Ever since it was announced that the third Captain America film would carry the subtitle Civil War, fans have wondered just how close the film would be to the bestselling books that share that title. After all, one of the central points in that storyline was the unmasking of superheroes and the revelation of their secret identities- which is something that feels kind of like a moot point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The concept of secret identities isn’t one that’s been explored much, if at all, in any of the films from Marvel Studios so far, so journalists and fans alike have scoffed at the idea that it would suddenly be the central theme of a movie. 

Well, our trusted friend Devin Faraci at Birth Movies Death has just published a column using insider information that claims that the film will not touch on anything related to unmasking or revealing identities. Instead, the film will expand on one of the broader ideas of the books: Who Watches The Watchmen?

How do you govern superheroes? Would you at all? Should they be held accountable to a higher power? Can they act with impunity? Following the two Avengers films, which wreaked havoc on populated cities and likely had global ramifications, the powers that be are divided on how to handle these new friends and their considerable foes. 

Aside from these heady questions, another element that is obviously being carried over from the books is that Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Steve Rogers (Captain America) are the ideological counterpoints for this conflict. Stark has demonstrated in the last few films that he is stricken with guilt and a sense of responsibility following all that has transpired since he first donned the big metal suit, so he’s desperate to make things right even if it means playing God. Rogers is only interested in good prevailing over evil, and taking action when people are in need while still reeling from the last time a government agency (ahem- SHIELD) tried to be in charge of superheroes while secretly being run by Hydra.

Faraci’s description of the film’s central conflict paints Civil War in a similar light to DC’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In that film, the Boy Scout and the Billionaire Playboy square off. In that film, the world is reeling from Superman’s big “coming out party” when he and his fellow Kryptonians wrecked most of Metropolis. In that film, two characters who are essentially heroes come to blows over their differing approaches to fighting crime. Interesting how these two films, which once even shared the same release date, have so much else in common. Should be cool to see how both films tackle these rather deep themes. 

What do you make of all this? Are you glad to see how Captain America: Civil War will differ from the books, or were you hoping for a more literal adaptation? What about the thematic similarities it shares with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Discuss.

SOURCE: Birth Movies Death