Geeks logo

What's Happening in the MCU After 'Captain America: Civil War'

'Captain America: Civil War' is the best Marvel Cinematic feature to date.

By Allie Z.Published 6 years ago 19 min read
Like

Captain America: Civil War (2016) has yet to premiere in the United States, but early screenings have been the delight of many fans across the states. Some of the content within the film needs some explanation, as well as all the questions left unanswered after viewing Captain America: Civil War. If you don't want to know, then stop reading now. There isn't much of a review here, more of an analysis of new content within the film. But not to exaggerate, Captain America: Civil War is the best Marvel Cinematic feature to date. After watching every entry in the franchise since Iron Man (2008), I can say proudly that Captain America: Civil War (2016) is the best Marvel movie ever; probably the best comic-book movie ever. But to reiterate, if you don't want to know the Spoilers for the film, don't read any further. This post will delve into the source material for which the film is based upon, as well as the connectivity to future Marvel films.

You've been warned.

Are you sure you want to read.

Are you sure you want to know? Keep Reading.

SPOILER ALERT:

1. What does the drop of the Shield mean for Steve Rogers in the future?

At the conclusion of the last fight between Steve Rogers/Captain America and Tony Stark/Iron Man, Tony Stark is left in defeat while Steve Rogers walks away with Bucky Barnes. During this scene, Tony explicitly tells Steve of how he doesn't deserve' to carry the Shield that Howard Stark made. To which, Steve Rogers responds by dropping the Shield. Implying that Steve Rogers' understands Tony Stark's point of view on the matter, and agrees with him when his unworthy nature becomes apparent. By relinquishing his Shield, Steve Rogers has officially ended his run as Captain America, but it doesn't look like he's done being a hero just yet. Steve Rogers still has a vast amount of source material to potentially be laid out for his character in the future. He could undertake his other superhero moniker of "The Captain" or "Nomad". Nomad would be more fitting as he's a wanted criminal, in the eyes of the United Nations. And it seems like Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross will continue his pursuit of enhanced individuals. Possibly making his presence known on "Marvels' Agents of Shield" in the upcoming week.

2. Baron Zemo's role in the film was minimal at best.

Baron Zemo's role in the film was part mystery, part action-spy. We couldn't tell what his intentions were at first, with his blatant disregard for life. But his intentions became clear in the ending sequence of the film. Wherein Zemo explains his nefarious plan to T'Chala/Black Panther. Having done everything to get the Avengers to fight one another, and he'd succeeded, but he wasn't allowed the satisfaction as Black Panther stopped Zemo from killing himself. Zemo's plans were fully conceived, but the result wasn't ideal. Zemo did get the Avengers to destroy themselves by having them fight internally with another, but he wasn't expecting any resolution to come of it all. He knew that framing Bucky Barnes and then placing him in front of Tony Stark upon learning that it was Bucky Barnes who killed Stark's parents, would be the perfect formula for having Captain America and Iron Man kill each other over the fate of Bucky Barnes. But it wasn't to be. And the slight name change to Baron Helmut may be of some significance, but there may be nothing to it. Although Martin Freeman's character of Everett Ross could have some use for Baron Helmut/Zemo in future films. Regardless of Daniel Bruhl's true role in Captain America: Civil War, there'll definitely be more for him in the future of the MCU'.

3. Spider-Man/Peter Parker is well-known in New York by the time we meet him.

In his introduction, we get to see Tony Stark in Peter Parker's home, talking to his Aunt May (Marissa Tomei). Then as Peter walks in, he's in complete surprise as to who is in his home. Stark has to cleverly tip-toe around the real reason why he's in Parker's home, but he's able to get a one-on-one conversation with the teenage Peter Parker. During their conversation, some interesting dialogue takes place between Tony and Peter. We learn that Tony knows of Peter Parker's antics around New York, parading around as Spider-Man. And from there, Tony was able to trace the steps of Spider-Man back to Peter Parker's home. To which Tony proposes that Peter Parker join him in Germany. It is in the main action sequence between all the Avengers is where we get to see Tom Holland shine as Peter Parker's Spider-Man. Altogether, the new iteration of Spider-Man is definitely worth of the MCU', and more. It was a great addition to have Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, as well as the newest addition to Spider-Man: Homecoming being that of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. On that note, there's rumored to be a mentor-student relationship between the two. The concoctions these two experimental scientists will produce are probably going to be of a controversial nature. Could Peter Parker be the one to help Tony Stark finally develop the highly-sought 'Bleeding Edge' armor. For those not familiar with the 'Bleeding Edge' armor, the suit resides within the molecular structure of Tony Stark. He can remove the suit and place it among his body at will. Providing him a substantial advantage over many adversaries.

4. Was King, T'Chaka once the Black Panther? And will Black Panther (2017) see T'Chaka as the Black Panther in flashbacks?

In a brief moment of calm, T'Chala/Black Panther is unexpectedly confronted by Black Widow, asking of who he is. T'Chala goes on to explain the origins of ancestry and of the origins of his suit, his dialogue to her implies that multiple 'Kings' of Wakanda have taken upon the moniker of the Black Panther in past generations. T'Chala tells of the history of his people, and with every new king, a new heir is crowned as the Black Panther. The protector of Wakanda. His dialogue also implies that the Black Panther suit that T'Chala wears has been passed down through generations. Which means that his father, T'Chaka could have once worn the suit as well. It's possible that in Black Panther (2017), we'll see flashbacks of T'Chaka as the Black Panther, giving the character an origin to build off of. And the idea wasn't blatantly pointed out, but aside from T'Chala's combat skills, it may have been the first time that T'Chala had worn the Black Panther suit; as his father T'Chaka dies in the first segments of the film. A small token was taken that may have fully immersed T'Chala into the role of the Black Panther. During the scene, wherein an explosion is ignited near the United Nations council convening on the Sokovia Accords, T'Chaka dies during the explosion. As the rubble settles, T'Chala goes to his father's side, and then takes the ring from his father's finger. It is then we see T'Chala fully dressed as the Black Panther. "Black Panther (2017)" will likely explain the significance of T'Chaka's ring, as well as the other possible incarnations of the Black Panther. Along with who taught T'Chala how to fight, those aren't ordinary skills.

5. Super Soldiers were cut from the film, but still had a presence.

The Super Soldier theory was very popular, and fans were expecting Super Soldier clones to be the enforcers to the antagonist, Baron Zemo; but it wasn't as clear cut as that. In the film, the Super Soldier experiments were conducted by Hydra during the same time in which Bucky Barnes was brainwashed into the Winter Soldier. The new recruits were all given a manufactured Super-Soldier serum, and all went berserk upon receiving the serum. However, a way to control them was achieved which was how Hydra was able to program Bucky Barnes into the Winter Soldier. No more scenes were shown of the Super Soldiers in action, but we can assume that it won't be the last time we'll see them. The conclusion of Civil War left the Siberia facility where the Super Soldiers had been cryogenically frozen, unaddressed. That could mean the frozen, Super Soldiers will be taken in by Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross for further experimentation. To reiterate, the six contained Super Soldiers were fully preserved in cryogenic stasis. They were purposely forgotten in an abandoned base in Siberia, to preserve them for the correct time. It's not clear as to how many missions these Super Soldiers were commanded on but there's a lot of evidence pointing in the direction of these Super Soldiers making an impact in the MCU' sometime in the future.

6. Crossbones went through an unexpected wardrobe change. And an untimely death.

Crossbones made his debut just as the promotional footage for the film depicted. Although with one slight change to his appearance. The original image of Crossbones' mask has the iconic Skull marking upon it; to which the trailer and images of the film have shown consistently. But in Captain America: Civil War, our first glimpse of Crossbones shows him wearing a gas-mask over his face, hiding the actual helmet to his mechanized suit. We were also expecting Brock Rumlow's Crossbones to have a larger role in the film, but he was removed as he tried a kamikaze move on Captain America, which resulted in Scarlet Witch throwing the exploding, Crossbones into a building of innocent civilians. The inciting act for the Sokovia Accords.

7. Why did T'Chala/Black Panther not intervene in the last fight sequence?

During the last fight scene between Captain America, Iron Man, and Bucky Barnes. T'Chala is present during their confrontation. He had been present since Tony Stark headed to Siberia to catch Cap' and Bucky. But as to why he didn't involve himself is still a mystery. Could it have been that T'Chala saw that Steve Rogers and Tony Stark needed to resolve their differences, or they'd inevitably end up fighting each other on opposing sides until one of them wound up dead? It's all a mystery. We'll probably hear the discussion at some point. The post-credits scene had Steve Rogers and T'Chala/Black Panther potentially looking to work together. Which means that T'Chala may have reason to tell Steve of being present during his fight with Tony Stark/Iron Man. Highly speculative for the moment. But T'Chala's presence during the scene had more significance than once thought. It was T'Chala who managed to talk Baron Zemo into revealing the maniacal reasoning behind his villainy. Within that scene, Baron Zemo proved his intent to destroy the Avengers from the inside, and he did everything he'd planned so they would destroy each other. Zemo succeeded in some degree, with Tony Stark left in a pool of his own blood, as well as Rhodey/War Machine left crippled. As well as Steve Rogers having to abandon the mantle of Captain America because of the decisions he made on his personal behalf, for Bucky Barnes that is.

8. Are the Secret Avengers now assembled?

Now that Steve Rogers has gone underground, and rescued the Avengers' from the Raft, is he going to assemble the comic-book team of "Secret Avengers"? In Marvel Comics, after the Civil War event, Steve Rogers goes underground and assembles his own team of Avengers, deemed the "Secret Avengers". As well as leaving the role of Captain America with the drop of his shield, it's possible that Steve Rogers will take on a new superhero moniker as the head of the newly founded "Secret Avengers". Possibly that of the Nomad. That title would coincide with the character he may choose to represent now that he's no longer Captain America. Or he could just be the 'Super Soldier' Steve Rogers.

9. Does the inclusion of Tony Stark in Steve Rogers' plan to re-assemble the Avengers mean that all is forgiven between the two?

The package sent to Tony Stark in the conclusion of the film, included a cell-phone to call upon Steve Rogers if the need is ever present. Does the branching out to Tony Stark mean that Steve Rogers understands why Tony did what he did in Civil War, knowing that Tony Stark/Iron Man will stand by his side; under the right set of circumstances? There's likely to be room for Tony Stark/Iron Man on the Secret Avengers' if he chooses to be a part of the team. And now that Tony Stark firmly knows government entities like the United Nations will do what's in their best interest, Tony Stark can see Steve Rogers' point of view. They'd concluded their war with Tony Stark being present on Cap's side during their exploration of the Siberia facility. It was the moment that Tony learned of Steve Rogers possessing knowledge of how Stark's parents had been murdered by Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier triggering Tony into a wild rage, intent on killing Bucky Barnes. Therein the last fight between Tony Stark/Iron Man and Steve Rogers/Captain America take place. Their reason for fighting was for Bucky's sake, and now that Bucky is out of the picture. They have shared ideologies on the world, and that would mean their adventures will be aligned; well after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) gets another spectacular role in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2018).

10. Was the holdout of Stark's parents really necessary for Tony Stark to finally decide on ending Bucky Barnes' escape?

Since Captain America: Winter Soldier, we'd known that it was Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier responsible for the deaths of Maria and Howard Stark; parents to Tony Stark. But that information wasn't revealed to Tony until the events of "Captain America: Civil War". My query on the matter is this. Would Tony Stark have changed his methods of capture to destroy, had he known from the beginning that it was Bucky Barnes who was responsible for murdering his parents? The final push for Iron Man to want to end Bucky's life could have been placed earlier in the film, to drive Stark's plan to capture Bucky Barnes with more ferocity in place. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) uses his charisma as a cover in every situation to have the situation play out the way he wants it to, but with his emotions getting the better of him, it's possible that Tony Stark would have seen Bucky Barnes as too much of a threat, and killed him indiscriminately; had the information of the murder of Stark's parents been revealed earlier on in the film.

11. The Stan Lee cameo was the best part of the film.

Stan Lee's cameo came at a perfect time. Tony Stark is sitting licking his wounds, while his pal, Rhodey is still trying to pick himself up after the huge fight. Then just as Tony and Rhodey are having a deep-philosophical discussion, Stan Lee arrives as the FedEx delivery guy. And he has a package for 'Tony Stank'. Best line in the film. Rhodey agrees. The spelling is correct. That's how Stan Lee read off the name on the package, "Package for Tony Stank". So great that Stan Lee can always be a part of the MCU'.

12. What significance does Scott Lang's mention of possibly being torn in half while turning into Giant-Man mean for his future?

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) mentions to Captain America before he goes 'Giant-Man' that he may be torn in half as he's only tried the transformation one other time in a lab. Which could mean that Scott Lang has undergone further experimentation with his suit after the events of Ant-Man (2014). Along with not getting a full explanation, we don't learn how Scott Lang/Ant-Man has gained a new suit. Was it Henry Pym that developed his suit further or did Scott Lang get help from another source? It's possible that the events between Ant-Man (2014) and Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018) will include the events leading up to the Civil War. Wherein, we'll see how Scott Lang is dragged into the conflict, as well as what he's up to before he becomes a part of it all. There's also the aspect of how damaging the transformation into Giant-Man is on Scott Lang's body. If he's unable to sustain the transformation or if it negatively impacts his health, Paul Rudd's run as Ant-Man could be cut short.

13. Spider-Man's origins are still a mystery after Peter Parker (Tom Holland) dodges the question of how he attained his abilities.

During the conversation between Tony Stark and Peter Parker in Parker's apartment, Tony tries to get Parker to explain how he became the wall-crawling, Spider-Man. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) quickly avoids the question by using a general statement of "whatever happened to me". Meaning that he doesn't want to reveal what event gave him his 'Spider-Man' abilities. That aspect of Spider-Man's identity will likely be fleshed out in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2018).

14. Tony Stark didn't get to use the Bleeding Edge armor, although his armors are becoming more flexible.

From the teasers for the film, it appeared as though Tony Stark/Iron Man would be developing a new type of armor in Captain America: Civil War. We did get to see a new suit of armor, as well as his 'Iron Glove' accessory, but nothing else was clearly depicted as a new technology used in Stark's Iron Man suits.

15. And is War Machine/Rhodey done as an Avenger?

With James Rhodes' injured at the conclusion of the film, does that mean his character is done as an Avenger? Probably not, Rhodes (Don Cheadle) last lines of dialogue in the film indicate that he still intently, wishes to be a part of the world solution, not the problems created by the Avengers.

16. What moniker will Steve Rogers take now that he's no longer Captain America?

Steve Rogers drops his shield at the conclusion of the film, meaning more than just a change in weaponry. The drop of the shield also means that Steve Rogers' time as Captain America has run its course. But if Steve Rogers is still intent on saving the world from self-destruction, than who could Steve Rogers become in the future(i.e. The Nomad, The Captain).

17. Is Bucky's containment setting him up to become Captain America at a later time?

The ending credits scene of the film has Bucky Barnes being cryogenically frozen once again, but this time Steve Rogers will be looking after him. Being frozen could bring Bucky Barnes back into the fight when Avengers: Infinity War rolls around. If reality becomes distorted during Thanos' rise to conquer, the frozen Bucky Barnes may be one of the only heroes left on Earth to stop Thanos. And in that set of circumstances, Bucky Barnes would likely to take on the moniker of Captain America as a symbol of justice to the people in fear of Thanos.

18. Are the Sokovia Accords still in effect for Enhanced Individuals?

We know that the Avengers have been broken out of their detainment in The Raft by the end of the film, but what does that mean for the rest of the Enhanced-Individuals in the world? The Inhumans of "Marvel's Agents of Shield" are still likely to be affected, which would require registration and supervision through the guidelines of The Sokovia Accords'. We're still a week away from the episode of "Marvel's Agents of Shield" that'll give us a clearer picture of how the Sokovia Accords are going to be handled on a world-wide scale. Not only are the Inhumans in danger, but so are Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and the rest of the Marvel Netflix series' cast. What will happen to them now that the Sokovia Accords have passed into legislation?

19. Did Peter Parker receive more upgrades to his Spider-Man suit from Tony Stark during 'Civil War'?

There was definitely a good explanation for Peter Parker/Spider-Man's costume. And the aspect of Parker's vision requiring lenses to reduce the heightened nature of his senses was absolutely clever. The sunglasses on the original costume to the special lenses crafted by Tony Stark/Iron Man in the upgraded suit he gives to Peter Parker (Tom Holland). Spider-Man was amazing in the airport scene, it appeared as though he'd have an advantage over most of the Avengers, but he still came up short in the end. Still, we were privy to Peter Parker/Spider-Man in action, in a Marvel Cinematic film. Along with Tom Holland's role as Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War, we know he's also coming back in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2018). As well as the addition of Robert Downey Jr., as Tony Stark/Iron Man. When we see Parker's return to New York, he's likely going to be sporting the costume given to him by Tony Stark. But was there more to the suit than we saw in Captain America: Civil War? Before the reveal of Spider-Man in his new costume, many fans were expecting for Tony Stark/Iron Man to craft a new suit for him in the film. And yes, Tony Stark did create a new Spider-Man suit for Peter Parker; though it wasn't the iteration of the suit which Tony Stark is famous for bestowing upon Peter Parker. The suit in question is that of the famous, Spider-Armor. In Marvel Comics, during the Civil War event, Spider-Man allies with Iron Man, wherein Iron Man also creates a suit of armor for Peter Parker, the Spider Armor. Now we didn't get to see the Spider Armor in Captain America: Civil War, but it's probable the Spider Armor' suit for Peter Parker will be saved for Spider-Man: Homecoming (2018). That would make more sense for Peter Parker's development. Peter has just earned the trust of Tony Stark in Civil War', but Stark isn't just going to give a teenage kid a suit of armor even if it is Spider-Man. Peter Parker/Spider-Man is going to have to earn a suit of armor, if that is what Tony Stark sees in Spider-Man's future.

20. Where was Nick Fury during "Captain America: Civil War"?

Samuel L. Jackson had been removed from possibly appearing in 'Civil War' quite some time ago. No one was expecting even a cameo from his character of 'Nick Fury' but the question stands, where was Nick Fury during the events of 'Civil War'? Could Nick Fury be preoccupied assisting Agent Phil Coulson with his current dilemma over the Inhumans? The last episode of "Marvel's Agents of Shield" saw an Inhuman army close to being raised by Hive, and the only ones standing in their way are Coulson's SHIELD agents. With Fury's absence from "Captain America: Civil War" being noted, the assumption is plausible in Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) assisting Agent Phil Coulson with the Inhuman problem during the next episode of "Marvel's Agents of Shield". The next episode will air after "Captain America: Civil War" premieres, expressing the impact of the MCU' on the television series of "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD". We're likely to see Nick Fury make an appearance on "Agents of SHIELD", with Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) neeeding all the help he can get in dealing with Hive.

movie
Like

About the Creator

Allie Z.

I cover most entertainment related topics and am venturing into journalism.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.