16 Problems Nobody Wants To Admit About Captain America: Civil War

A major event with MAJOR problems...

Iron Man Civil War
WC

There's a school of thought that suggests that despite the ramifications of Infinity War and the potential for the destruction of the MCU at the snap of Thanos' fingers, that Civil War should have been the event at the end of Marvel's Phase 3. It is arguably the single biggest event in Marvel's comics vault that can also claim to have some sort of mainstream appeal (and it's a damn-sight more accessible than a giant space warrior trying to seduce death by wiping out existence) and it is made for cinematic adaptation.

That it's coming to the screen at all should be counted as a victory for fans who have been waiting for this moment since the formation of the vaunted MCU. But the path to Civil War, and the eventual release itself will be far from unblemished, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that it's as difficult an adaptation to get right as it is an important one.

While the Marvel loving world is whipping itself into a frenzy about the release and the chance to see some of Marvel's ballsiest story-telling play out on the silver screen, there are some who trade whispered concerns that neither the time nor the brand are quite right at the current moment. And despite the fact that the film won't see release until 2016, it looks - worryingly - like Marvel have already made some missteps on the journey to their biggest project so far.

Maybe just don't mention them...

16. It Shouldn't Be Marketed As A Captain America Movie

Iron Man Civil War
Marvel Studios

Clearly, Marvel have an obligation to fulfil each individual star contract they have ongoing, and they still owe Chris Evans at the top of the bill. But with the Bucky story still to be resolved and Red Skull still possibly floating around in the ether somewhere, there was more than enough to warrant a proper stand-alone.

The alternative - of effectively making Avengers 2.5, but marketed as a Captain America movie - means Marvel are gambling with their box office return. Civil War is the kind of story event that should make a billion, and it would have if marketed correctly as an Avengers movie: but as a Cap movie it might struggle. Considering The Winter Soldier - arguably the best stand-alone in the MCU - made just over $700m, you have to question the logic of the title.

To a certain extent, Captain America is at the heart of the Civil War story, given that it ends with the tragedy of his death in the comics, but he is in no way the lead star of it. Ironically, that's precisely what he rails against when Iron Man makes a symbol out of Spider-Man.

And whether you double-stuff the film with other Avengers or not, the audience will still wonder why it's a Cap movie and not an Avengers one.

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WhatCulture's former COO, veteran writer and editor.