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Captain America: Civil War is the sequel to Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the thirteenth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe put Captain America against both government and Iron Man following The Avengers having to sign the Sokovia Accords. It is the first film of Phase 3 of the MCU, preceded by Ant-Man and followed by Doctor Strange.

Plot

In 1991 the brainwashed super-soldier James "Bucky" Barnes is dispatched from a Hydra base in Siberia to intercept an automobile carrying a case of super-soldier serum.

In the present day, approximately one year after Ultron's defeat in the nation of Sokovia at the hands of the Avengers, The team – which now consists of Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson and Wanda Maximoff – learn that former sleeper agent Brock Rumlow, who now calls himself "Crossbones" plans to steal a bioweapon from the Institute for Infectious Diseases in Lagos, Nigeria. After being cornered, Rumlow commits suicide with a bomb in an attempt to take Rogers with him in an act of revenge. Maximoff contains the explosion, but she loses control of her powers and inadvertently destroys a nearby building, killing several relief aid workers from Wakanda.

Subsequently, after giving a speech at MIT, Tony Stark is confronted by a grieving mother whose son was killed in the Avengers' battle with Ultron in Sokovia.

One month after the incident in Lagos, Nigeria, in their headquarters, the Avengers find Stark and Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross, waiting for them. Ross explains that, due to the events in Lagos, the United Nations has decided they can no longer be allowed to operate privately. To that end, it has been decided that the Avengers will sign the "Sokovia Accords", which will establish an international governing body to control the Avengers' movements as well as monitor and police the rapidly growing number of superhumans.

The team is divided over the act; Stark supports government oversight because he feels guilty for his role in creating Ultron, whereas Rogers worries that the Avengers may be compromised if it comes under the control of a third party after the infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. by HYDRA. Ross states that refusing to sign the accords will be seen as an act of resignation.

Meanwhile, retired HYDRA general Vasily Karpov is ambushed by Helmut Zemo, who asks for information regarding the 1991 mission. Karpov refuses, forcing Zemo to kill him.

During their debate about the Accords, Rogers learns that Peggy Carter has passed away in her sleep and leaves for her funeral in London. While there, he learns Sharon Carter was Peggy's niece as she delivers a eulogy about how one should never back down from what they believe in. This solidifies Roger's resolve not to sign the accords. Wanda finds herself confined to the New Avengers Facility by Vision, ostensibly for her safety since feelings are running high after what happened in Lagos.

In Vienna, where the signing of the Accords is to take place, a terrorist bomb kills King T'Chaka of Wakanda. When security cameras reveal the culprit as Bucky Barnes, T'Chaka's son, T'Challa, vows revenge. Against Romanoff's advice, Rogers and Wilson decide to go behind Ross' back and bring in Barnes themselves. Following a tip-off and a grueling chase, Barnes is captured, and Rogers, Wilson, and T'Challa are arrested for obstruction of justice.

While Barnes is in captivity in Berlin, Rogers and Stark argue about signing the accords. A box sent by Helmut Zemo contains an e-bomb which turns off the entire city of Berlin's electricity, including the cameras and computers that were monitoring on Barnes. Barnes is released by Helmut Zemo, who uses HYDRA's trigger words to send him on a rampage. Rogers and Wilson manage to stop him and flee. After coming to his senses, Barnes tells Rogers that Zemo is headed for the abandoned HYDRA Siberian facility where he and five other Winter Soldiers were created using the formula he stole in 1991.

Believing Zemo intends to release the other Winter Soldiers and unleash them on the world Rogers calls upon Clint Barton for aid in freeing Wanda, which Barton agrees to since he feels he owes her a debt since her brother saved his life in Sokovia. He manages to break into the New Avengers Facility and releases Maximoff, who uses her abilities to overpower Vision. Falcon decides to recruit Scott Lang to join the Avengers, having been impressed by his abilities following their brief fight. Lang, who is in awe at getting to meet Captain America, quickly and easily agrees to join Rogers.

Stark convinces Ross to let him bring his renegade comrades in, and assembles Romanoff, T'Challa, James Rhodes and Vision. Feeling he is still undermanned, Stark travels to New York and meets student Peter Parker who has been using enhanced agility and tensile webbing of his own design to fight crime while disguised as a spider-based hero. When Stark asks him why he's doing this, Parker explains that he understands the price of not doing the right thing.

With the teams assembled, Stark confronts Rogers and the Avengers at Leipzig/Halle Airport alongside his allies (including Parker who now has a new costume courtesy of Stark and is calling himself Spider-Man). When Rogers refuses to back down, the Avengers get into a massive fight which destroys a good section of the airport. During the fight, the Avengers decides to buy time for Rogers and Barnes to reach the Quinjet, at the expense of imprisonment. Ant-Man uses his suit to grow gargantuan, which tips the scales and creates enough of a distraction to allow Rogers and Barnes to reach a jet.

The two are confronted by Romanoff, but she can't bring herself to take them down and allows them to leave in Stark's Quinjet, while the rest of the Avengers are captured. As Stark and Rhodes chase the jet, Vision attempts to blast Falcon, who is following them, out of the sky but misses and hits Rhodes who plummets to the ground and is left paralyzed. Romanoff, knowing she will be arrested for acting against the accords, goes into hiding. Parker is injured in the fight, and a grateful Stark sends the boy back home, much to the former's dismay.

Stark finds evidence that Barnes was framed by Zemo, and finds that the rest of the Avengers have been thrown into prison. Heading there, he disables the security device and learns from Wilson where Rogers and Barnes are going. He then follows the two to Siberia, and is shadowed by T'Challa. Rogers and Stark reconcile, and as they explore the facility, they discover that the other Winter Soldiers have been murdered by Zemo who had never intended to release them. Zemo reveals that he is a Sokovian and wants to punish the Avengers for the death of his family during Ultron's attack.

Zemo shows Stark a security video from 1991, which reveals Barnes as the assassin who murdered Stark's parents to steal samples of the Super Soldier Serum from their car. Rogers admits that he knew the circumstances of their deaths. A disillusioned and enraged Stark turns on Barnes, forcing Rogers to fight him to save his friend's life. While trying to crush Stark's arc reactor, Barnes' robotic arm gets destroyed by the unibeam.

Rogers manages to disable Stark's armor and begins to depart with Barnes. As Rogers leaves, Stark bitterly reminds him that his father gave him the shield he's holding. Rogers drops the shield behind and leaves with Barnes. Having succeeded in his plans of ripping apart the Avengers, Zemo waits outside where he meets with T'Challa and the two discuss the nature of vengeance. T'Challa has decided he will not let his desire for revenge consume him like it did Zemo and the Avengers and prevents him from committing suicide, content to send him to prison. Under the custody of Everett Ross, Zemo hints that while he may be imprisoned, his plans will continue.

As Rhodes begins physical therapy and learns to use an exo-suit that will help him walk again, Stark receives a package containing a phone and a letter from Rogers. In the letter, Rogers apologizes for everything that happened and for not telling him the truth about his parents, as well as noting his regret that he cannot accept the accords. He tells Stark that he knows the day will come when the team will need to come together and act as one. When that day arrives, Rogers and the Avengers (whom Rogers breaks out of prison, with Stark allowing him to do so, revealing he has switched back to Rogers's side) will be there.

In a mid-credits scene, Barnes and Rogers are granted asylum in Wakanda by T'Challa. Barnes chooses to undergo cryostatis until his brainwashing can be completely removed. As Rogers warns T'Challa that the governments of the world will come to Wakanda if they find out Wakanda is harboring Barnes, T'Challa dares them to try as he and Rogers gaze at a giant statue of a black panther.

In a post-credits scene, Parker recovering from his injuries discovers a portable holographic computer that Stark had programmed into his Web-Shooters.

Cast

Continuity and References to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Taglines

  • Divided We Fall
  • Whose side are you on?
  • United we stand. Divided we fall

Production

The film was shot in Atlanta, Georgia, Berlin, Puerto Rico and Iceland.

Gallery

See: Captain America: Civil War/Gallery

Videos

Trailers

Clips

Interviews

Promotion

External links

References

Captain America
Captain America | Captain America: The First Avenger | The Avengers | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Avengers: Age of Ultron | Captain America: Civil War | Avengers: Infinity War | Avengers: Endgame


Marvel Cinematic Universe
Phase 1 Iron Man | The Incredible Hulk | Iron Man 2 | Thor | Captain America: The First Avenger | The Avengers
Phase 2 Iron Man 3 | Thor: The Dark World | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Guardians of the Galaxy
Avengers: Age of Ultron | Ant-Man
Phase 3 Captain America: Civil War | Doctor Strange | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Spider-Man: Homecoming | Thor: Ragnarok | Black Panther | Avengers: Infinity War
Ant-Man and the Wasp | Captain Marvel | Avengers: Endgame | Spider-Man: Far From Home
Phase 4 WandaVision | The Falcon and the Winter Soldier | Loki Season 1 | Black Widow | What If...? Season 1
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Eternals | Hawkeye | Spider-Man: No Way Home
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Ms. Marvel | Thor: Love and Thunder | I Am Groot
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law | Werewolf by Night | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase 5 Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | Secret Invasion
Loki Season 2 | The Marvels | Echo | Deadpool 3
One-Shots The Consultant | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer | Item 47 | Agent Carter
All Hail the King
Pre-Production Other
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