Spider-man Swings Into Marvel Cinematic Universe

The latest trailer for Marvel’s upcoming epic has been released and a particular reveal has the Internet abuzz about a certain wall-crawler finally joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The third film in the Captain America franchise is set to be the biggest Marvel movie yet and will introduce more than its fair share of new characters to the ever-growing comic book world. A few characters in particular will not only affect the future of the MCU but will also crossover to the superhero division of Columbia Pictures.

People have already been excited over the inclusion of Black Panther (setting up the character’s 2018 solo film), but we’ve now learned that a long-time member of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the comic books will join the fray in the forthcoming film. Fans who read the decade-old comic book storyline might have already suspected that “Captain America: Civil War” would ultimately include Spider-Man. However, disputes concerning the character rights between Disney/Marvel and Sony Pictures had many wondering if we’d ever see our favourite web-slinger join the rest of the Avengers on the big screen.

We’ve known for some time that young actor Tom Holland was taking on the role of your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man for the upcoming third live-action iteration of the character, set for a 2017 release through Sony and Columbia Pictures. What we didn’t know was that we’d get a chance to see him a whole year early in “Civil War.” The early buzz is that Holland might be the best Spider-Man yet with “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn comparing his performance to that of Heath Ledger as the Joker in “The Dark Knight Returns.” High praise for a relatively untested actor, but the brief glimpse of Spidey in the latest trailer certainly looks promising.

In advance of the upcoming movie, Marvel has been adding new character packs featuring even more heroes (and villains) from “Civil War” to “LEGO Marvel’s Avengers” in addition to its mobile offerings. Although, there’s no word as to whether or not any of these will include Spider-Man. Marvel has been using video games as a way to court the casual audience for some time, be it through mobile games, console titles, or online gaming experiences. In terms of the latter, the company has licensed out its major characters, like Iron Man, for themed slots and games that help to add exposure for additional characters. When looking at the Iron Man slot, this means the public can get better acquainted with the design and look of Black Widow and War Machine (both of whom will appear in “Civil War”).

Based on the trailer, it’s looking like Spider-Man will be a member of Team Iron Man, which would be fall in line with the original “Civil War” comic. In the story-arc written by Mark Millar, collateral damage stemming from a superhero battle results in the deaths of many innocent civilians, prompting the U.S. government to adopt the Superhero Registration Act. The legislation forces the heroes to take sides, with Iron Man believing greater regulation is a necessary evil while Captain America feels it’s the first step down a slippery slope of civil liberty infringement. The movie seems to be following pretty much the same trajectory, despite some minor differences in which specific event prompts the government regulations.

Regardless how things go down, the MCU will never be the same when these two sides square off on the silver screen in what’s sure to be one of the most exciting blockbusters of the summer. “Captain America: Civil War” premieres in Los Angeles on April 12 and goes on general release in North America/ Europe on May 6.