Last week, concept art finally revealed the superhero teams that will be battling each other next year in Captain America: Civil War. Joining Captain America will be Winter Soldier, Falcon, Agent 13, Hawkeye and Ant-Man. Over on Iron Man’s side is Black Widow, War Machine, Vision and Black Panther (though he likely has ulterior motives). Off first glance, it may seem like there is an imbalance of power towards Tony Stark’s team, given that they have more people with special abilities and sheer power - but Chris Evans has hinted he doesn’t see it that way.
MTV addressed this perceived mismatch with the Captain America actor recently, and when they asked if Cap’s side has a disadvantage when it comes to superhero face-offs, he responded,
Do we? Well, maybe you’ll have to see the movie to find out.
Keeping in mind that we still don’t officially know who Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man will ally with in the film, let’s address how each side sizes up so far. Iron Man’s team has three heavy hitters: Tony Stark himself, War Machine and Vision. Granted, Black Widow and Black Panther are formidable, but their skills are better suited for close combat rather than destructive force. However, of those three, Vision is the only one with natural powers. If Tony and James Rhodes’ suits were somehow disabled, then they would effectively be out of the game during a battle, although Tony might have a contingency for that.
On Captain America’s team, their strengths rest not so much with superpowers as much as natural ability. Ant-Man and Falcon are the only ones with technology that allow them to do amazing things (shrink and fly, respectively), although you could technically consider Bucky Barnes’ metal arm a special augmentation since the prothesis slightly enhances his strength. Keep in mind, though, that most of these heroes are skilled fighters that held their own in many battles. So while they might not have sheer firepower on their side, you shouldn’t count them out.
Whether you believe Captain America and his allies are at a disadvantage or not, Evans made it clear that he is happy with the people he’ll be fighting alongside in Captain America: Civil War, and he has particular affection for two of his allies. When asked who some of the key members were, he said:
Mackie and Seb [Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan]. I’ll be in a foxhole with those two guys any day.
Even though Bucky’s still not quite in his right mind following the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, these two are Cap’s closest friends in the MCU, so it’s understandable that Chris Evans would feel this way. As for his other teammates, Hawkeye is also a trusted ally, Steve will get to know Ant-Man as the film progresses and if things go the way they doing the comics, Agent 13 (a.k.a. Sharon Carter) will not just be an ally, but also a potential love interest.
These teams will go head to head when Captain America: Civil War is released on May 6, 2016.
