Few comic book arcs are as explosive as Civil War. The legendary Marvel Comics saga spanned multiple series and pit superhero against superhero over and over again. Most of the Marvel characters you had come to know and love -- Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Black Panther, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, S.H.I.E.L.D. and more -- were forced to choose sides and fight a battle that would decide the future of all superheroes.
The movie equivalent seems ... less bombastic (it's gotta be in order to fit into a single film). But it should still make for a pretty epic crossover event. The first trailer for Captain America: Civil War, which debuted Tuesday night during an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC, proves that we have quite a fight on our hands between Captain America, Iron Man and a variety of heroes that stand with them on either side.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this first look: This is definitely a Captain America movie. Despite its subtitle and its inspiration this is not a movie about all of the Avengers (and teams like them) so much as it's about Steve Rogers and his old friend-turned-Winter-Soldier Bucky Barnes.
But staples of the Civil War storyline hold true: There are hints of a Superhero Registration Act designed to regulate vigilantes (something the freedom-loving Captain America isn't very keen on), and our old buddy Tony Stark/Iron Man shows up to try to talk some sense into the Captain -- even if that has to happen by force.
We also get a very brief glimpse of Black Panther, a Marvel hero new to the movie universe that will be played by Chadwick Boseman. He's getting his own film in 2018, but you'll see him first in this movie.
Not seen: Spider-Man. Young actor Tom Holland was recently cast as the webslinger (replacing the most recent Peter Parker, Andrew Garfield) in a deal with Sony that will allow Spidey to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time ever. Word on the street is that his first appearance will be in Civil War, but Marvel is still keeping him under wraps.
Captain America: Civil War hits theaters May 6, 2016.
