5. General Ross Is Calling The Shots Not S.H.I.E.L.D.
It might not seem like it but this is a big change. not least because General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross doesn't appear at all in the source material. In fact he's barely been seen in the MCU, with his only appearance so far being in Ed Norton's Incredible Hulk. Still, that film ended with a moment where he and Stark discussed collaborating, giving the two some shared history that could pave the groundwork for Tony's acceptance of the SRA from the start. After all, if Tony was persuaded to get behind the act by someone he's worked with before and shares his ideal of better protecting the world, it would explain a lot of his motivation going in to Civil War. There's also some simple logistical reasons too; SHIELD, who enforced the SRA in the comics, is no more, so having a military man like Ross holding Captain America to account makes a great deal of sense. It may not be the best idea though. There isn't the history between the two, and without more established characters like Nick Fury or Maria Hill helming the operation it might be harder to sympathise with the government's actions. Hopefully Ross will be well used to flesh out the reasons and motivation for the whole mess instead of simply giving us a faceless government operation to blame for pitting our heroes against each other.
Mark Grainger
Contributor
Stereotypically awkward writer, gamer and general nerd. Dislikes writing in the third person, likes tea as much as the next man but not as much as a typical blogger and has breath as fresh as a summer ham.
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