Fix: Superheroes That Bring the Feels, Can’t Wait for Black Panther, Celebrating Chris Evans’ Birthday Month
Platform: Disney+
Netflix Summary:
It’s Avengers vs. Avengers when Captain America fights to keep his superhero friends independent, while his pal Iron Man supports government control.
FYA Summary:
When Captain America and Iron Man find themselves on the opposite sides of the Sokovia Accords, and feelings about Bucky Barnes, their friends and allies must choose sides as well. Battles—and heartbreak—ensue.
Familiar Faces:
If you’ve seen any other Marvel movie, you’re likely quite familiar with the core cast of characters in this film, so I’ll focus only on the newbies. (If you need to see a full cast list, you can do so on IMDB.)
Jim Rash as M.I.T. liaison
I really expected him to do this, but I guess it’s OK that he just fawned over Tony’s money instead.
Alfre Woodard as Miriam Sharpe
Even in a minor role, Alfre is a force.
Daniel Brühl as Helmut Zemo
I know I’ve seen Daniel in other things, but the roles don’t really stand out in my mind. Zemo, however, is an interesting villain: a broken man who’s more interested in making people realize the hurt they’ve caused than taking down society. Do I despise him? Yes. But I kind of understand the reasons behind his villainy, which makes him all the more compelling.
Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther
Chadwick’s been in quite a few movies and TV shows before his role in this film, but it’s this one that brought him fully to my attention. Not only is he a super handsome man, but he holds his own and then some against the likes of Iron Man and Captain America, which is no small feat. Obvs, I am V. Excited for Black Panther.
Martin Freeman as Everett Ross
I really know nothing about Everett Ross other than he’s some sort of mid-level government lackey who thinks he’s all that. Martin plays him to a T, but that’s no real surprise. The lack of British accent, however, kind of was.
Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Although I really enjoyed both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker in their respective versions of Spider-Man films, Tom Holland absolutely blew me away in the role. He’s geeky and young and adorable, and I can’t wait to see him in future films, both his own and with the rest of the Avengers.
Marisa Tomei as May Parker
I’ve never seen an Aunt May who wasn’t a senior citizen. Marisa is certainly not that, and I’m excited to see how her lack of advanced age changes the dynamic between her and Peter in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Couch-Sharing Capability: High?
I don’t think I’m being overly dramatic when I assert that this is the most heartbreaking of all Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films to date. It covers some seriously heavy issues, from government regulation of superheroes to what happens when friends find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict to life-altering injury. The first half of the movie has few jokes, which is surprising for a Marvel film, and the whole tone of the film is much more understated and dark than its predecessors. Even though the movie gets a little more “traditional” in the second half—especially with the addition of Ant-Man and the introduction of Spider-Man—it’s still so hard to watch these heroes at odds.
That said, it’s also a really, really great movie. It showcases the talents of most of the Avengers crew* so well, and kicks off the roles of Black Panther and the rebooted Spider-Man, both of whom are soon getting their own solo films, and who’ll be important parts of Avengers films to come.
So, do you know a bunch of friends who like superheroes and are overly joyous? Go ahead and invite them over to join you. Just watch out for all that dust that’s bound to be in the air.
*Chris Hemsworth will never not be salty about Thor’s exclusion.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: High
As stated above, this movie is hard to watch, particularly if you’re a fan of the MCU and have come to know and love these characters. (I cry every time I watch the battle in Siberia.) Break open the bar, clean out the fridge, place a booze delivery order (for those who are lucky enough to have such services in their areas) and settle in. Just be careful if you’re a sad drunk, because this might not be a good time for you.
Use of Your Netflix Subscription: High!
Regardless of the sheer amount of feels this movie brings with it, it’s well worth a watch. And yes, for more reasons than this scene.
It’s an important step in the MCU, and makes moves toward future Avengers films. It introduces fans to Black Panther and the new Spider-Man, and gives some closure to previously unfinished business. It shows that superhero films, for all their explosions and destruction, can deal with smaller, but no less equally important issues.
Yes, the female representation is still sorely lacking, and the main characters are all white dudes, but we all know that’s a systemic problem. I think we can just enjoy this movie for what it is while recognizing that changes need to come, and sooner rather than later.
