Is Captain America Actually Fighting Drones in Civil War?

Marvel is good…really good. Today the latest installment in the expansive Marvel Studios Universe, Captain America: Civil War solidified its dominance in the global box office, raking in well over $940 million. As a feather in the cap (or more appropriately, a feather in Hawkeye’s quiver), the entire 13 film superhero tapestry strung together by Marvel has now earned over $10 billion in less than a decade. That’s billion with a “B” and also more money than the annual Gross Domestic Product of Mauritania.

Beyond making a bunch of studio executives rich, the movie is jam-packed with heroes and action. Affectionately referred to by the broader comic book nerd community as “The Avengers 2.5.” the film is massive, featuring a super-charged ensemble of no less than 12 comic book icons all thrown up on the big screen in a battle of the titans. The fast-paced film manages to be visually compelling with unprecedented special effects while also actually being fun! Better still, unlike the recent similar superhero face-off Batman V. Superman, which required a series of in-depth therapy sessions and anti-depressants to recover from, Marvel in Captain America: Civil War has crafted a movie with broad appeal which has led many to review it as the studio’s best film yet. While the jury may still be out on that, one thing is for sure, even if not the best — Civil War is without a doubt the most politically intelligent and timely superhero picture when it comes to exploring one homeland security issue…drones.

Yeah…The Avengers Are Drones

Since their first movie together, The Avengers, the group has always had a subtle and unsettling undercurrent to their feats of heroism and strength. The group of super-humans are big, powerful, and messy. For every thunderbolt shot by Thor and every energy pulse fired off by Iron Man there is usually a building, or a vehicle on the receiving end. Pretty much anytime that the Hulk, an uncontrollable big green force of destruction, is released in a climactic battle, there is usually a skyscraper that ends up getting toppled over or a bridge that gets tossed into the stratosphere. In fact, in the earlier sequel to The Avengers, Marvel’s greatest heroes actually saved the day by leveling an entire city. This is increasingly problematic on the big screen because one fact can’t be ignored — every time a bunch of superheroes show up to save the world, a lot of people actually end up dead.

Captain America: Civil War wrestles with this sticky situation and explores the impact of the collateral damage wrought by the super team. The world is not pleased with its heroes and their unique, unchecked, and near limitless powers make international leaders uneasy. Eventually, calls for the group to be reined in and kept in check by a document called The Sokovia Accords become inevitable, with two divisive superhero camps being formed, one essentially in favor of oversight and regulation, the other opposed to it in full. Cue the battle royale.

Collateral Damage and Retaliation

In Civil War, the audience is given a front row seat to the moral struggles of some of its main characters. America’s golden boy Cap continues to become skeptical of the U.S. government. Iron Man meanwhile carries the heavy burden of guilt that comes from knowing that innocent people have been caught directly in the crossfire of the best intentions.

The central narrative of Civil War serves as a surprisingly insightful commentary on U.S. drone policy, always a controversial topic. A recent report in Foreign Policy highlighted that of 462 air operations conducted by unmanned aerial vehicles against terrorist targets in non-battlefield countries, at least 289 civilians were killed. Drones have given the U.S. an unprecedented battlefield advantage in the form of loitering and lethal air superiority over an adversary at times in areas without stable governance but also with little regard of national sovereignty…but despite calls for global agreements and standards, in the real world today there remains no Sokovia Accords for governing the use of drones between the nation states of the international community. Some have proposed a role for the United Nations in this realm.

Spoiler alert: The main antagonist in Civil War is one of the strongest and most disturbing elements of the film exploring this topic, because his motive and actions are so simple. He isn’t some masked henchman looking to make a fortune by holding the world hostage. He isn’t an intergalactic boogeyman seeking to enslave planet earth. The villain turns out to be an ordinary man who seeks revenge after his family was killed, caught in the crossfire of The Avengers best intentions.

There is no doubt that homeland security benefits have been gained through the use of drones, but there are potentially dangerous consequences and reactions to those decisions which are worth considering. High-profile terrorist targets have been removed from the battlefield, terrorist operations where innocent lives could have been lost have likely been prevented…but that figure of 289 civilians killed must give the U.S. some pause. Those 289 people did not exist in vacuums — each have friends, families, loved ones and although some are capable of bearing the grief of loss, others may feel the lure of extremism and be tempted so seek a more sinister form of revenge.

One of the best elements of Civil War is the brief appearance of a newly rebooted (third time is the charm) Spider-Man, back in all his smack talking web slinging glory. While the character adds levity to the movie, his appearance and motto in this film is appropriate and instructive for the topic of drones:

“With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.”