Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Watch: the brand new trailer for Captain America: Civil War is here, and so is Spider-Man

Alex Abad-Santos
Alex Abad-Santos is a senior correspondent who explains what society obsesses over, from Marvel and movies to fitness and skin care. He came to Vox in 2014. Prior to that, he worked at The Atlantic.

On Thursday, Marvel released a new official trailer for Captain America: Civil War. And the rumors are true: Spider-Man is in it … for a split second:

In an interesting twist, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) seems to have joined Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) side instead of Captain America’s (Chris Evans). As you may recall, the last trailer for Civil War, released in November, offered a glorious preview of an all-out brawl between the two, likely spurred by their differing opinions on the regulation of superheroes. It’s interesting an interesting choice for Spider-Man; you’d think a man who operates with a mask probably want to keep the superhero business as unchecked as possible.

But to be clear, we still don’t know how all of these details will fall into place.

For a long time, we’ve known Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) and Steve Rogers (a.k.a. Captain America) will be at odds in Civil War. This trailer, and the one that preceded it, sheds some new light on their conflict: Tony wants to keep people safe, and Steve wants to keep people free. And their fellow superheroes — the Avengers — all have personal reasons for why they do or do not want their superhero-ing regulated.

Cap and Bucky give Iron Man a beating.
Marvel Studios

The new trailer makes all of that a little more clear. The Avengers are shown all the destruction they’ve caused (in previous movies), and then the trailer segues into Tony saying, “We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I’m game.”

But Steve is quick to counter him: “I know we’re not perfect, but the safest hands are still our own,” he says.

Then we see the rest of the Avengers, including Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) pick their sides and fall in line. There are battles galore. Punches are thrown. Scarlet Witch looks crazy and powerful.

And yes, Spider-Man shows up.

Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6, 2016.

See More:

More in Culture

Advice
What trainers actually think about the 12-3-30 workoutWhat trainers actually think about the 12-3-30 workout
Advice

Have we finally unlocked exercise’s biggest secret? Or is this yet another lie perpetrated Big Treadmill?

By Alex Abad-Santos
Technology
The case for AI realismThe case for AI realism
Technology

AI isn’t going to be the end of the world — no matter what this documentary sometimes argues.

By Shayna Korol
Podcasts
How fan fiction went mainstreamHow fan fiction went mainstream
Podcast
Podcasts

The community that underpins Heated Rivalry, explained.

By Danielle Hewitt and Noel King
Culture
Why Easter never became a big secular holiday like ChristmasWhy Easter never became a big secular holiday like Christmas
Culture

Hint: The Puritans were involved.

By Tara Isabella Burton
Culture
The sticky, sugary history of PeepsThe sticky, sugary history of Peeps
Culture

A few things you might not know about Easter’s favorite candy.

By Tanya Pai
The Highlight
The return of resistance craftingThe return of resistance crafting
The Highlight

Want to fight fascism? Join a knitting circle.

By Anna North