The wait is over as the MCU Madness #8 vs. #9 seed matchup has finally arrived. We talk a lot about how the Avengers movies get a boost because they feature all of our favorite heroes. Well, Captain America: Civil War and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 are not Avengers films, but a very high percentage of the MCU's heroes will be featured in this matchup. This is the ultimate battle between the MCU Avengers storyline and the MCU Cosmic storyline. Before all of these characters came together in Avengers: Infinity War, we had two Phase 3 super-movies - and they're now set to battle it out for the final spot in the Elite Eight. Vote Down Below!
Released: 2016
Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
Phase: 3
Box Office: $1,153,304,495
Synopsis: Political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability when the actions of the Avengers lead to collateral damage. The new status quo deeply divides members of the team. Captain America (Chris Evans) believes superheroes should remain free to defend humanity without government interference. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) sharply disagrees and supports oversight. As the debate escalates into an all-out feud, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) must pick a side.
Pros: This is what dreams are made of when you are talking about a comic book movie. Captain America: Civil War is as close as we will ever get to seeing who would win in a fight between our favorite heroes. This movie features some of the best “whiz-bang” in the MCU where parts look like a true splash page out of a comic book. But on a deeper level, the character development and motives behind each side stand out as much as any other Marvel movie. Add in the MCU debuts of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther along with a top tier villain, and you have an instant classic comic book movie.
Cons: The core argument against this movie is simple. It says Captain America in the title but many believe this to essentially be Avengers 2.5. We talk about Avengers movies having an advantage because we get to see so many heroes. And while movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: Ragnarok and Spider-Man: Homecoming feature multiple Avengers, this solo film takes it to another level. With so much going on, this movie can be seen as busy and disorganized.
Released: 2017
Director: James Gunn
Box Office: $863,756,05
Synopsis: Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his fellow Guardians are hired by a powerful alien race, the Sovereign, to protect their precious batteries from invaders. When it is discovered that Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) has stolen the items they were sent to guard, the Sovereign dispatch their armada to search for vengeance. As the Guardians try to escape, the mystery of Peter's parentage is revealed.
Pros: In the first Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn showed everyone what could happen if we took the core values of a great MCU film and just got weird with it. With that 2014 film being such a huge success, the eccentric writer-director doubled down with Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 and the payoff was huge! While the film's individual main characters are 5 incredibly different and diverse personalities, the primary main character of this film is the team itself. Watching the core group develop, with the pseudo-additions of Yondu, Nebula, and Mantis, you see another perfect blend of comedy, action and character development. Very few movies can bring audiences to tears not only through emotion but also laughter just as the two GotG installments accomplish.
Cons: The widespread concern with Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 is that it often gets compared to its predecessor. The two Guardians movies are meant to be only separated by a few months in the story, despite the 3-year gap in the theatrical release. When putting these two movies side by side, many believe that Vol. 2 tries to be its predecessor but doesn’t do as good of a job. Regardless of how great both these movies are, they are often grouped together with Vol. 2 often taking the back seat.
