Best Moments: Captain America: Civil War

This is the largest MCU Best Moments post I’ve done so far (gearing up so I’ll be ready for Infinity War.)  I toyed with including Sharon as well, since she gets some good licks in as well, but ultimately, I used a “must have superhero name to be included” policy.  Also, this post includes a few moments that are less action-based and more about private/personal victories (spoilers, obviously.)

Bucky Barnes a.k.a. the Winter Soldier:  Stealing the Motorcycle

Oh my gosh, sooooooo cool!  Bucky sees the guy on the motorcycle coming toward him, grabs the handlebars while it’s still moving, uses the momentum to flip the bike around while simultaneously leaping on, and takes off without missing a step.  Definite proof that the Winter Soldier doesn’t need to be “evil” to have sick moves.

Capt. Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America:  Apartment Fight

Cap and Bucky are both awesome throughout this fight, which is coolly staged in an apartment stairwell (getting to be a bit of a theme for the MCU, eh, Daredevil?)  Steve in particular is juggling a lot, since he’s trying to get Bucky to come in with him, not let the police capture Bucky, not hurt the police in doing so, and keep both Bucky and the police from hurting one another.  And in the midst of all that, he still has time for cool stuff like putting two officers out of the running by strapping them together and then dangling one over the edge of the railing.

Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye:  Breaking Wanda Out

Okay, so Clint isn’t the one who’s ultimately responsible for getting Wanda past Vision (more on that later,) but Clint still does nice work here, using suped-up arrows to temporarily incapacitate Vision and then taking on the sentient machine despite Vision’s obvious advantages.  Perhaps more importantly, he gives Wanda a little tough love on blaming herself for her mistakes vs. moving on and not making new ones.

Natasha Romanov a.k.a. Black Widow:  Taking out Rumlow’s Henchmen

Oh man, I love this one.  Nobody puts Black Widow in a corner!  …Or, uh, an armored car with some goons and a live explosive inside.  Natasha, as always kicks some serious butt and then busts her way out of there.  Bonus points for quick thinking under a live-explosive-based time crunch.

Col. James Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine:  Physical Therapy

Here’s one of those “personal victory” moments.  Rhodey takes a seriously-hard hit during this film, and here, at the end, he’s still fighting.  He’s not being unrealistically “gain back full mobility or bust!” but instead doing what he can, working hard as he takes the braces Tony made for him out for a test drive.  While he doesn’t mince words about how awful what’s happened is, he also doesn’t regret the choices he made that led him there.

Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon:  “…Five”

Early in the film, when the team encounters seven baddies, Sam quickly and, seemingly-effortlessly, dispatches with the first two.  I just love how skillfully he uses his wings, retracting them at a moment’s notice when need be, combining his flight with his acrobatic athleticism, and using the wings to block gunshots.

Scott Lang a.k.a. Ant-Man:  Giant Man

Hilarious but awesome.  Scott creates the perfect distraction for Team Iron Man, allowing Cap and Bucky to escape, by reversing his suit’s usual abilities and going all “Godzilla destroys Tokyo” on their asses.  He’s not actively hurting anyone but instead just causing mayhem that can’t be ignored.  Plus, it leads to Tony’s great line, “Anyone on our side hiding any shocking or fantastic abilities they’d like to disclose?”

Peter Parker a.k.a Spider-Man:  Fighting Bucky and Sam

Ditto – hilarious but awesome.  Spidey handily gets the job done here, webbing two guys with way more field experience than him, all the while geeking out overBucky’s metal arm and Sam’s flying abilities (much to Sam’s annoyance, naturally.)  For whatever reason, my favorite bit here is when he shouts, “You have the right to remain silent!” as Sam temporarily has the upper hand and he’s just along for the ride.

T’Challa a.k.a. Black Panther:  Confronting Zemo

T’Challa has all kinds of badass moments in this movie (so, so pumped for Black Panther, I can’t take it,) but I actually have to go with a less action-packed one for him:  confronting Zemo after realizing that his desire for vengeance nearly led him to kill the wrong man.  But rather than turn his vengeance on the “right” man, Zemo, T’Challa makes the stronger choice and decides he’s done letting it consume him.  Then, just as a bonus, he catches the bullet that Zemo tries to kill himself with (gotta love those vibranium suits,) telling him, “The living are not done with you yet.”  Bad.  Ass!

Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man:  Fighting Bucky

Tony’s used to fighting inside a suit, but this time around, he doesn’t have one.  When Bucky’s programming is activated, all Tony has is an Iron Man glove to try to fight, attempt to restrain, and keep Bucky from shooting him in the face – not too shabby, if I say so myself.

Vision:  Fighting Hawkeye

I root for Hawkeye in this fight – or rather, for the ultimate goal of Wanda leaving the compound – but there’s no denying that Vision is awesome here.  I especially love his use of his less-than-standard-issue matter phasing, effortlessly turning gaseous so Clint’s punches pass right through him but then going solid so Clint breaks his baton on Vision’s metal skull.

Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch:  Getting Past Vision

I’ve mentioned all three players in this scene, but it’s Wanda who ultimately takes the prize here.  While the physical victory, using her powers to take Vision down (literally,) is impressive all by itself, it’s the personal one that makes this moment.  Wanda, deciding to stop letting others treat her as nothing but a dangerous weapons, declares, “I can’t control their fear.  Only my own.”  That’s my girl!