Captain America: Civil War is an upcoming American superhero
film featuring the Marvel Comics character Captain America, produced by Marvel
Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is intended
to be the sequel to 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger and 2014's
Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and the thirteenth film of the Marvel
Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, with a
screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, and features an ensemble
cast that includes Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson,
Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman,
Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Frank
Grillo, William Hurt, and Daniel Brühl. In Captain America: Civil War, an act
regulating superhuman activity fractures the Avengers into opposing factions,
one led by Steve Rogers and another by Tony Stark.
Development of Captain America: Civil War started in late
2013 when Markus and McFeely began writing the screenplay, which borrows
concepts from the 2006 comic book limited series Civil War. The Russo brothers
were brought back to direct in early 2014 after positive reactions to test
screenings of The Winter Soldier. The film's title was revealed in October 2014
and Downey was added to the cast, with additional cast members joining the film
in the following months. The film began principal photography in April 2015 at
Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia and the Metro Atlanta area,
before concluding in Germany in August 2015.
Captain America: Civil War is scheduled to have its world
premiere in Los Angeles on April 12, 2016 and release in North America on May
6, 2016, in 3D and IMAX 3D.
Premise
One year after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron,
another international incident involving the Avengers resulting in collateral
damage occurs, prompting politicians to form a system of accountability and a
governing body to determine when to call in the team. When Steve Rogers
attempts to protect his friend Bucky Barnes from this act, he is brought into
conflict with Tony Stark.This results in the fracturing of the Avengers into
two opposing factions–one led by Rogers who wishes to operate without
regulation, and the other led by Stark who supports government oversight–while
the world is threatened by a new enemy.
Cast
The leader of a faction of Avengers against regulation, and
a World War II veteran who was enhanced to the peak of human physicality by an
experimental serum and frozen in suspended animation before waking up in the
modern world. According to Joe Russo, Rogers does not become a disillusioned
antihero stating, "his morality is part of his superpower,"and
adding, "...there’s an inspirational quality to his character. So it’s
nice to have characters around him that he can inspire. Leadership is also a
key component of his, and you can’t lead unless you have other characters
around. But he's also got an expanding universe—Winter Soldier, Agent 13, the
Falcon—so there’s already a universe that’s expanding around
him."Describing his role in the plot, Evans said, "Tony [Stark]
actually thinks we should be signing these accords and reporting to somebody
and Cap, who's always been a company man and has always been a soldier,
actually doesn't trust anymore. Given what happened in Cap 2, I think he kind
of feels the safest hands are his own."Anthony Russo said Captain
America's character arc in the film is taking "him from the most ra-ra
company man" to someone who is "a somewhat willing propagandist, and
by the end of the third film he’s an insurgent."Evans added, "It’s
exciting to see a guy who’s as optimistic and as selfless as Steve be met with
letdown, betrayal, frustration, and selfishness. There are events and people in
his life that test him — that challenge him and force him to reevaluate who he
is and what he wants out of life." On Rogers' romantic life, Joe Russo
said, "we can only keep Cap romantically uninvolved for so long. At some
point, something has to happen with that character, so we are very aware of his
lack of romantic life. We want to keep dimensionalizing his character so maybe
something interesting will happen."
The leader of a faction of Avengers in support of
regulation,and self-described genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist
with electromechanical suits of armor of his own invention.On how the character
evolves in the film over previous portrayals of the character, Downey said,
"t’s natural to change your views. The main thing to me is... what sort of
incident could occur and what sort of framework could we find Tony in? The
clues are in [Avengers: Age of Ultron] about where we might find him
next."Anthony Russo added that Stark's egomania allowed the writers
"to bring him to a point in his life where he was willing to submit to an
authority, where he felt it was the right thing to do." Joe Russo added
that because of the visions Stark saw in Age of Ultron, he now has a
"guilty complex" which "drives him to make very specific
decisions," calling his emotional arc "very complicated". Marvel
initially wanted Downey's part to be smaller, however "Downey wanted Stark
to have a more substantial role in the film’s plot." Variety noted that
Downey would receive $40 million plus backend for his participation, as well as
an additional payout if the film outperforms The Winter Soldier, as Marvel
would feel the success of this film would be attributed to Downey.Downey's
personal trainer Eric Oram stated that the trick to pitting Rogers against
Stark, "is to show Iron Man using the 'minimum force' necessary to win the
fight, and not to look like he's trying to go wild and kill somebody."
An Avenger allied with Stark,who formerly worked for
S.H.I.E.L.D. as a highly trained spy.Anthony Russo noted her torn allegiances
in the film, saying "her head is with Tony’s side of things, but her heart
is with Cap in a lot of ways. It’s a really awesome spot for her as a character
in the film."Johansson added in the film, Romanoff is "looking to strategize
her position, putting herself in a place where she is able to let the powers
that be fight it out or whatever amongst themselves" in order for her to
"have a better perspective of what’s really going on."Describing her
character's situation after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Johansson
said, "I think that the Widow's past will always haunt her. She's trying
to move forward, she's trying to pick up the pieces of her life. I think we'll
see parts of that in Cap 3 when we find her. And certainly she has a greater
purpose, and I think that greater purpose is charged by this need to escape her
past. So, it's always kind of right there, kind of looming over her
shoulders."She also said that Romanoff is at a point in her life where she
can make choices herself, without having others have a hand in the decision
process.On the continuation of the relationship between Romanoff and Rogers
from The Winter Soldier, Joe Russo said that they wanted to "test it"
by having Romanoff point out to Rogers the mistakes the team have made and
convince him "that it might not be as black and white as he sees it"
and that the Avengers must "find a way to work within the system so that
[they] aren’t disbanded.
An enhanced brainwashed assassin allied with Rogers, and his
best friend who reemerged after being thought killed in action during World War
II.Stan stated that his character in Civil War is an amalgam of his experiences
as Barnes and the Winter Soldier, saying, "You know, here’s the guy when
you merge the two. This is what came out. To me, he’s never really going to be
Bucky Barnes again. There’s going be recognizable things about him, but his
path through the [experiences of] Winter Soldier is always going be there,
haunting him. He recognizes his past, but at the same time he’s sort of a new
character, too."Stan stated he had more lines in the film over his
appearance in Winter Soldier, and how that applied to the development of the
character, he said, "The look of the Winter Soldier is a very specific
look. There was something very specific in how the guy looked and behaved and I
felt like the more I stepped back and I just kind of let that do the work, the
better it was gonna be. In a situation like that, you’re trying to guess where
the guy’s at in his mind, and that certainly continues in the Civil War movie.
You’re always trying to guess what side is he on or … because he can go both
ways."
An Avenger allied with Rogers,and a former pararescueman
trained by the military in aerial combat using a specially designed wing pack.
Wilson is aided by a robotic drone named Redwing.Discussing the relationship
between Wilson and Rogers, Mackie said, "With Falcon and Cap, what's so
great is there's a mutual respect. There's a soldier respect. What's great
about... [Captain America: Civil War] is you get to see their relationship
grow, adding, "He respects and admires Cap because Cap earned his rank as
opposed to sitting in an office and just delegating orders." Joe Russo
stated that the inclusion of Barnes to Rogers' side forces Wilson to question
the dynamic and relationship he has with Rogers going forward.
Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War
Machine:
An Avenger allied with Stark,and an officer in the U.S. Air
Force who operates the War Machine armor.Cheadle called Rhodes' appearance in
the film a "bit more intense and pivotal" compared to his previous
appearances.
Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye:
A master archer allied with Rogers,who previously worked for
S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. On Barton's reasons for joining Rogers' side,
Renner said, "Cap was the first guy who called. Let’s just get the job
done so I can get home to the family."On how he and Barton fit into the Marvel
Cinematic Universe, Renner said, "I’m happy to be the ensemble. I’m not
scratching or clawing to do a solo movie by any means...I think [Barton's] a
utility guy that can bounce around into other people’s universes a little bit,
especially like Cap 3."
Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther:
The prince of the African nation of Wakanda allied with
Stark.On including the character in the film, Feige said, "The reason we
introduced him in Civil War is because we needed a third party. We needed fresh
eyes who wasn’t embedded with the Avengers and who has a very different point
of view than either Tony or Steve. We said, ‘We need somebody like Black
Panther… why don’t we just use Black Panther?’" Feige also said that
T'Challa would be in the "beginning phases of taking on" the Black
Panther mantle. He also added that his appearance in Civil War is more than a
cameo, giving him a full arc and character journey with "his own conflict
and his own people that he's looking out for."Joe Russo said that T'Challa
is "there for a very different reason which brings him into conflict with
Cap and his team." Executive producer Nate Moore added that T'Challa is
"the undecided voter", whose agenda does not exactly align with
either Rogers' or Stark's.The Black Panther costume is a combination of a
practical costume and visual effects, featuring a vibranium mesh weave similar
to chainmail. On landing the role, Boseman said, "It wasn’t really an
audition process. It was more of a discussion about what they wanted to do and how
I saw it and what I wanted to do. It was more of a feeling out
process".DescribingT'Challa, Boseman said, "You never quite know
where he stands. There’s always a bit of concealing and mystery."[39] He
added that T'Challa is torn between needing to live up to traditions, his
father and nation of Wakanda's legacy and the way things were done in the past
and how things need to happen in the present.Boseman has a five picture deal
with Marvel.
Paul Bettany as Vision:
An android and Avenger allied with Stark,that was created
using the artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S. and the Mind Stone.Describing
his preparation for the role, Bettany said, "I was given comics. I also
was looking to think about what could be edifying for me to learn. I took the
opportunity - you see my character get born... He must be both omnipotent and
yet totally naive at the same time. And experiencing the world in real time and
his place in it. Is he going to be a force of good or a force of evil? It was
really interesting, fun to play with, because he’s dangerous, you don’t know if
he’s going to go one way or another. I’m continuing that theme in Captain
America 3."[44] Bettany also said he was interested in exploring
"what it means to be human and what love is" with the character, as
"The only way one can guarantee one's loyalty is love."
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch:
An Avenger from the Eastern European nation of Sokovia
allied with Rogers,who can harness magic and engage in hypnosis and
telekinesis.DescribingMaximoff's role in the film, Olsen said, "She’s
doing alright. She’s confused, she’s conflicted. She’s found some people she
thinks she connects with, but she’s doing alright. They released images of Team
Cap and Team Iron Man. She wasn’t there. She’s always the wild card. I like
being the wild card."According to Olsen, the character is "coming
into her own and starting to understand and have conflict with how she wants to
use her abilities. It’s a dramatic conflict within her and obviously there’s
conflict within the [Avengers] as well."[49] When asked about the
relationship between her character and the Vision compared to the comics, Olsen
said, "You learn a little bit more about what connects [Scarlet and
Vision] in this film. And I think there's some really sweet moments between
Paul and I, and it's more about how they relate to one another and their
similarities just based on their superpowers.
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man / Giant-Man:
A former petty criminal allied with Rogers,who acquired a
suit that allows him to shrink or grow in scale, while also increasing in
strength.Ant-Man director Peyton Reed revealed that he had discussed the
character and the way that the Ant-Man production had shot certain sequences
with the Russo brothers, saying, "As we were doing the movie and we were
in post and they were getting ready to head out to Atlanta to do Civil War, we
had a lot of conversations. And I actually wanted those guys to come in and
look at our stuff, because there’s gotta be a lot of sort of crossover. I found
myself getting extremely protective over the character of Scott Lang and
talking to the guys, the writers, the Russo’s [sic] about, 'He wouldn't do
that.' It’s important because there’s this continuity that has to happen in
this universe.
A former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. allied with Rogers.VanCamp
stated that her character sides with Rogers because they both have
"similar moral compasses". On a potential relationship between
Rogers and Carter as in the comics, Evans said, "he's certainly open to
it. Sharon is obviously relevant, but ... we don’t have to tie it up in one
movie. So they have time." VanCamp added, "We get to explore... I
can't say we are going to that extent of it, but they are certainly getting to
know each other.
A teenager allied with Stark,who received spider-like
abilities after being bitten by a genetically altered spider.Feige said that
Parker would be torn between superhero ideologies, saying, "Does he want
to be like these other characters? Does he want nothing to do with these other
characters? How does that impact his experience, being this grounded but super
powerful hero? Those are all the things that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko played
with in the first 10 years of his comics, and that now we can play with for the
first time in a movie. On aligning with Stark, Anthony Russo said that, despite
entering the conflict after the two factions have formed and not having much
political investment, Parker's choice comes from "a very personal
relationship" he develops with Stark.TheRussos hoped "to take a very
logical and realistic and naturalistic approach to the character" compared
to the previous film portrayals. Anthony Russo added that the character's
introduction had to fit "that specific tonal stylistic world" of the
MCU, as well as the tone established by the directors in Winter Soldier,
saying, "It's a little more grounded and a little more hard-core
contemporary." That was "coloring our choices a lot" with
Parker. On the Spider-Man suit, Joe Russo described it as "a slightly
more traditional, Steve Ditko influenced suit," and that the film would
explore the way the suit operates, particularly the mechanical eyes.Holland
chose not to read the whole Civil War script in order to avoid potentially
leaking plot information publicly. He is signed on for at least three films,
not including his Civil War appearance.
Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow / Crossbones:
Former commander of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s counter-terrorism
S.T.R.I.K.E. team, who was revealed to be an agent of Hydra. On returning to
the character, Grillo said "He’s a badass. He is just vicious. I like the
idea that it’s no holds barred. I was 15 pounds bigger when I did Cap 2, and
I'll put another 15 pounds on to do Cap 3. I love the physicality. It changes
the way you look; it changes the way you feel. However, he cautioned that
"This movie is such a big movie with a lot of people in it, so you don't
get as much of the time that you'd like to have. But, it's all good. We'll see
what happens."[68] On if Rumlow would kill Captain America in the film, as
he does in the comic "Civil War" storyline, Grillo said, "The
thing with Marvel is they don't always follow to the tee what the character did
in the comic books... we're probably not gonna see that happen. I'm not gonna
kill him yet." Grillo also stated that Rumlow's main objective in the film
is to seek revenge adding, "Whatever Rumlow was feeling as far as being
torn between which side he should be on, which I think he was, is gone
now."
William Hurt as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross:
The United States Secretary of State and former U.S. Army
general dedicated to capturing the Hulk. Hurt, on returning to the MCU, said,
"I don’t think it’s a reprise, I think it’s a new iteration completely,
adding, "what [the writers have] done is they've taken a character who was
the Ross from [The Incredible Hulk] and made a new version... a more modernized
style."Joe Russo added that Ross was the perfect character to use because
he has "a fanatical anti-superhero point of view" and has
"become much savvier and more political and has put himself in a position
of power, not unlike a Colin Powell. He’s cornering the Avengers politically
now, he’s out-maneuvering them." Joe also added that Ross was included
because the Russos felt it was important to make The Incredible Hulk
"relevant again within the [MCU]" since it "may have been
forgotten about a little bit".
Daniel Brühl as Helmut Zemo:
Zemo, who goes by multiple names in the film, does not wear
his signature mask from the comics. Brühl said the version appearing in the
film is "loosely connected" to the character from the comics and that
was a reason he liked Marvel, as "some of the characters and things
they're dealing with always reference to current events so my character is from
a different area than you would think."Joe Russo added that the character
in the film would be a "fresh and exciting" take on the character not
tied to the mythology from the comic books. Feige described the character as
"very much a product of the [Marvel] Cinematic Universe and all that has
occurred within that universe up to this point.Brühl stated that Zemo may also
appear in future MCU films,with Moore adding that, while Zemo has a purpose in
this film, it is more to set up a future film.
Additionally, Gwyneth Paltrow reprises her role as Pepper
Potts from previous MCU films,and Martin Freeman is introduced as Everett Ross,
a member of the Joint Counter Terrorism Center, and a character associated with
Black Panther in the comics.
Freeman described
Ross as someone who "works for the American government...[and] works in
conjunction with the superheroes, and certain agencies that help to tame the
superheroes' power". In terms of whether Ross would side with Stark or
Rogers in the film, Freeman said that Ross is "ambiguous" and
"you don't know whether he's good or bad" so "you’re not quite
sure which side he's on. It looks a little bit like he's playing one game when
actually he's playing another."Feige added that Ross would appear briefly
in the film, with the intent being to expand on the
character's role in future films. Alfre Woodard, who portrays Mariah Dillard in
the MCU TV series Luke Cage, appears in the film as the mother of an American
citizen killed in the battle of Sokovia.Jim Rash was cast in an undisclosed
role.Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance.