10 Things Captain America: Civil War Will Have To Change From The Comic

9. The Importance Of Secret Identities

What Happens In The Comic: The secret identity has been a central theme of superhero comics since their creation. While some chose to go without it, for most heroes keeping their civilian lives a secret is as important as the tights. The value of the secret identity becomes one of the main themes of Civil War when the Registration Act comes into force, because the act requires all heroes to disclose their identities to the government. On the one hand, hiding their alter egos allows characters to save the world while protecting themselves and their loved ones. On the other, the idea that the man behind the mask could do anything he wanted with no accountability is obviously terrifying to the rest of the world. This is the conflict that causes most of the drama in the comic book, leading to the various heroes either siding with Iron Man's Pro-Registration group of Captain America's Resistance. Why It Won't Work In The Film: The problem is that the film universe doesn't really have secret identities. Iron Man has always been public about his identity, The Winter Soldier established that, not only is Steve Rogers's identity public knowledge, but that there's even a museum dedicated to him and, unlike his comic book counterpart, Thor has never needed to pass as human or hide his identity. As a result, the secret identity dilemma simply can't carry the same weight in the film. Instead, the plot is much more likely to focus on the restraints being placed on the heroes; when and where they are allowed to use their powers, how far they are permitted to go in any situation, and how they are held accountable for their actions.