There was a lot going on in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but we all saw what went down between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. The verbal scuffle while chopping wood and the actual scuffle while birthing The Vision was meant to set up what’s to come in Captain America: Civil War. The first Avenger and the billionaire playboy philanthropist are going head to head over a troubling law. Who would have thought that something like politics could cause such controversy? But with all the new Marvel heroes introduced in Age of Ultron and the veteran players coming back for the big showdown, which side will they choose?
Civil War is said to be heavily influenced by the events of Age of Ultron and will spotlight one of the most famous comic book story arcs. The governments of the world collectively pass a law in the hopes of regulating all superhuman activity: all super-powered beings must make themselves known and report to S.H.I.E.L.D. If the film takes the same trajectory as the comics, Iron Man will support the action while Captain America will vehemently oppose it. This split caused the Avengers to split into two factors, with the one supporting Cap going on the run.
Age of Ultron gave us some clues as to which heroes will be siding with whom in Civil War, but everyone is essentially up for debate. Based on where are right now in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, here’s the line-up we’re banking on for Civil War.
SPOILER WARNING: Obviously, we’re going to be discussing the events of Age of Ultron, so turn back now until after you’ve seen it.
Team Iron Man
- War Machine
- The Vision
- Ant-Man
- Spider-Man
If you walk away from Age of Ultron knowing only one thing about Iron Man, it’s that he likes to take matters into his own hands without consulting his teammates in the hopes of stopping the war before it starts. And unearthing the mysterious super-powered forces in the world is a step towards that goal.
Throughout all the films, Stark has had one buddy: War Machine. Neither Don Cheadle nor Marvel confirmed that the character will return for Civil War, but his ascension to Avenger status is a telling sign. Rhodey hasn’t always agreed with Stark on his decisions, but when it comes down to it, he always has his back. Couple this with the report from Joblo, and he seems all but assured to support Stark in this fight.
Then there’s the other two said to join Team Iron Man: The Vision and Ant-Man.
Much like War Machine, The Vision, who essentially has J.A.R.V.I.S.’s consciousness, has been by Stark’s side since the very first Iron Man movie. If you also pair what Paul Bettany told Hero Complex in an interview (he’s "a total innocent" with "no moral compass except for the one that he makes for himself") and his statements in the movie (he’s on the "side of life"), then perhaps he sides with Iron Man for the mere fact that he, technically a newborn, is witnessing how power corrupts with fresh eyes and feels the need to regulate it. Though, it wouldn’t shock me if Marvel switched things up. The Vision could learn his moral compass from Captain America, the one who’s been training him as an Avenger between Age of Ultron and Civil War.
Ant-Man seems like a wild card, especially since the film hasn’t debuted yet, but here’s what we know. In the Ant-Man trailer, we hear Hank Pym, Scott Lang’s mentor, worry about the implications of giving everyone superpowers. Later on, Darren Cross puts the blame on Lang for his ascension to Yellowjacket status for trying to hide the Pym technology from him. Then there’s the fact that this film takes place after Age of Ultron. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were "enhanced" through secret experiments from Hydra. Who’s to say Baron Wolfgang von Strucker was/is the only one fiddling with forces beyond their control. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. already introduced the idea of enhanced beings and Inhumans, which puts everyone in the organization on guard. Since he knows the consequences of keeping technology and God-like abilities under wraps like this, it seems logical that he would find common ground with Stark.
The most debatable factor seems to be Spider-Man. Though casting hasn’t officially been announced, and it’s only been assumed that the character will appear in Civil War, Peter Parker ends up revealing himself to the world in the comic book run. It makes sense for the MCU, too. A young teenaged science prodigy grows up idolizing someone like Stark, who tells the world that superheroes should reveal themselves. It would also be a feasible way of introducing him to audiences before his solo film.
Team Captain America
- Black Widow
- Hawkeye
- Scarlet Witch
- Falcon
- The Winter Soldier
Not to be confused with Team America.
Steve Rogers already has a number of people on his sign right off the bat, and first and foremost is Black Widow. She’s been through the events of The Winter Soldier alongside Captain America, and her camaraderie with him shows throughout Age of Ultron. When the Avengers are confronting Stark about his mistakes, it’s Widow who says he royally fucked up. Given her history with Hawkeye, it’s likely that the two share a lot of beliefs, one of them seemingly being secrecy. Age of Ultron revealed that Barton has been keeping his wife and children (with another on the way) completely off the radar, thanks to help from Nick Fury. Would he wish a public spectacle on the families of other heroes, in light of this Civil War law? It seems unlikely, which is why the reports are placing him in Cap’s camp.
Scarlet Witch is another likely contender for Team Captain America. She has spent the majority of her life hating Stark, whose weapons of war were used to kill her parents and nearly her and her brother, as well. This contributed to her hating her hating her own government. After she obtains her powers, she sees the fear inside of Stark and knows that it will lead to his undoing. This is why she lets him walk away with Loki’s scepter in the beginning of the film. She warns Cap of this, and when he finds out that he’s finishing the conception of Vision behind his back, things get physical.
The most likely to support Cap in his hour of need is Falcon, though. Sam Wilson holds many of the same values that Rogers does, and he helped him when he and Black Widow were on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D. In Age of Ultron, we find out that he’s still looking for Cap’s old pal, Bucky Barnes, who’s been on the run since the events of The Winter Soldier. We can assume from the films that he doesn’t know Stark all that well, except that he’s responsible for creating Ultron. I can’t imagine he’ll side against Cap in his darkest hour.
In addition, Sebastian Stan's The Winter Soldier has been confirmed to return for Civil War. Will he finally realize that Cap is on his side? Will he help in the battle against Stark? We know that the enhanced assassin didn't kill Captain America at the end of The Winter Soldier because his memories of their former friendship started to return. He then went off to discover himself and the post-credits scene for the film showed him staring at the Captain America exhibit. Though Falcon said in Age of Ultron that he hadn't found him yet, it seems like that he could slip out of the woodworks while Cap is on the run from Stark and the government to help his old buddy out.
Then There's Team Black Panther
I don't think it's coincidence that Chadwick Boseman revealed himself during the big Marvel Phase Three presentation while standing between Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. According to reports, this character's true allegiances are unknown, as he's said to have his own agenda. He and his African nation of Wakanda have kept themselves in seclusion from the rest of the world for quite some time. Andy Serkis' Ulysses Klaw barely escaped with his life when he infiltrated the territory to steal some vibranium. It's now in Civil War that Black Panther is assimilating to some extent. It's fair to say that everything he does is for the good of his kingdom, and because he's being introduced in this film for the first time with no prior relationship formed with either party, it's unknown which side he would take in this matter. Though, it's worth noting that the comic event sees him on Cap's anti-registration side.
