Synopsis
With many people fearing the actions of super heroes, the government decides to push for the ‘Hero Registration Act’, a law which limits a hero’s actions. This results in a division in The Avengers. Iron Man backs this act, claiming that their actions must be kept in check otherwise cities will continue to be destroyed, but Captain America thinks they cannot rely on the government to protect the world. This escalates into an all-out war between ‘Team Iron Man’ and ‘Team Captain America’, while a new villain emerges to turn the heroes against one another.
The central theme of Civil War is about what happens when good friends have opposing ideologies and (literally) come to blows, but it’s also one of revenge: the need for vengeance and how quickly friendships can come tumbling down.
The brilliance of Civil War is that you find your allegiances shift more than once throughout the film. Both sides have convincing arguments and it’s unusual to find a superhero film with such deep character developments; no-one is the ‘bad guy’ as such here - morality is played out in shades of grey.
This clip sees The Avengers discussing the ‘Hero Registration Act’. Although early in the film, in this section there is already a clear difference of opinion among the characters, with Stark keen to sign the act and Captain America choosing to trust his own judgement over the government’s. Later in the clip we see Captain America attend the funeral of Peggy Carter, his love from before he was frozen in time (yes, superhero films are silly). As the last tie to his past life, Captain America is left feeling philosophical about the Registration Act and his decision not to sign.
Show the clip and then break off into small groups and discuss the following questions:
- Based upon the arguments presented in this clip, who do you think has the most convincing argument?
- Do you agree with the story told at the funeral? Is it good advice? Why?
- “Strength invites challenge, challenge incites conflict, conflict breeds catastrophe…” Do you think that Vision’s words from the clip are true of our world today?
- Do we need rules to keep us safe? Are there some rules that should sometimes be broken?
After asking these questions, turn to Ephesians 4. Although the specific focus will be on verses 25 to 32, you might want to read the whole chapter and discuss:
- What do you think ‘In your anger do not sin’ means?
- Can you imagine a community as described in the passage? Is one like it ever possible?
- How should we approach disagreements with one another according to this passage? Is it still possible to challenge someone who we think is wrong?
- Do you think that your church / youth group currently live out these verses? In what way could you apply these verses in the next few weeks?
