There has been an awakening… only this time, it comes from another corner of Disney’s entertainment empire! Marvel Studios has unveiled the first teaser trailer for Captain America: Civil War last night, and it looks like we’re in for quite a ride:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m68Xe3LHeQM
Looking good so far, right?
What intrigues me most about this trailer aren’t the special effects or the blockbuster superhero brawls; we knew this film would have those, and we knew they’d be great. What this trailer emphasizes–smartly, I think–are the characterizations.
- I’m excited to see William Hurt returning as “Thunderbolt” Ross. He brought a lot of gravitas to the role in The Incredible Hulk (2008), and I expect he’ll turn in another strong performance here.
- Black Widow’s friendship with Cap breathed a lot of life into The Winter Soldier. Watching them fall into opposite camps during the superhero civil war will likely provide a lot of pathos. Both Scarlet Johansson and Chris Evans are outstanding actors, and they will make us feel every devastated heartbeat as their characters’ relationship is strained to, and perhaps past, its breaking point.
- Speaking of fractured friendships, I found Tony Stark’s sad acknowledgment of the situation surprisingly moving. When Cap tells Tony that Bucky is his friend, and Tony responsds, “So was I,” Tony sounds genuinely wounded. I don’t think we’ve seen that side of Iron Man much in the MCU; I’m looking forward to seeing it here.
- I do worry that Cap and Bucky’s relationship hasn’t been fleshed out enough onscreen to convince us that Cap would be willing to fight the Avengers for Bucky’s sake. I know they have a long and rich history in the comics, but we have really seen very little of Bucky as Bucky in the Marvel movies. Evans and Sebastian Stan have their work cut out for them if they want to convince audiences that Cap will go to such extremes for his friend… even, I wonder, showing that greatest love of which Jesus spoke (John 15.13)?
I love the look of this. I’ve always thought that Evans and Stan had good chemistry, so it’ll be cool to see them in action together again. Also, my 14yo son is totally geeking out over Black Panther.
Seth, thanks for the comment. I hadn’t heard, or had forgotten, that Black Panther will be in this. About time he hits the big screen! I wonder if that means Andy Serkis will show up as Klaw again, too, or if they’re holding him in reserve for a Black Panther solo project?