Captain America: Civil War (2016)
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A disagreement over international oversight of the Avengers fractures the team into two opposing factions.
The story
In the aftermath of the battle in Sokovia, the Avengers are faced with the Sokovia Accords, a proposal by the United Nations to establish a panel to oversee and control the team's actions. The team becomes deeply divided: Tony Stark supports the oversight due to his role in the creation of Ultron, while Steve Rogers prefers to rely on his own judgment. The conflict intensifies as Steve Rogers attempts to protect his friend, Bucky Barnes, from being captured by authorities, leading to a fracture in the team's unity as they navigate the political and personal consequences of their actions.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows the fallout of the Avengers' battle in Sokovia. When the United Nations proposes the Sokovia Accords to oversee the team, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers take opposing sides. Simultaneously, the villainous Helmut Zemo seeks to dismantle the Avengers by manipulating the situation. Steve Rogers attempts to protect Bucky Barnes, a brainwashed super-soldier, from being captured by the government. This leads to a split in the team: Stark's group (including War Machine, Black Widow, and Black Panther) faces off against Rogers' group (including Falcon, Hawkeye, and Winter Soldier) at an airport. After a violent confrontation, the team is fractured. Later, Stark discovers that Zemo framed Barnes and orchestrated the conflict to destroy the Avengers' unity. In a final confrontation at a Siberian Hydra facility, Stark and Rogers face off after learning the truth about Barnes' past. The film ends with the team divided and Zemo's plan to fracture them successfully realized.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 147
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Joe Russo
- Writers
- Christopher Markus · screenplay; Stephen McFeely · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Chris Evans · Steve Rogers / Captain America; Robert Downey Jr. · Tony Stark / Iron Man; Scarlett Johansson · Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow; Sebastian Stan · Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier; Anthony Mackie · Sam Wilson / Falcon; Don Cheadle · James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine; Jeremy Renner · Clint Barton / Hawkeye; Chadwick Boseman · T'Challa / Black Panther
- Genres
- superhero
- Themes
- accountability; consequence of power; loyalty; fractured unity
- Tone and mood
- serious; action-packed
- Setting
- Modern day, spanning locations including Sokovia, Lagos, Vienna, Bucharest, Leipzig/Halle Airport, and a Siberian Hydra facility.
- Premise and plot tags
- superhero; team conflict; political intrigue
- Source material / true-story basis
- Marvel Comics
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success and received positive reviews from critics, particularly praising the performances of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., the action sequences, and the underlying themes.
- Production trivia
- The film was the first to use IMAX's digital 2D cameras for its central airport fight sequence.; The film's title and premise were revealed in October 2014.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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