The battle in Captain America: Civil War split the Avengers in two, but only one side had the moral high ground in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Captain America: Civil War constitutes the central hero-versus-hero battle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also sets the scene for both the tragedy of Avengers: Infinity War and the eventual universe-saving heroics of Avengers: Endgame. The Team Iron Man vs. Team Cap conflict was, in essence, a clash of opposing ethics. Looking to keep the Avengers legitimate, Tony Stark signs the Sokovia Accords, permitting government oversight and control over the Avengers. However, Steve Rogers refused to sign the accords, skeptical of the way it might tie their hands in a crisis. The fate of the Winter Soldier widens the crack, as Tony argues for the greater good and Steve puts everything on the line for an old friend in desperate need of help.
Captain America: Civil War takes a very balanced approach to the two sides, presenting Captain America and Iron Man as human beings with opinions rather than absolute paragons of right and wrong. Steve may be acting selfishly by protecting his friends without factoring in the greater good, while Tony’s ease with making deals might end up sacrificing his strength in the name of compromise. But which of them was actually right?
Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on February 19, 2024: Nine years have passed in-universe since the conclusion of the superhero civil war in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even so, the effects of the battle between Captain America and Iron Man still have their effect on the heroes of the MCU. While a clear winner of the war was never officially announced, the events that transpired after Captain America: Civil War prove that Steve Rogers had the right idea all along — even if not all of his allies on the Avengers could see it.
Iron Man’s Motivation and Advantages
The Sokovia Accords arose after an altercation in Lagos, Nigeria, in which innocent Wakandans are killed in the crossfire. Tony agreed to the Accords after meeting the mother of a boy killed in the finale of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Having created the destructive robot in the first place (as well as committing several other significant mistakes) Stark was keenly aware of how all-too-human the Avengers are. Furthermore, the Sokovia Accords gave the Avengers United Nations backing, legitimizing them in a way that they never could as private citizens. Signing the accords also prevented the government from turning against the Avengers.
Luckily for Tony, MCU powerhouses like Thor, the Hulk, and Captain Marvel — who’d never agree to the Accords — were all off-world. That ultimately left him with a bevy of much stronger heroes than Cap, including the Vision, Black Widow, Spider-Man, War Machine, and Black Panther. Team Iron Man was a powerful group, and when added to Tony’s personal arsenal and presumed backing from the UN, the Armored Avenger appeared to have the advantage.
Captain America’s Motivation and Advantages
For all his patriotism and dedication to the greater good, Steve Rogers can be anti-authoritarian. He’d already bucked the system during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and exposed massive corruption in the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D. as a result. This went back to his pre-heroic origins as a sickly orphan on the streets of Brooklyn. He learned to fend for himself rather than count on a government that clearly didn’t care whether he lived or died. Steve’s dogged determination to join the war effort despite repeated denials proved he’d do what he thought was right, regardless of what anyone else thought. Naturally, he eschewed the Accords from the get-go, stating that he couldn’t wait for the paperwork to clear when lives were at stake.
In other circumstances, Captain America would’ve had some heavy hitters on his side. But with Thor and the Hulk engaged in the events of Thor: Ragnarok, he had to rely on more down-to-earth heroes. Besides Bucky, Team Cap includes Hawkeye, Falcon, Ant-Man, and the Scarlet Witch. Besides that, however, Cap had to rely largely on strategy and tactics to stop Zemo, even if it meant letting Tony’s forces claim victory.
Winner: Captain America
Civil War’s big tell is William Hurt’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who has seemingly given up his days of Hulk-hunting and become Secretary of State. The idea of a man like him deciding when and where the Avengers can act is inherently problematic and backs up Steve’s arguments in a way Tony could never refute. T’Challa is another strong sign that Steve’s moral compass holds true. Initially obsessed with avenging his father, he changes course when he realizes Zemo was responsible instead of Bucky. He sends the Winter Solider to Wakanda to heal and turns Zemo over to the authorities. Furthermore, as the king of a sovereign nation, T’Challa doesn’t appear apt to ask anyone’s permission to do anything — another huge point in Steve’s favor. Even Tony himself crumbles by the end, blowing off Ross and going his own route in the movie’s final moments.
The most concrete proof of Steve’s veracity comes in the first few minutes of Endgame when the world reels under the immediate impact of Thanos’s Snap and the surviving Avengers plot some kind of response. “World governments are in pieces,” Black Widow says with quiet finality. “The parts that are still working are trying to take a census.” The idea any organization so afflicted could manage some kind of official authorization, let alone possess the detachment and moral clarity to do so properly, is absurd. The Snap proved Steve right in perpetuity because, in a universe with that kind of evil running around, good can’t always stop to ask for permission.
Phases 4 And 5 Prove Why Iron Man Was Wrong All Along
While nearly a decade has elapsed since Captain America and Iron Man went toe-to-toe during the events of Civil War, the fallout of their battle still had effects on the franchise. Phases 4 and 5 of the MCU are slowly revealing just how wrong Iron Man was concerning government oversight and the Sokovia Accords. Tony’s desire for heroes to be held accountable for their actions was admirable, but ultimately misguided and far too naïve. Current MCU storylines prove that the government could never be trusted with such a major responsibility.
Phase 4 involved the government slowly overreaching when it came to its influence on superheroes. They promoted their own Captain America, who eventually revealed himself unfit for the job. They also used Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to gather individuals for their own superhero team, the Thunderbolts, which will make its debut in a self-titled film in 2025. At every turn, the government has proven itself unfit to wield such massive power, for they lack the responsibility to use it correctly. Now, with Harrison Ford’s President Thunderbolt Ross set to appear as a villain in Captain America: Brave New World, the MCU is finally ready to prove once and for all that Iron Man was always wrong about the Sokovia Accords.
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