Captain America Civil War: Superhero Slugfest Boasts an All-Star Cast

With all the rabid attention focused on the upcoming release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, there hasn't been much nerdy energy left over for other sci-fi and fantasy movies. Much of that leftover energy has been soaked up TV superheroes -- Arrow, Flash and Supergirl have been attracting plenty of attention -- and the impending Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. There's plenty of exciting stuff coming up, however, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the franchise that got the whole superhero blockbuster ball rolling, and it starts in May of next year with the release of Captain America: Civil War.

The heart of the Civil War of the movie's title lies in a conflict between Captain America and Iron Man, who have a strong difference of opinion over a worldwide plan to force superheroes to register with governmental agencies. In itself, that's a ho-hum idea -- we've seen similar plotlines in other franchises, including the X-Men -- but the movie's real promise is in its collection of super characters. This isn't just a Captain America movie; its cast list makes it seem much more like an Avengers film with even more superness in it.

In Civil War, we won't get just Captain America and Iron Man. Black Widow, Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Scarlet Witch and Vision will also be on hand, as will brand new superhero Black Panther. Perhaps most exciting, Spider-Man will enter the MCU in Civil War on loan from Sony.

Just about the only Avengers who won't show up in Civil War are the big guys, Thor and The Hulk. Sources say that the big guns are quiet in this one so that the battle between the heroes will be more fair and less of a smash fest.