Despite a huge build up, Avengers: Age of Ultron came and went relatively unceremoniously without the fanfare that you would expect from such a huge international blockbuster. Especially since it was supposed to set the stage for the future of the Marvel cinematic universe. Part of the problem is that fans looked beyond the Age of Ultron to 2016, when the Avengers go to war with themselves in Captain America: Civil War. 

The film is intriguing for a variety of reasons. The most obvious cause for excitement is simply to see heroes that we have grown with fight each other. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) battling Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) will be both a visual and emotional spectacle that audiences have anticipated for years. Secondly, its an opportunity to give the lesser known characters a full movie to prove their worth as Avengers. Previously introduced characters, such as Falcon (Anthony Mackie), War Machine (Don Cheadle), and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), will get an upgrade in presence and technology, which should also strengthen their stature as true Avengers. While Black Panther’s presence in the MCU will be immediately felt when he makes his formal introduction in Civil War.

Joblo recently released a spoiler-filled report detailing some of the changes and upgrades that we can expect for some key players in Captain America: Civil War. They have a pretty good track record so it is pretty safe to assume that as of today, this is how things are planned. So lets get into some huge potential spoilers for some of the main players in Captain America: Civil War. 

 

 

Black Panther

 

A lot is riding on Marvel giving the king of Wakanda the true royal treatment, when he is introduced in Captain America: Civil War. Not only is Marvel prepping to shoot his solo film in the near future, with actor Chadwick Boseman in the role, but apparently he is a key figure in Civil War as well. 

Black Panther will be on a mission of his own that has nothing to do with the Rogers/Stark squabble (with speculation that he could be hunting The Winter Soldier on his own for any number of reasons). However, it appears that Black Panther will stand more on the side of Stark than Rogers (at least in the beginning), which will feature a showdown between both characters.  Panther’s costume will be shrouded in Vibranium (the same material that Cap’s shield is made from), which is also the key resource in his homeland of Wakanda (as it is in the comics and most recently noted in AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON). In the showdown between Cap and Panther we’ll see him scratching Cap’s shield easily and his prowess will prove to be a viable threat to Rogers. It is speculated that Stark needs Black Panther to help take Cap down. In addition to Black Panther’s sleek costume, we’ll also see a sleek Panther jet of some type, which we’re told looks very “Stark-like” in its technical buildout.

As expected, it seems that Black Panther may be the most important supporting character, since it sounds as if he has the ability to swing the balance of power. Captain America and Black Panther have a long history in the comics and their fights are often so satisfying because they are so evenly matched. It is unclear why Stark needs Black Panther to take Rogers down, but perhaps it is not his physical power he needs, but his political muscle. 

In Age of Ultron, we did get to glimpse Wakanda, however we were not privy to seeing the advanced technological discoveries of the country. Wakandan technology rivals that of Stark and Black Panther having his own jet and customized mode of transportation emphasizes that point. It seems that by the time that the curtain comes down on Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther will be primed for solo movie stardom, with much of his agenda already explained.

 

 

War Machine

 

Apparently War Machine continues to tinker with his gear in the new installment. Joblo explains that, “he’ll be looking more tank-style in this film and will have a new dual weapon that acts as a shoulder cannon/gun that can also be detached and used as a kind of warhammer/baton.” There has often been imagery from the comics that depict Stark and Rhodes as modern day knights and the Iron Man/War Machine gear serves as their contemporary suits of armor. The fact that War Machine has a melee weapon points to the fact that he will be fighting an evenly powered opponent in the movie. Since he wouldn’t be mauling humans with a warhammer presumably. What it also signals is we might get some of the most creative War Machine action yet.

 

 

Captain America

 

Many are curious, despite his military mind and enhanced fitness, how Captain America will stand toe to toe with Iron Man. It should be noted, much like Batman going against Superman, Rogers is a strategist and will not be entering the battle recklessly. However, according to Joblo, he will have extra protection this time around and will be sporting his trademark chainmail costume in the sequel. While Hawkeye will be adding more purple to his outfit, bringing him closer to the color scheme from the comics. 

 

 

Falcon

 

Falcon gained fan-favorite status with his debut in The Winter Soldier, as Roger’s right-hand man…who is always on his left. Mackie was both charismatic and visually dynamic as he soared through the skies. However, his skill-set needed to be more fully defined to differentiate him from the other flying heroes such as Iron Man and War Machine. It seems that he will be getting a few upgrades for the sequel, in the form of new wrist lasers and grappling hooks. In the comics, the character traditionally has an actual falcon that he can communicate with telepathically. It seems that Falcon’s bird will be making an appearance as well, with a mechanical twist.

Redwing will be featured as The Falcon’s helper/sidekick in CIVIL WAR, although there’s one big difference; Redwing will be a robotic drone, obviously “linked” to him, but not quite telepathically. The “bird” will be red in color and will resemble a cooler, modified MCU-like “bird” drone.

Making Redwing a robot is the perfect compromise and shows how Marvel is successful at respecting the source material, but still being forward-thinking. Plus anyone who remembers the original Clash of the Titans knows how potentially surreal a mechanical bird can be. It does makes sense for Falcon to have a sentry, of course that makes Ant-Man a little less valuable to the team, or does it?

 

 

Ant-Man/Giant-Man

 

By this time next year, if everything goes according to Marvel’s plans, Paul Rudd and Ant-Man will be huge stars for the studio. The upcoming movie Ant-Man, may have the lowest expectations of any Marvel film ever and that may actually end up playing in the franchise’s favor. The studio has finally begun their marketing campaign and the attitude towards the movie is shifting. As a member of the Avengers, it would seem that Ant-Man’s greatest asset to a team would be for scouting and recon missions, since he can shrink and go unnoticed. However, it seems that Marvel has much bigger plans for the character in Captain America: Civil War.

Paul Rudd’s ANT-MAN will have a much “bigger” costume upgrade, as the one he wears in his solo film is derived from the old 1960’s version that Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym wore at that time. For CIVIL WAR, we’ll see a more modern/techno stylish costume. Additionally, as we previously mentioned, you can expect to see Ant-Man take on his GIANT MAN form (about 15-20 ft. height) and square off against Iron Man and his team. In terms of visuals, we’ll also see Ant-Man standing on one of Hawkeye’s arrows, ready to be launched. 

The costume seen in Ant-Man does have an old-school charm, much in the same way that Captain America’s original outfit worked in The First Avenger. However, it is to be expected that he would receive a new more modern makeover in the upcoming movie. Much like the new costumes of Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and company were glimpsed at the end of the Age of Ultron.

The most interesting part of the scoop is that the character will transition to Giant Man and more importantly, it sounds as if he will be siding with Captain America. (Having Rudd and Stark on the same team could potentially cause a sarcasm overload.) It is unclear if he will discover his Giant Man abilities in Ant-Man or Captain America: Civil War, but it does make you wonder what the threat is that would necessitate the juggernaut. In any case, unsuspecting audiences should go wild to see Rudd grow to several stories tall and it should provide some moments of genuine humor.

What is not included in the report is who is making all of these new gadgets for the Avengers. Is it S.H.I.E.L.D. in upstate New York designing the gear? Or is this Stark’s technology that was designed before things went bad? It would be a little odd if everyone is fighting Stark with his own tech, then again it could have thematic resonance. In any case, if these rumors hold up it seems that the Russo Bros and Marvel are continuing to expand the MCU, by making bold and creative decisions. This bodes well for the third installment in the Captain America series, which might be the real Avengers movie that we have all been waiting for.

Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6th, 2016.

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Source: Joblo