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Ah... This is a painful topic. I felt it was a problem with a screenplay on a fundamental level. Not everything to do with RDJ’s brilliance (though that too. He is RDJ). It’s just that... All It was “Tony’s family“, “Tony’s youth”, “Tony’s grief“, “Tony’s girlfriend left him“, “Tony’s PTSD“ “Tony’s heart problems”. Yes they made sure we understood Tony’s motivation. I loved his arc in this. But what about Steve? He deserved to be on the same level of character study. But they couldn’t even give him half decent monologue about his worldview. In his own last film! (Yeah, and why would we need his family and childhood in this? It’s not like they had an influence on him as a person. We’ll better see Howard for the tenth time). And now next time we see Steve it will be in Avengers and there won’t be any time for him as a character. Sorry but I really don’t understand how Tony’s fans can be unhappy with his treatment in mcu when he basically had 6 films where he is the no.1 character and there is a “Homecoming“ on the way.
That was the problem with Civil War. It wasn't a Cap film. The emotional arc came from Tony and overshadowed Steve's arc. Which would have been fine for an Iron Man movie. But not a Cap movie.
I do think that Steve’s character had an emotional arc and would argue that he actually went through the most change by the end, giving up the Captain America mantle, but I agree that Tony’s role and RDJ’s wonderful acting allowed him to be far more obviously emotional, which naturally drew the viewer to what he was going through. I know a lot of people felt the same way as you, Anon. Definitely a lot of Cap fans feel that he didn’t quite get his due, and I would agree with that.
As I’ve said, I loved the movie and am glad we had it, but I would like a Cap movie where Captain America is the focus and we see him and his team fight actual Captain America bad guys. Of course, I know there is a whole overreaching MCU that CACW had to work into, but yes, I’d love another Cap movie. Well, and IM4. Basically, give it all to me! I know these movies do have to end someday, but I still feel like there are more stories to tell. Maybe Tony could actually defeat his own villain in IM4? Just throwing that crazy thought out there.