Since 2008, Marvel Studios has been flying in the face of common Hollywood logic. In an industry where every movie must concern itself about hitting the biggest audience possible, leaving a blank slate for new fans with every entry, they’ve made no qualms about telling serial stories. Eight years later, Captain America: Civil War marks a critical turning point.
This is a dense web of narrative that touches damn near every corner of the Marvel universe and a mammoth film that will baffle any newcomers. But for those who have stuck with Marvel’s incredible saga, this may be its greatest achievement. This is a drama that legitimizes their “connected universe” concept. In the process, Civil War loses an individual identity, but establishes the tone for the next generation of superhero films.

Focusing on the aftermaths of both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, Civil War opens in a world that has come to praise the heroics of the titular team while fearing the destruction that always seems to follow them.
Dense fight scenes that level cities are thrilling in the moment, but leave a trail of carnage that is oft forgotten. It’s a thesis statement that has become increasingly common in the genre (Batman v Superman tackled it in poor form), though Civil War approaches it from a neutral tone. When heroes step up to save us all, are they responsible for the collateral damage? Should those capable of heroics answer to their conscience, or to society? The questions asked here aren’t life-altering, yet add a moral complexity to a genre born of “heroes” and “villains.” Even after the credits roll, there’s no clean-slate ending. The underlying questions have no clear answer, and Civil War respects that.
The brilliance of Civil War rests on the back of nearly a dozen other films, with events from just about every single one having a meaningful contribution to the story. While every Marvel flick has taken place in one “connected universe,” this has rarely manifested in much more than extended cameos. While the Avengers films bring everyone together for a new adventure, the characters would still split up for their own stories after the credits roll. With Civil War, the bar has been raised. Even with Steve Rogers’ conflict taking focus, his story impacts every character in the Marvel universe.
Never before has this group of talent felt as much like an ensemble cast then now, and it pays off majestically. Marvel has spent the past decade acquiring talent for this franchise, and Civil War cashes in. Every player is at the top of their game, with the best script ever put together for an MCU picture.
Civil War has the incredible privilege of never having to introduce its stars nor clarify the rules. It can leisurely stride through the second act of narrative structure, knowing that payoff will come years down the line in a forthcoming sequel. This does mean that as a stand-alone film, Civil War has the potential to feel unsatisfying. It’s a great progression forward, but leaves more ties open than cleanly tied together. With that breathing room, new characters and corners of the world are introduced with extreme efficiency.
With both Spider-Man and Black Panther making their MCU debuts in this film, directors Anthony and Joe Russo had two tremendous tasks at opposite ends of the spectrum: how do you meaningfully introduce a character who is already an icon? And how do you make an icon out of an unbelievable character, whose roots seem incompatible with the modern world? Civil War does both to absolute perfection.
Tom Holland’s take on Spider-Man is easily the best ever committed to film. Rather than another 20-something pretending to be a teen with plenty of quips, Holland is refreshingly youthful. In one flawless scene with Tony Stark, Civil War skips over the need for yet another retelling of his origin story. His immaturity is played up without undermining the raw power of the character.
Meanwhile, Chadwick Boseman brings the relatively unknown Black Panther to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s the prince of Wakanda, a secretive African nation that has avoided contact with the outside world for generations. The premise is a difficult one to make believable in a grounded tone, but it is smartly introduced. We learn about his existence at the same time as our heroes, and he provides a neutral perspective to the central conflict.
Winter Soldier, the Russos‘ most recent Marvel contribution, offered some of the most incredible grounded action in the saga. With so many extra heroes in Civil War, the visceral thrills are traded in for high-flying theatrics. There’s no equivalent to Winter Soldier’s astonishing opening scene on the cruise liner, where our heroes feel genuinely threatened by the mortal world. Some of the humanity has been lost in this comic book epic, which is a shame.
A second-act clash between a dozen costumed heroes is a wonderful spectacle, yet lacks the grit of an earlier sequence that saw many of the same heroes stripped of their flashy attire. Civil War is densely packed with amazing moments, wonderfully choreographed and inspiring awe. It’s a circus of explosions, kicks, flips and lasers that inspire childlike awe, but occasionally lack in emotional resonance.
Without any doubt, Captain America: Civil War is Marvel’s most impressive work to date. It’s a complex and engaging work of blockbuster art, one that makes you believe Marvel had this whole thing planned out from day one.
Follow Chris Berg on Twitter @ChrisBerg25