentary on privacy and control from the government. Winter Soldier is the most realized villain since Loki and adds another level of depth to Cap’s overall story. Also, the big twist with SHIELD is one of my favorites in movie history. The SHIELD twist changes the way you watched the older movies because you know now that HYDRA was always lurking in the shadows. It was a twist that affected the entire Marvel Universe, and it essentially saved the TV show Agents of SHIELD. I can’t gush enough about how much I love this movie and I was so glad to see Marvel recover after the dumpster fire that was Thor – The Dark World.

Thanos Meme of the Week

“Oh you wanted a Thanos post credit scene? Best I could do is two X-Men.”