Skip to main content
Games Radar
  • Newsarama
  • Total Film
  • Edge
  • Retro Gamer
  • SFX
SFX The world's number one sci-fi, fantasy and horror magazine
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • News
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletter
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Disney Plus bundles
  • Best Sci Fi Movies
  • New Marvel TV Shows
  • New TV Shows

Recommended reading

Tim Blake Nelson as The Leader in Captain America: Brave New World
Marvel Movies Marvel fans are realizing that one Captain America: Brave New World character had an impact on past MCU movies, despite not being on screen for 17 years
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson with wings extended on his back during the Marvel Phase 5 movie Captain America: Brave New World.
Marvel Movies Anthony Mackie says Chris Evans texted him "Good job" after the premiere of Captain America: Brave New World
Yelena Belova walking into the darkness of The Void in Thunderbolts
Marvel Movies Yelena gives herself up to the Void in the final Thunderbolts trailer
Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World
Marvel Movies Marvel brings the MCU's Avengers Vs. New Avengers conflict into the real world by adding a copyright to Sam Wilson's Avengers social media
Danny Ramirez and Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World
Marvel Movies Captain America: Brave New World star Danny Ramirez has joined in on the Thunderbolts vs. Avengers battle
Riri Williams in Ironheart trailer (2025)
Marvel TV Shows Marvel enters the YouTube reacts game with Daredevil and Kingpin actors giving their thoughts on the Ironheart trailer: "That's gonna be great"
Riri Williams flying in a suit in Ironheart
Marvel TV Shows Riri Williams wants to become an MCU icon in first trailer for Marvel's Ironheart
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

Captain America: Civil War first trailer and analysis

News
By Mike Williams published 25 November 2015

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Take your first look...

Take your first look...

The first trailer for Captain America: Civil War has landed online so, we're giving you a detailed breakdown of the teaser, including who the players are, why they're fighting and what this means for the future of the Avengers.

Directed by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, and starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, Captain America: Civil War hits UK cinemas on April 29 2016 and May 6 2016 in the US.

Page 1 of 12
Page 1 of 12
Bucky and Steve have made up

Bucky and Steve have made up

Captain America's last solo outing saw him go head-to-head with childhood friend Bucky Barnes who'd been turned into deadly assassin Winter Solider. Although Cap saved the day (no surprise there), he couldn't kill his friend and has spent the time since then desperately searching for him with the help of Sam Wilson (aka Falcon).

Well, as we can see from the trailer, they've found him and although Buck certainly doesn't look in great shape, he does seem to have given up his evil ways, telling Cap: "I dont do that anymore". However, it quickly becomes clear that he's still a wanted man so either the authorities haven't forgiven his past crimes (even though he was brainwashed), or he's been framed for something he didn't do.

Page 2 of 12
Page 2 of 12
General "Thunderbolt" Ross is back

General "Thunderbolt" Ross is back

Fans of Louis Leterriers The Incredible Hulk will recognise William Hurt's General "Thunderbolt" Ross (now US Secretary Of State), who has shown up to presumably cause as much trouble as he did when he tried to capture Edward Nortons Hulk.

It's clear from the start of his menacing speech that he's here to fill the role of evil government guy in Civil War, as he tells Captain America: "While a great many people see you as hero, there are some whod prefer the word vigilantly." This is the first sign that after the events of Age of Ultron the governments of the world are looking to keep a closer eye on superheroes.

Page 3 of 12
Page 3 of 12
The Sokovia Accords

The Sokovia Accords

During the trailer we also get a quick look at the The Sokovia Accords, which is the MCU equivalent of the comic's Superhuman Registration Act demanding all superheroes be registered for the safety of humanity. The events of Age of Ultron (which saw Tony Stark and Bruce Banner 'accidentally' create the AI villain, which the Avengers took down in a final epic battle in... you've guessed it, Sokovia) have led the world to calling for action. Youve operated with unlimited power and no supervision. Ross says. Thats something the world can no longer tolerate.

Note, Ross passes the Accords - which was name-dropped in Ant-Mans post-credits scene - to Scarlet Witch, who lost her brother Quicksilver as a result of the events of Age of Ultron.

Page 4 of 12
Page 4 of 12
The Avengers are splitting up

The Avengers are splitting up

It's now that we start to see the cracks appear in the Avengers as Black Widow desperately tries to convince Cap to stay out of it. We can assume the "it" is the manhunt for Bucky, but with Natasha Romanova supporting The Sokovia Accords it won't be long 'til more tension festers between the heroes. Are you saying youll arrest me? asks Captain America. Something tells us he won't go quietly...

Page 5 of 12
Page 5 of 12
Iron Man joins the fight

Iron Man joins the fight

Right behind Black Widow in the fight against Captain America is, surprise surprise, Iron Man. The two heroes have butted heads before, but something's obviously different this time as Tony Stark says: "You seem a little defensive?"

No prizes for guessing these two are on opposite sides of the fight given it's something we've seen coming for a while now (not to mention all the posters have the two squaring off), but this isn't just a disagreement. The look in their eyes says they don't trust each other anymore. Oh dear.

Page 6 of 12
Page 6 of 12
Did you spot Martin Freeman?

Did you spot Martin Freeman?

It was quick, but the eagle-eyed fans among you will have spotted Martin Freeman's mysterious character in the trailer. Marvel's staying silent on who The Hobbit star is playing, but the internet rumours say it's Everrett K. Ross, a liaison to fictional Marvel nation Wakanda, who works for the U.S. State Department.

He's joined by Emily VanCamps Sharon Carter (aka Agent 13) who joined the CIA at the end of The Winter Soldier after S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. We're pretty sure she's loyal to Cap, but it doesnt look like shes doing much here to stop the government from confiscating all his gear.

Page 7 of 12
Page 7 of 12
Time to pick a side

Time to pick a side

There's a reason the film's called Civil War, but if you're wondering how the former allies could possibly go against each other, it all comes down to loyalty. They might join forces when the Earth is threatened, but the superheroes all have their own friendships and allegiances which take precedence.

Like Falcon tells Cap, "people that shoot at you usually wind up shooting at me too". So, when Cap decides to protect Bucky, Falcon sides with him, and when Iron Man stands up to them, War Machine (aka James "Rhodey" Rhodes) is at his side. It's kind of sweet really...

Page 8 of 12
Page 8 of 12
And everyone else gets dragged into it...

And everyone else gets dragged into it...

Much like any school yard fight between friendship groups, it's never just the main aggressors who end up against each other. Everyone else has to pick a side too and that's no different in Civil War.

With Black Widow and Iron Man agreeing with The Sokovia Accords and War Machine and Vision backing them up, this leaves Captain America, Winter Solider and Falcon against them. Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch join forces with Team Cap, leaving the other Avengers, Thor and Hulk off doing their own thing (they're not in this film, sorry!). But it's not just about them - Ant-Man, Spider-Man and more are also set to make appearances in the movie. Check out the teams (we think) below

Team Cap: Steve Rogers/Captain America, Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Sam Wilson/Falcon, Sharon Carter/Agent 13, Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch.

Team Iron Man: Tony Stark/Iron Man, James Rhodes/War Machine, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Peter Parker/Spider-Man, TChalla/Black Panther and Vision.

Page 9 of 12
Page 9 of 12
Hello, Black Panther!

Hello, Black Panther!

The trailer also gives us our first proper look at Chadwick Boseman's TChalla (aka Black Panther), who'll be making his debut in Civil War before getting his own solo movie. Given that he's not an Avenger and has little reason to care about The Sokovia Accords, you might wonder what he's doing here.

His job, as the Black Panther of Wakanda, is to protect his nation and hes apparently hunting down the Winter Soldier when he crosses paths with our heroes. Hence, why he sides with Iron Man.

Page 10 of 12
Page 10 of 12
There will be consequences

There will be consequences

The MCU is getting pretty crowded these days and the number of characters in Civil War alone is staggering, which begs the question, will some be leaving? It's not a nice thought, but the fact of the matter is, with even more heroes lined up (Doctor Strange, Spider-Man...) it's going to get unmanageable. In fact, it's a miracle it's worked this long...

As General Ross tells us in the trailer, "there will be consequences" and it would be naive to assume there isn't going to be some major fallout from the Avengers going head-to-head. This image of War Machine badly injured and Iron Man clearly in distress seems to point towards something grave, but we imagine Rhodey won't be the one to go as we can't see Iron Man forgiving this in time for Avengers: Infinity War Part 1.

Page 11 of 12
Page 11 of 12
Where's the bad guy?

Where's the bad guy?

You could be forgiven for thinking there is no 'villain' in Civil War as the antagonism between the heroes provides more than enough conflict, but, of course, there has to be a bad guy. Sadly, there's no sign of him in the trailer, but it's widely assumed that Daniel Bruhl will be playing classic Captain America villain Baron Zemo. He'll be joined by Frank Grillo's Crossbones (pictured here), the Hydra soldier from The Winter Soldier, and possibly Martin Freeman's character who's looking shifty.

Does this mean Marvel will be keeping him (and Martin Freeman's character) completely under wraps until the film's release? We've no idea, but villain or no villain, it looks like the Avengers have enough to deal with...

Page 12 of 12
Page 12 of 12
Mike Williams
Mike Williams
Social Links Navigation
Mike scribbles at MTV, Yahoo Movies, BuzzFeed, GoThinkBig and Live for Films. As a huge animation and sci-fi fan, his favourite movies include Spirited Away and District 9.

Calling all Marvel fans! Now's probably a good time to get rather excited, as the studio unveils the first trailer and poster for Captain America's third solo outing Civil War. After the high-octane action of The Winter Soldier, expectations are sky-high, so check out the trailer below and see what you think...

It's safe to say the footage is everything we'd hoped for, with a host of big names involved, including Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes (aka Winter Solider), Anthony Mackie as Falcon, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and of course, Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man.

The action looks absolutely insane, with Stark going up against Rogers as the former friends become enemies over the notion of superheroes being forced to reveal their true identities and registering with the government.

You may like
  • Tim Blake Nelson as The Leader in Captain America: Brave New World Marvel fans are realizing that one Captain America: Brave New World character had an impact on past MCU movies, despite not being on screen for 17 years
  • Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson with wings extended on his back during the Marvel Phase 5 movie Captain America: Brave New World. Anthony Mackie says Chris Evans texted him "Good job" after the premiere of Captain America: Brave New World
  • Yelena Belova walking into the darkness of The Void in Thunderbolts Yelena gives herself up to the Void in the final Thunderbolts trailer

Captain America: Civil War promises to include one of Marvel's biggest superhero ensembles yet with Black Panther, Scarlett Witch and Hawkeye glimpsed in the trailer, and Ant-Man, Vision and Spider-Man also to putting in appearances. Marvel certainly have their work cut out for them!

Directed by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, and starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, Captain America: Civil War hits UK cinemas on April 29 2016 and May 6 2016 in the US.

See more Movies News
Read more
Tim Blake Nelson as The Leader in Captain America: Brave New World
Marvel fans are realizing that one Captain America: Brave New World character had an impact on past MCU movies, despite not being on screen for 17 years
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson with wings extended on his back during the Marvel Phase 5 movie Captain America: Brave New World.
Anthony Mackie says Chris Evans texted him "Good job" after the premiere of Captain America: Brave New World
Yelena Belova walking into the darkness of The Void in Thunderbolts
Yelena gives herself up to the Void in the final Thunderbolts trailer
Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World
Marvel brings the MCU's Avengers Vs. New Avengers conflict into the real world by adding a copyright to Sam Wilson's Avengers social media
Danny Ramirez and Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World star Danny Ramirez has joined in on the Thunderbolts vs. Avengers battle
Riri Williams in Ironheart trailer (2025)
Marvel enters the YouTube reacts game with Daredevil and Kingpin actors giving their thoughts on the Ironheart trailer: "That's gonna be great"
Latest in Movies
Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord in Peacemaker season 2 trailer
Maxwell Lord - The comic history of the villain who mind-controlled Superman and almost destroyed the Justice League
Kevin Feige at the Marvel Hall H panel during San Diego Comic-Con
James Gunn says Marvel boss Kevin Feige was a "really great role model" for what he's trying to achieve at DC: "He let me do my thing, but he also was really honest with what he thought"
Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary
First trailer for Project Hail Mary sees Ryan Gosling embark on a dangerous journey into space in new sci-fi movie from Spider-Verse creators and The Martian screenwriter
Superman bloodied, being carried by his robot assistants
James Gunn reveals that Superman has a secret voice cameo from a DC star playing a totally different role: "I actually recorded her on my phone"
A T-rex in Jurassic World Rebirth
Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
Demon Slayer Infinity Castle
Demon Slayer's new movie will be released on an "unprecedented scale" according to Crunchyroll boss: "The attention of theater owners around the world to anime has changed"
Latest in News
Fantastic Four Bookazine #1
You'll soon be able to buy Fantastic Four comics off a newsstand, just the way our ancestors once did
Death Stranding 2 PS5 screenshot
Hideo Kojima was "so bummed" Death Stranding 2 Easter eggs were "revealed on social media right away," but "I'm retweeting all these things so the blame is on me"
Elden Ring
Elden Ring's new content and Nintendo Switch 2 release could be coming soon – the Tarnished Edition was just rated by the ESRB
Holding the Nintendo Switch 2
Amazon's missing out on that sweet Switch 2 money because Nintendo's mad about "unauthorized sales," new report suggests
lea seydoux as fragile smoking a cigarette
Hideo Kojima says "I'm happy with the scores, thank you" as Death Stranding 2 settles at 90 on Metacritic, overcoming his fears that it might be too likable
Joe Freeman as Luke Ellis in The Institute
The Institute showrunners explain why the new Stephen King dystopian sci-fi TV series is more timely than ever: "Children shall inherit the earth, but first they have to save themselves"
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. A T-rex in Jurassic World Rebirth
    1
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  2. 2
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  3. 3
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  4. 4
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  5. 5
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...