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Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War

United we stand. Divided we fall.

2016147 minPG-13Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Directors
Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring
Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan

Following the events of Age of Ultron, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man or Captain America, which causes an epic battle between former allies.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Captain America: Civil War?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Captain America: Civil War streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Captain America: Civil War?

Captain America: Civil War earns 8 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of films.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Captain America: Civil War worth watching?

Captain America: Civil War's Midcredits score is the 97th percentile of all films, from 3.5M ratings across 6 sources. 86% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

97th percentile

Better received than 97% of films

98th percentile among Action97th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)94th
Approval (how many liked it)96th

77 /100

94th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Action94th percentile among 2010s

Critics 75 · Audience 77

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

86% liked it

96th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Action96th percentile among 2010s
86% rated it 7–1014% rated it 1–6

Critics 90% · Audience 89%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 17 wins / 72 noms overall

82nd percentile

3.5M ratings across platforms

71st percentile among Action84th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 17% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$250M
Opening weekend$179M
Domestic gross$408M
Worldwide gross$1.2B

Returned 4.6× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A morally charged superhero clash with impressive action and a crowded ensemble, where the emotional stakes strain against the blockbuster spectacle.

Fans praised

  • Efficient storytelling packs character development into compact scenes
  • gripping moral conflict with serious grown-up thriller smarts
  • thrilling action set pieces, especially the airport showdown

Detractors panned

  • unearned civil war premise from forced plot logic
  • overstuffed runtime with too many characters and ideas
  • underdeveloped villain and shallow character depth

What stands out

Effects and spectacle85

impressive CGI and action set pieces

Acting75

solid performances across a large cast

CharactersDivisive70

emotional arcs for key heroes but some underdeveloped

Emotional impactDivisive65

friendship and vengeance themes resonate unevenly

Plot and storyDivisive60

premise sparks debate but logic feels forced

PacingDivisive60

dense but occasionally overlong and sluggish first half

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Captain America: Civil War like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicThrilling
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Adventurous · 11% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its moral conflict and emotional beats completely straight, treating the ideological divide with gravity and sincerity, without irony or self-mockery.
The rideThe film sustains a tense, brooding pressure throughout but rises to its most emotionally devastating confrontation in the third act.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional chronological order, following the buildup to the clash, the airport battle, and the emotional confrontation in Siberia.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with the sorrow of a friendship shattered by irreconcilable principles, while also continuing to debate which side was right.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).TragedyHubris
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% (this title) · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Hubris: Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).

9% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film's central conflict arises from the opposing convictions of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, each driven by pride in their own judgment, leading to the fracture of the Avengers — a classic hubris-driven fall.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfLoyaltyBonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Loyalty · 4% of filmsJustice · 13% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film pits loyalty to a friend against loyalty to a principle, exploring how far each character will go for what they believe is right.
StanceThe film questions whether loyalty to a friend can ever be reconciled with broader duty, refusing to fully endorse either side.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalWildernessScience fiction
Orchestral modernForeground music · original score · Henry Jackman
SettingA world where superheroes operate under global political oversight, moving from Lagos to Vienna to a Siberian bunker.
MusicJackman's score shifts between Captain America's patriotic brass and Iron Man's electronic-infused motifs, mirroring the ideological divide.

Content guide

Is Captain America: Civil War okay for kids?

PG-13

Captain America: Civil War is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of violence, action and mayhem” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (64/100), sexual content at minimal (10/100), language at moderate (37/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (22/100) and frightening material at intense (61/100). Overall it is heavier than 67% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 38 other countries
  • UK12A
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Ireland12A
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil12
  • Belgium14
  • BGC
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-12
  • GreeceΚ-12
  • Hong KongIIA
  • Hungary16
  • ID13+
  • IndiaUA
  • Israelהותר לבני 12 ומעלה
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO12
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporePG13
  • Spain12
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland12
  • Taiwan12+
  • THPG-13
  • Türkiye13A
  • UA12+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 42% of all filmsHeavier than 67% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 82%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 12%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 38%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 21%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 77%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what PG-13-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Captain America: Civil War have?

MovieCove's classifier found 6 depicted content warnings in Captain America: Civil War: Gun violence (severe), Suicide (moderate), Torture (moderate), Kidnapping or confinement (mild), plus 2 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGun violence
ModerateSuicideTorture
MildKidnapping or confinement

Cast and crew

Who is in Captain America: Civil War?

Cast

7 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Chris Evans
as Steve Rogers
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Robert Downey Jr.
as Tony Stark
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Scarlett Johansson
as Natasha Romanoff
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sebastian Stan
as Bucky Barnes
Anthony Mackie
as Sam Wilson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Don Cheadle
as Lieutenant James Rhodes
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Jeremy Renner
as Clint Barton
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Chadwick Boseman
as T'Challa
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Paul Bettany
as Vision
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Elizabeth Olsen
as Wanda Maximoff

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Captain America: Civil War?

Movies like Captain America: Civil War include Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films written by Christopher Markus, and most are superhero films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Captain America: Civil War?

243 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: spy. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.