What is 'Civil War'? A primer for Marvel's gigantic 'Captain America 3' plan

Big things are afoot at Marvel this week, things that could spell big changes for everyone’s favourite team of on-screen superheroes.

On Monday, news broke that Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark would be joining his Avengers teammate Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in the upcoming “Captain America 3.”

We’re not just talking about a cameo or walk on appearance, here. The third “Captain America” film will co-star both Evans and Downey. So is it a buddy superhero flick featuring Cap and Iron Man? Not quite. The presence of the two high-profile heroes in the same movie signalled one thing to comic book fans everywhere: the famous “Civil War” storyline is finally coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What is Civil War?

Simply put, “Civil War” was one of the most game-changing storylines ever published by Marvel Comics. The 2006 crossover event featured pretty much every major character in the Marvel Universe, but it primarily centered on Tony Stark (Iron Man), Steve Rogers (Captain America), and a very big difference of opinion.

It all started when a C-list superhero team called the New Warriors became part of a reality TV show and decided to take down some superpowered criminals hiding out in a suburban neighbourhood. The raid went poorly and much of the team, along with more than 600 innocent bystanders, were killed when one of the crooks was goaded into using his explosive superpowers.

The huge loss of life prompts the United States government to pass the Superhuman Registration Act, a law that requires all superpowered people to register, reveal their true identities, and operate under the purview of the state, like a police force. The new law divides the superhero community, with Tony Stark leading the pro-registration faction and Steve Rogers leading the anti-registration contingent. Things escalate seriously when pro-registration forces start trying to arrest non-compliant superheroes, resulting in an all-out conflict that pits former friends and teammates against one another.

Who are the players?
The Avengers were central to the original Civil War storyline, and given that they’re the most prominent heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it stands to reason that they’ll all play roles of some kind in “Captain America 3.” Other heroes set to be introduced to the MCU between now and “Cap 3”’s 2016 release (like Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Ant-Man) are sure to play a part as well. While the comic book storyline primarily revolved around the antagonism between Stark, Rogers, and their respective allies, there was another key player whose involvement in the film version seems like a bit of a long shot at the moment: Spider-Man.

In the comics, Tony Stark convinces Peter Parker to publically unmask himself as Spider-Man. Parker initially becomes the poster boy for the pro-registration side, but he eventually switches sides, joining Rogers and the anti-registration side of the fight.

When it comes to the movies, though, Spider-Man’s involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is less certain. The reason the wallcrawler hasn’t been in the MCU is because Marvel Studios doesn’t own the film rights to the character - Sony does. The Sam Raimi-directed “Spider-Man” movies were hugely successful and are part of the reason the superhero movie is such a force at the box office today, but Marc Webb’s “Amazing Spider-Man” films starring Andrew Garfield haven’t been nearly as lucky.

In the lead up to the “Captain America 3” news, rumours have been flying about Marvel and Sony reportedly making nice and potentially coming to some sort of agreement to loan out the character to the MCU movies. This would help reinvigorate Sony’s struggling Spider-franchise and obviously be a big coup for Marvel. The fact that “Captain America 3” is going to feature the “Civil War” storyline lends a whole lot of weight to these Spider-Man rumours. Sure, Marvel could substitute Spider-Man with an existing MCU character, but Peter Parker is a key player in the story. It wouldn’t be the same without him and it’s a win-win for both studios.

How might it be different from the comics?
The catalyst for the Superhero Registration Act will likely be something very different on the big screen. The groundwork for “Civil War” will likely be laid during “The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” and be something comparable to the New Warriors incident -- a massive loss of life caused by unregistered superhumans that forces the government’s hand.

Then there’s the personal dimension. In “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” it was strongly hinted that Steve Rogers’ former bestie Bucky Barnes was involved in the death of Tony Stark’s parents during his years as an assassin. That information alone could lead to a great deal of animosity between Stark and Rogers, especially if Cap wants to save his former friend and Iron Man is out for blood.

Then there’s who won’t be taking part. The comic book version of “Civil War" spanned the entire Marvel Universe. Everyone was involved, from the Avengers and the X-Men, to Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and even Ghost Rider. (Ghost Rider! Really!) The major difference between the comic book “Civil War” and the version audiences see in theatres is that it won’t involve the X-Men or Fantastic Four. Twentieth Century Fox controls the film rights to those characters and has been pretty successful with them. There’s no love lost between Fox and Marvel, so the X-Men and Fantastic Four are out. The roles of supporting heroes are more likely to be filled out by the MCU’s small screen counterparts from “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and the upcoming Netflix “Defenders” shows (Daredevil and company).

What are the implications?

There’s no question that “Civil War” will split the Avengers. The team has always been a bit of a powder keg (something that was delved into in “The Avengers” and will likely to be further explored in 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), and the events of “Captain America 3” are sure to set them off. Tony Stark will, for all intents and purposes, be the villain in “Captain America 3,” a turn that is sure to create some bad blood between him and his teammates. Of course, they’ll have to come together when intergalactic baddie Thanos invariably shows up on Earth in “Avengers 3,” but they’ll be doing so begrudgingly after what they’ve been through.

The “Civil War” storyline also famously resulted in the death of a major superhero. Whether the movie version follows suit isn’t clear at this point, but the death of an Avenger is sure to have far reaching consequences for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Photo credits: Marvel, Sony, 20th Century Fox