BOOM December 2015 | Page 23

ARTICLE THE HUNT FOR THE WINTER SOLDIER The governments of the world are registering superheroes and Tony Stark, James Rhodes, and Natasha Romonov have joined the cause. At the center of this search is the ultimate assassin, Bucky Barnes, who they seem not to care was a brainwashed assassin (even though it happened to Hawkeye in Avengers 1). The teaser opens with Bucky, seemingly aware of who he is, who he was, and what he’s done. And it looks like he’s finally been located and captured by Falcon and Cap. Bucky says “I don’t do that anymore” in response to assassination missions so it could be that Bucky was framed for something – perhaps the international event teased in the film’s official synopsis. We suspect that Black Panther and Tony Stark want Bucky, the former for something that happened in Wakanda to explain his arrival and the latter for what happened to his parents. GENERAL “THUNDERBOLT” ROSS Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner won’t be in Captain America: Civil War, even though he was seen with the cast in Germany and was originally in the script, but a major character from The Incredible Hulk makes his overdue return seven years later – with William Hurt reprising the role of General “Thunderbolt” Ross. With S.H.I.E.L.D. still out the picture, as far as the movies are concerned, he’s the military leadership presence in this movie and in the trailer he pays a visit to the new Avengers HQ (introduced at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron and in a sequence in Ant-Man) to reprimand them for whatever new international incident sets off the events of Civil War. Marvel Comics fans can only hope it means Ross can keep coming back. Marvel will eventually need a villainous team-up movie of their own one day and the Thunderbolts movie might be the perfect choice. The modern version of that team in the comics features Ross, fellow The Incredible Hulk alum known as The Leader (who was teased at the end of that movie, played by Tim Blake Nelson), Elektra and Punisher (both coming to Daredevil next year), and Venom who can now be a part of the MCU thanks to Marvel’s Spider-Man deal with Sony Pictures. MARTIN FREEMAN Martin Freeman’s role has been kept secret by Marvel Studios but rumors point towards him playing Everrett K. Ross, a liason to Wakanda who works for the U.S. State Department. He appears ever so briefly in one shot in the trailer where the government looks to be confiscating the gear of the Avengers from their base. He’s accompanied by Sharon Carter a.k.a. Agent 13 (Emily VanCamp) who we know is loyal to Cap and who joined the CIA at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier after S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. The continuing shot from different angles right after the image above depicts Captain America’s shield and Falcon’s flight gear being wheeled out of the base, taken from them, likely because they either chose not to sign up with the Sokovia Accords or they did and it’s being moved to some other government-sanctioned facility. Either way, Sam and Steve are not pleased. THE THIRD PARTY 23 | BOOM