On Thursday, March 10, Marvel caused the world to quite literally explode with the release of the second full-length trailer for upcoming “Captain America: Civil War.” If you haven’t seen it yet, click play below, because this one can absolutely not be spoiled.
Okay, you’ve seen it?
Good?
All the way to the end?
Awesome, let’s talk about this.
SPIDERMAN HAS LANDED, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Sorry about the yelling, but that split-second appearance at the tail-end of the trailer was heart-stoppingly exciting. So let’s discuss it, shall we?
First off, this second trailer finally provides some clarity into what truly sparks the war between Captain America and Iron Man. It was hinted at in the first trailer, and fans of the comics have known all along, but now wider audiences have an idea of what to expect. Unlike the first trailer, which followed in the footsteps of “The Force Awakens” by showing vague teaser footage with only the barest hint of plot, this second trailer shows us what we can expect come May 6.
And it’s thrilling.
“Captain America: Civil War” will likely be addressing the absolute carnage that follows heroes like the Avengers everywhere they fight. We saw New York City absolutely decimated (in part due to the Hulk’s, well, Hulking out) in “The Avengers.” “Avengers: Age of Ultron” literally lifted an entire city into the air before collapsing it. The devastation is real, and it doesn’t simply go away when the screen fades to black.
It’s exciting to see this being addressed, similar to what DC Comics is doing in “Batman vs. Superman.” The Marvel Cinematic Universe is at its best when it feels organic and realistic. “Guardians of the Galaxy” aside, the best MCU films feel like superheroes are living in our world, not the other way around.
The shades of gray, what makes a good guy and a bad guy, are also further explored in this new trailer. We catch glimpses of Bucky’s dark side as he shoots out Tony’s glasses and knocks War Machine out of the sky during a battle. He might not simply be the Winter Soldier anymore, but his tactics are still eerily similar.
It is kind of stunning how Marvel managed to get pretty much every superhero in existence into this movie, which is like Christmas morning for anyone who’s ever wanted to see Scarlet Witch enchanting Vision or any other dream matchups.
(Side note: Ant-Man riding on Hawkeye’s arrow is simultaneously the funniest and coolest thing I think I’ve ever seen.)
But the most exciting thing about the new trailer is the tantalizing footage of the heroes we have yet to properly meet in the MCU: Black Panther and Spiderman. Looks like Team Iron Man has a bit of an (un)fair advantage, wouldn’t you say?
While we were only offered a glimpse of Black Panther in the first trailer, the new one gives us an awesome look of him in action. And boy, was it worth the wait. He looks just as awesome as we all hoped he’d look.
And of course, Spiderman, the most impactful and exciting cameo in the trailer, looks to be on Team Iron Man as he whirls Captain America’s shield out of his hands and ties them together with his web. The single line of dialogue he speaks, “Hey everyone,” was perfectly delivered by newcomer Tom Holland, imbued with the perfect mixture of casual humor and smugness.
Now that we’re finally getting Spiderman in a Marvel film (Thank you, Sony!), it will be exciting to see what his contribution to the elite and massive MCU will be. An ensemble film such as this one looks like the perfect way to inject him, giving us nerds the chance to see what is sure to be some awesome exchanges (Spiderman and Iron Man? Spiderman and Cap? Spiderman and anyone, really?).
“Captain America: Civil War” is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and opens on May 6, 2016. See you there!
_Edited by Elana Williams | ewilliams@themaneater.com_
