Then there are those familiar faces – Vision, Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Cap, Falcon, Tony, Bucky, Sharon Carter etc, etc. *stops head from spinning* For the love of Thanos – how the Russo brothers achieve harmonious, bone-crunching sequences of evenly-split character exposition is beyond me. Everyone has a moment where they shine. Be it Ant-Man’s ironically gigantic comedic presence, or Black Widow’s irrefutable badassery, or Hawkeye’s perfectly inserted persona, Marvel characters know how to maximize their presence (sans Quicksilver in Avengers: Age Of Ultron). Unsurprisingly, Civil War is no different. Nay – Civil War exemplifies Marvel’s unique ability to establish stakes, motives, and backstory through only a few, condensed appearances.
Most importantly for Captain America: Civil War, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely never shift the focus from Captain America, because this is HIS sequel after all. Most people will categorize Civil War as another Avengers movie – and with certain cause – but Captain America’s linear decision making is what drives each character’s affiliation, and, ultimately, their overall inclusion. But, Cap’s tumultuous inner-quarreling is never lost, as he struggles to pick between a once-lost friend (Bucky), and the people he now fights alongside (The Avengers). If Civil War were an album track, it’d still be performed by “Cap’n MURICA ft.Tony Starxxx ft. Falco ft…” – you get the point. Cap is still the leading name, while the others are supporting talents.
Structural integrity is never sacrificed for the addition of one more money-grabbing name, and while that’s not a comment on the story itself (Marvel villains still need better plans), Civil War withstands the weight of too many comic Titans with tremendous ease.
Could Civl War have been the same movie with Bruce Banner still in the picture? Or Thor? Or even Pepper Potts? I’m not sure, but keeping certain characters out of the picture lets others stand taller. Kudos to a film that feels gigantic, spanning countries and 12 different superheroes, yet somehow weaves a close-knit experience that never becomes too large to contain. Characters never feel corralled, and in turn, are free to be their liveliest, freest versions.
DC – take notes. It’s not about the number of superheroes in your film, but how they’re included. One-off appearances will only garner so much interest, and looks alone aren’t enough to distract from baseless inclusions. Captain America: Civil War is textbook navigation of an endless sea of characters, whether it be Ant-Man stealing a measly two scenes, or Black Panther gaining audience fandom while sharing his first appearance with Marvel’s elite agents. There’s a character filling each brightly colored, form-fitting suit, and Marvel works hard to ensure that heroes are more than a memorable mask.
If only all comic properties could work the same way…
