Following 2008’s Iron Man, each movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has connected to previous installments somehow, but in Captain America: Civil War’s case, it really is a product of what’s come before it. The latest trailer for the blockbuster, titled "The Past is Prelude," makes that clear as it looks at how lead figures Captain America and Iron Man arrived at this point using footage from the Phase 1 and 2 movies. Take a look!
Using moments from Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, the latest Captain America: Civil War trailer reminds us how this fight has been building for years. Gazing at their beginnings, Steve Rogers was injected with the Super Soldier Serum during World War II and became the Star Spangled Man with a Plan, while Tony Stark used his smarts in the present-day to escape capture using a suit of armor. From there, they kicked off their superhero careers, eventually working with each other in The Avengers. Fans will remember a brief argument between the two of them in that movie, but it was in Avengers: Age of Ultron that their differing viewpoints started to show when they argued the merits of preemptively dealing with threats. Tony also took issue with Steve not having a dark side, to which Steve replied, "Well let’s just say you haven’t seen it yet."
This brings us to Captain America: Civil War, where, following an incident with the Avengers that results in collateral damage, the world’s governments have decided that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and other specially enhanced humans need to be regulated. While the Tony Stark from Iron Man would have shuddered at the thought of working directly with the government, now he’s at a point where he believes that he and his fellow superheroes need to be properly monitored. Steve Rogers, on the other hand, believes this new legislation is inherently wrong. Throw in Bucky Barnes’ fugitive status, and Steve and Tony are fully clashing after all these years.
The footage in the latter half of this preview are scenes from the previous Captain America: Civil War trailers, but it nevertheless drives home how intense this conflict is going to be. Although the MCU heroes have had their tiffs in the past, this is inarguably the biggest fight among them without any mind control involved. Lines are going be drawn, and both familiar faces and newcomers will find themselves pitted against one another over how they feel about this new status quo. As for Steve and Tony, they’re not the same as they were when we first met them, and however this war ends, their friendship is never going to be the same.
Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6.
