Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Captain America 3: The Cinematic Civil War

I know we don't usually talk movie news on this blog, but a recent announcement has gotten me so excited I felt I needed to share it with you loyal readers through the weekly mini topic. Marvel Studios has announced that Robert Downey Jr (Tony Stark/Iron Man) has been cast in Captain America 3. Further more, Cap 3 will be loosely based off Marvel Comic's Civil War storyline. Civil War was a story about the heroes of the Marvel Universe fighting over the passing of a document called the Superhuman Registration Act. This document, should it pass, will force superheroes with secret identities to reveal there identities and register themselves to the government's control. Now, we already know the Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding with every movie and TV show. Based on the impact movies like The Avengers and Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier had on the movie universe, its safe to assume this movie will also set the ground work for future films. So lets go over what we know and what I think.

While this movie will be based on Civil War, it can be easily assumed it won't be directly off the pages. Civil War was a Marvel Universe event and I'd be disappointed if Cap 3 wasn't really about Cap. Having Civil War as a backdrop to Cap's conflict with the government and with Tony is what I'd be happy to see. I guess some explanations are needed for the sides these heroes take. Cap doesn't support the SRA because it takes away the freedom and security that heroes have. As he puts it, when the government controls the good guys, the government gets to decide who the bad guys are. Confusing given that Cap is a soldier pretty much wearing the American flag, but he has a strong belief that freedom shouldn't kept from those who deserve it. More confusing is why Tony Stark would be on the government's side. We saw in Iron Man 2 that Tony has had arguments with government officials. However, back then it was about the use of the Iron Man armor. In the Civil War comic, Tony sides with the SRA out of his own principles, but given what might happen in the movies we might see a different reasoning. It has been confirmed for Avengers: Age of Ultron that the title villain-a sentient robot who wants to kill all humans-will be created by Tony Stark. My theory is after the destruction that Ultron causes, Tony feels responsible for the death toll and decides to take a stronger stance on the nation's security. If you remember, the whole reason Tony became a hero was to make up for the damage he's done to the country and having Ultron repeat this lesson and force Tony to take more drastic methods would make sense. It also helps the movie show that Tony isn't a villain, he's simply a hero with different ideals that clash with Cap's ideals. Along with setting up future movie material, I also think Civil War will change other characters as well, mainly Bucky Barnes (played by Sebastian Stan). When we last saw him in Winter Soldier, he was a former villain rediscovering his past. In the Civil War comic, Captain America is assassinated by Crossbones, a villain we've seen in Cap 2 and will be returning in Cap 3. After Steve Roger dies, Bucky takes up the mantle of Captain America and by then end of Cap 3 I could see the same thing happen. Steve's death may also change Tony's ideals, as well as end the world's feud over the SRA.
Civil War was a story that drew a gray line and made readers think. There was never any wrong answer to the SRA idea because it's such a realistic idea to be introduced. Cap 2 made viewers question the government's right to observe its country, Cap 3 just might make us question if the government should control the people within its country. Having two larger-than-life superheroes represent America's divided opinions makes Cap 3 another example of Comic Books not always being about good guys fighting bad guys. Because much like the real world it isn't always about good and bad. Sometimes its just about people. I look forward to see where Captain America 3 goes.

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