Among fans of Marvel’s cinematic universe, there are few questions that will stir more debate than whether the studio plans to address the iconic Civil War storyline. While many consider it an impossibility, some are detailing the roadmap by which it may be possible.
Writing for MoviePilot , Alisha Grauso lays out the main points for why a Civil War movie may be a reality. First, the point that is so often cited by fans: Marvel doesn’t own the rights to all of the key characters. Yet, as Grauso points out, they own the rights to the two who are most indispensable, Captain America and Iron Man. Many of the secondary characters in the storyline can be either left out (as in the case of the X-Men, who were neutral in the comic), or have their roles assigned to other superheroes that Marvel owns. All except, that is, for one other key character.
The rights to Spider-Man, around whom the Civil War storyline turns, are currently owned by Sony, yet as MoviePilot notes, the two studios already enjoy a healthy working relationship. While Marvel and Fox have at times endured an acrimonious relationship over properties like X-Men , Sony was a key player in bringing Guardians of the Galaxy , Marvel’s summer blockbuster, to the screen. The groundwork, therefore, it already laid for a partnership between the studios.
This is worth reading! Awesome! http://t.co/xqUTRWcfLr @moviepilotnews @AlishaGrausoMP pic.twitter.com/8IiuQlLaPM
— [D] (@turtlex182) September 13, 2014
Sony also doesn’t plan to bring Spider-Man back to the screen until 2018, while Marvel has announced that it intends to up its yearly output to three films annually over the course of the next few years, as The Inquisitr has previously noted. In this, Grauso sees a split between the Marvel cinematic universe and the Marvel cosmic universe, of which Guardians of the Galaxy would be the first film.
The deduction made in the MoviePilot piece is that the current Infinity Gauntlet storyline, which has threaded its way through previous Marvel cinematic offerings, will be moved to the cosmic universe, with upcoming films like Dr. Strange , The Inhumans , and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 taking it up. This would open the Marvel cinematic universe, which takes place on Earth, for a new storyline. Add to this the rumor that Captain America will be forming his own, new team of Avengers after Age of Ultron , and the character divide that drives Civil War seems to be in the works.
Anthony & Joe Russo say a #Marvel Civil War movie is “highly unlikely” Read more at http://t.co/A4aPg3YZa6 pic.twitter.com/95hqFaVPfC
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) September 10, 2014
Idigitaltimes asserts that rumors suggesting Civil War as the basis for Captain America 3 are false, though in quoting Joe Russo, co-writer and co-director of The Winter Soldier , they point out that the movie will have a “big idea” at its center that alters the Marvel universe in an interconnected way.
According to Russo’s interview with CinemaBlend , however, that idea won’t be Civil War .
“It’s complex. There are a lot of characters. Marvel doesn’t have ownership of some of the key players in that. […] I don’t run Marvel, so I can’t say that it won’t happen, but I would say that it is highly unlikely.”
While the possibility that Civil War may be the long-term plan at Marvel is still conjecture, fans can check out Grauso’s full assessment, and decide for themselves exactly where they think the Marvel universe is headed.
[Image via Imgur ]
