Whether Captain American: Civil War is fervently defended or mercilessly criticized, it is one Marvel movie that leaves no one indifferent. Six years after the release of the film that saw Steve Rogers and Tony Stark turn on each other, fans are reevaluating their takes and opinions.
One Reddit user believes Civil War is the best Marvel movie of all time with “too many strong points to dismiss.” These include a “great antagonist” in the character of Baron Zemo, “great points of conflict” with the Sokovia Accords and the clash between Tony and Bucky, along with the requisite “great action sequences.”
The comment section was surprisingly harmonious, as most MCU fans seemed to recognize some validity in the post’s contents. One praised the airport fight scene, because it “Introduces Spidey, ant-man and black panther [sic] into the group. Spidey fights both Bucky and Sam to a standstill with great, character-developing dialogue. Same with cap”, which is hard to argue with.
Other MCU greats like Infinity War and Endgame were brought up as contenders for best movie in the franchise, but for one Redditor, “Civil War is more raw and personal.” They highlight the final fight between once-great friends Tony and Steve, arguing “it demonstrates the fundamental character of both [men], what makes each of them tick and why you don’t want to be on the bad side of either of them.”
Of course, Civil War has never been unanimously adored, with a lot of diehards feeling it wasn’t even a Captain America film at all, and that the character was robbed of his own trilogy. “I didn’t like it. I certainly didn’t think it was worth sacrificing a Captain America movie over,” one user said.
Others not only disagree with Civil War being hailed as the best MCU film, but also don’t even believe it to be the best Captain America movie. “Winter Soldier>First Avenger>Civil War,” is one person’s ranking. “I respect your opinion. But you’re definitely part of the minority. It’s not even the best Captain America movie. Much less best Marvel movie,” another user challenged.
Captain America: Civil War might not have even made a splash if it had come out now given how saturated the market is, but love it or hate it, there’s no denying that back in 2016, it was one of the great cinematic events of the year.