3) Robert Downey Jr.
There have been times in the MCU where Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark schtick, though rarely less than entertaining, has descended into self-parody. It can’t be easy keeping the performance fresh; Downey has played the character a whopping seven times, appearing in more Marvel films than any other MCU actor. His last Marvel performance, in Age of Ultron, bordered on stale, a rehash of what had come before. So what a shock then that Downey is so invigorated in Civil War.
[zergpaid]From Tony Stark’s first scene, reliving his last moments with his murdered parents, and onto his last, full of regret over recent events and the role he played in them, Downey is more raw than he has been in the MCU for some time. The breakdown in Tony and Cap’s relationship is where Downey is most affecting, though: Stark’s plea with Steve Rogers to sign the Sokovia Accords appears genuinely heartfelt, a prideful man just about holding himself back from outright begging a friend to do the right thing.