So, what is everyone fighting about then?
Civil War just wrapped production, but details are already starting to trickle out. We’ve seen the teams of each side in the conflict, which carried the surprise of Black Panther joining Tony Stark. But what exactly are they fighting over? Up until now, we figured the cause of the divide would be the same as the comics: the super hero registration act. Well… according to a report from Birth. Movies. Death… that may not be entirely accurate.
What was the Super Hero Registration Act in the comics?
Basically, it meant that all super heroes had to register their secret identities with the government in order to become legally regulated super heroes if they wanted to fight crime… which, we’ll be honest, seems fairly reasonable. Tony Stark was all for it to a startlingly devoted to a degree that seemed almost fascist while Steve Rogers fought against it because “freedom.”
That, of course, is no longer the case.
So, what are they fighting over in the Civil War movie?
After the wanton destruction in Sokovia and Wakanda that occurred during Age of Ultron due to the unregulated actions of the Avengers, it seems the world wants to put some oversight on the group in an initiative called “Sokovia Accords.” Tony is obviously all for this due to the fact he wants order and protection (which is why he built Ultron in the first place), while Steve is worried after SHIELD turned out to be HYDRA in disguise.
Take away the HYDRA infiltration and Steve was still very lost and unhappy working for SHIELD. He wants to do things his way because he trusts his moral compass, where you can’t always be sure about the guys calling the shots above you. After all, the head of HYDRA was a Nobel Prize Winner and looked suspiciously like Robert Redford. If you can’t trust Robert Redford… who can you trust?
What does this mean for Iron Man and Captain America?
In the end, it’s a very interesting place to put Tony and Steve. If you’ve paid careful attention to their character arcs they’ve actually gone in opposite directions.
Originally, Tony Stark was the maverick who beat to the sound of his own drum. He rejected the government and wanted to act autonomously. Now, after the events of The Avengers and Phase 2, he’s being weighed down with responsibility and putting more faith in oversight in order to provide protection from many rising threats.
Steve Rogers, on the other hand, was a man who was almost hell bent on dying for his country during WWII. After waking up in the 21st century, however, he’s slowly gone his own way. That line of thinking was cemented when the one government agency he put faith in, SHIELD, became the very thing he fought against in the first place. Obviously Steve has no desire to return to that so he’s increasingly been working without the consent of the leaders he put complete faith in.
It’s a great turn for both characters and we can’t wait to see how it plays out on the big screen next year.
