We’ve yet to see Tom Holland as Peter Parker or Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His introduction comes with a smaller role in Captain America: Civil War before he spins off into his own reboot movie in 2017.
For a long while, Spidey’s involvement in the third Captain America was kept tightly secret, in an official capacity anyway, but directors Anthony and Joe Russo are finally able to talk about his part in helping start Phase 3 of the MCU. Like other newcomers Black Panther and Ant-Man, Spider-Man is not a member of The Avengers and doesn’t carry history or relationships with those characters. That gives them all a unique role to play in the film’s central conflict.
This conflict rises when multiple international incidents involving vigilante super-heroism on the part of The Avengers forces some governments of the world to take action and hold “enhanced” individuals accountable. They come up with the Sokovia Accords which forces Avengers (those who sign-up, anyway) to only conduct missions approved by a United Nations sort of council. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) agrees with this system but for personal reasons, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and his most loyal companions do not and two teams are formed.
Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) is the other central character in the Captain America: Civil War story, and as we discussed and analyzed earlier, he’s not really on either side. He comes into the story for personal reasons as well and in some ways is above the conflict between Cap and Iron Man.
More: Marvel’s Black Panther Details: Costume, Vibranium & Role in Civil War
Where Black Panther (real name: T’Challa) comes into the Civil War story near the beginning and is all business throughout, some of the other newer MCU characters come into play later as the story naturally progresses. One of these characters is Scott Lang a.k.a. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) who has a bit of an interesting relationship with Falcon. Lang’s just a guy trying to do good and is outside of the Avengers initiative, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the politics of it all. Because of that, he can serve as the audience’s viewpoint, bringing some levity to an otherwise dire situation. From the post-credits scene attached to Ant-Man, we known Falcon and Cap seek out Ant-Man’s help for a specific mission.
Captain America: Civil War co-director Anthony Russo said the following at São Paulo, Brazil’s Comic-Con over the weekend:
For Spider-Man, his entry point is a little less clear. Rumors see Stark potentially recruiting the young New York street hero and giving him his tech and costume, but like Ant-Man, we do know that since Spider-Man is young and outside of previous events of the MCU, he too can bring the wit and charm Peter Parker is known for in the comics.
“The film definitely has a more serious tone I think than any other Marvel [Studios] movie yet. And that’s kind of natural to the process because you’re really gonna turn these heroes, who have been friends and partners, against one another. and if we’re gonna have them fight for a whole movie to the end, there has to be a serious issue because these are smart people, they’re likable people; they’re not villains, they’re good guys. And so you have to think very hard about a very complex situation that’s gonna put them in conflict with one another for an entire movie.”
“At the same time, not all the characters in the movie have the same investment in the conflict. There are certain characters that come into the story a little later who don’t have the same baggage that the Avengers have in terms of what’s going on in the film. So they don’t have as much darkness to deal with in the film, so they can be a little lighter and more fun. I think the movie has a healthy balance between very serious, interesting and very surprising storytelling, and sort of light, fun wits and humor… characters like Spider-Man and Ant-Man enter the story a little later."
Next: Civil War Details on Baron Zemo, Spider-Man, and Martin Freeman
The movie stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Emily VanCamp, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Frank Grillo, Tom Holland, with William Hurt and Daniel Brühl. Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” is directed by Anthony & Joe Russo and produced by Kevin Feige. Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Patricia Whitcher, Nate Moore and Stan Lee serve as executive producers and the screenplay is by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely.
Captain America: Civil War will release on May 6, 2016, followed by Doctor Strange - November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy 2 - May 5, 2017; Spider-Man - July 28, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok - November 3, 2017; Black Panther - February 16, 2018; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 - May 4, 2018; Ant-Man and the Wasp - July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel - March 8, 2019; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; Inhumans – July 12, 2019; and as-yet untitled Marvel movies on May 1, July 10 and November 6, 2020.
Source: OmeleteTV (via CBM)
