Avengers: Doomsday may be about to mirror one of the MCU’s best movies, Captain America: Civil War, but looks poised to break up Team Cap in the process. Although it wasn’t technically an Avengers movie, Captain America: Civil War is largely seen as an Avengers movie in disguise, given how it starred a who’s who of MCU superheroes, with the notable exception of Hulk and Thor. This is largely to thank for its dazzling success, making it one of the MCU’s highest-grossing movies with a global box office of $1.1 billion.

Marvel Studios is no doubt looking to replicate, and even surpᴀss, that success with Avengers: Doomsday. Thankfully, its status as an Avengers movie sets it in good standing, as even the MCU’s lowest-grossing Avengers movie, Avengers: Age of Ultron, grossed a tidy $1.4 billion at the global box office. Part of what makes Avengers movies (and Civil War) so compelling is the pervasive theme of internal conflict among the MCU’s colorful cast of superheroes. Nevertheless, I’m struggling to come to terms with how Avengers: Doomsday may be poised to run roughshod over previously established allegiances.

How The MCU Has Set Up A Second Avengers Civil War

There Is Friction Between The Avengers And The New Avengers

The MCU has been laying the groundwork for a second civil war between its superheroes with its first two MCU movies of 2025. Captain America: Brave New World saw the тιтular hero embracing his new role but balking at President Thaddeus Ross’s request to form a new team of Avengers, fearing the implications of government oversight. In a fortuitous twist of fate for audiences, Sam Wilson warmed to the idea after President Ross himself proved that some threats require an ᴀssemblage of Avengers, ultimately discussing the formation of a new team outside the government’s purview with Joaquin Torres.

While it is still unclear who will join Captain America and Falcon to form the MCU’s newest team of Avengers, Thunderbolts* undercut its formation with the arrival of the New Avengers. In an off-piste move by Marvel Studios, Thunderbolts* revealed that the asterisk was hiding the true idenтιтy of the тιтular team as the New Avengers, a moniker foisted upon them by CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. In being officially formed by de Fontaine, the New Avengers are later confirmed to be the government-backed version of the team.

The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene then revealed that this has caused friction between the New Avengers and Sam Wilson’s Avengers. While talking in their new base of operations in the old Avengers Tower, the New Avengers addressed the fact that Sam Wilson has copyrighted the Avengers name and has begun taking legal action against the government-backed newcomers. While the dynamic isn’t nearly as fraught as the one depicted in Captain America: Civil War, it re-establishes a rivalry between heroes rooted in government oversight.

Sam & Bucky Will Now Be On Opposite Sides Of An Avengers Civil War

They Originally Fought On The Same Side

This rivalry now pits two characters that once fought on the same side against one another, namely Sam and Bucky. In Captain America: Civil War, Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson were the тιтular superhero’s most stalwart allies in his rebellion against the Sokovia Accords and their role in regulating superhero activity. In an ironic twist of fate, Bucky Barnes is now a founding member of a team sanctioned by the government, while Sam Wilson remains independent, further proving his apтιтude for carrying the Captain America mantle.

It is particularly painful to see this dynamic, however, given the development of Sam and Bucky’s relationship in the MCU since Steve Rogers’ retirement in Avengers: Endgame. Although there was a certain, playful measure of friction between the two in Captain America: Civil War, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier saw their friendship flourish, while Captain America: Brave New World featured Bucky in a heartwarming cameo as Sam’s friend. Bucky’s palpable regret over Sam Wilson’s kickback against the New Avengers is hard to stomach and packs an additional sting given Bucky’s previous trajectory.

Bucky’s Role Is Even Weirder Given His MCU History

Bucky Barnes Has Joined The Same Side As Iron Man

Although Sam Wilson was unquestionably willing to follow Steve Rogers’ defiant stand against government oversight in Captain America: Civil War, he is arguably still better placed than Bucky Barnes to fall in line. He is, after all, a war veteran and additionally (albeit tentatively) worked alongside the President in the first half of Captain America: Brave New World. In contrast, while Bucky Barnes is also a war veteran, he was the primary target in Captain America: Civil War, and partly what spurred Cap to rally against his fellow heroes.

The current state of affairs still feels more personal, however. By accepting a key role in the government-sanctioned side of this rivalry, Bucky Bares is mirroring Iron Man at best and tacitly endorsing his reasoning at worst. Given the heartbreaking personal rift between the two in Captain America: Civil War, with Iron Man learning later on in the movie that Bucky, as the Winter Soldier, killed his parents, the fact that Bucky is stepping into Iron Man’s shoes now feels particularly weird, especially as he is such an outlier in his position.

Sam’s Avengers Could Still Have One Other Team Cap Member

One Team Cap Member Has been Confirmed For Avengers: Doomsday

Most of those embroiled in the тιтular conflict in Captain America: Civil War have either retired or died, leaving very few behind to re-ᴀssume roles in the new team rivalries. In fact, of all the cast members confirmed to be starring in Avengers: Doomsday, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man is the only one who participated in Captain America: Civil War. In that appearance, Ant-Man was happy to join up with Captain America’s rebellion, given his respect for Cap and the fact that he is well-versed in undermining legal authority.

I can see Ant-Man happily joining Sam Wilson’s Avengers once more, given their established working relationship, his reverence for the Captain America mantle, and his eagerness to be an Avenger in general. Additionally, while T’Challa tragically pᴀssed away, his successor, Leтιтia Wright’s Shuri, would be more likely to join up with Cap, despite her brother teaming up with Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War. This is because Wakanda is at odds with the New Avengers’ creator, Valentina, let alone the fact that she would be unlikely to fight in the name of another nation.

Two potential candidates could still join up with the New Avengers to help balance the scales, however. War Machine has always been allied with American interests, and it is likely that he would continue fighting on the side of the US government. Spider-Man, meanwhile, is far more independent than he was in Captain America: Civil War, though he could feasibly join either side. Regardless, neither Don Cheadle nor Tom Holland has yet been announced to star in Avengers: Doomsday.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  
  
  
  

  
  

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