Following the events of the Age of Ultron, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity in Captain America: Civil War, which is officially entitled Captain America: Civil War.
This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man or Captain America, which causes an epic battle between former allies.
Audiences saddened that there won’t be another new Avengers movie until 2018 can find comfort in the fact that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will be assembling far sooner than that — Marvel Studios has announced that the Avengers will be seen in full in Captain America 3.
In addition to Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.’s warring Captain America and Iron Man, the movie will also feature Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, Anthony Mackie’s Falcon, Paul Bettany’s Vision, Don Cheadle’s War Machine and Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, the complete line-up of the team as things were left at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Additionally, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes and Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man will make appearances, with Chadwick Boseman debuting as T’Challa, the Black Panther.
Other familiar faces in the movie will include Emily VanCamp reprising her Winter Soldier role as Sharon Carter, Frank Grillo returning as Brock Rumlow and, perhaps surprisingly, William Hurt returning for the first time as The Incredible Hulk’s Thunderbolt Ross.
Absent from Marvel’s press release are Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill. (Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo are also missing out on the Avengers reunion, but Thor should really be in Asgard anyway, following the end of Age of Ultron, and the Hulk…? Well, he’s missing in action for awhile.)
Captain America: Civil War will see the creative team of The Winter Soldier return, with Joe and Anthony Russo directing from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. According to Marvel, the movie will focus on political pressure to install official oversight over superheroes following “another international incident involving the Avengers [resulting] in collateral damage.” The movie is scheduled for release May 6, 2016.
