Captain America: Civil War seen as a Political Allegory

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Political Parallels in Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War is more than a superhero movie, it's a criticism of our government. One of the most harshly debated topics in politics is the expansion of power. Over the years, our central government has been expanding its powers, often at the consequence of individual freedoms. This raises an important question, to what extent should the federal government be allowed to expand its authority in the name of national security? There is no right or wrong in this debate, it's about whether you place more importance on your own personal liberties or government protection and security. I was inspired to write about our government after voting in my first election this last year. Seeing the political climate in a new light, and knowing that I now have the opportunity to make a difference in our government, has made me aware of some of the serious flaws in our government today.

The purpose of this blog series isn't to influence your political views, but to bring attention to the political messages hidden within movies, specifically, the ones in Captain America: Civil War. This film seeks to challenge the audience's perception of our government by exploring contrasting viewpoints on government control, its portrayal of loyalty and betrayal, and by relating to political climates now and in recent history. The film introduces audiences to this issue by showing Tony Stark's approval of government regulation versus Steve Rogers support of individual freedom, demonstrating the tough choices the characters have to make, like the Sokovia Accords and how they split the Avengers apart, and by drawing parallels to real-world grief over the 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attack. 

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Government Control and Freedom in Captain America: Civil War

The size of our government and the span of its power has been a hot topic since the constitution was first written. Finding a balance between the government's powers and those reserved for American citizens is a controversial topic with no right or easy answer. The fight in this movie represents larger societal debates about the balance between government powers and citizens rights. In Captain America: Civil War, our two protagonists fight each other over which viewpoint is right for America - Tony Stark supports government regulation and expansion of powers, whereas Steve Rogers champions individual freedom and liberty, showing opposing views on how power should be distributed within our society. 

The clearest connection that can be made between the movie and our government is to the patriot act and our society after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Professor Mark White argues that Captain America and Iron Man are allegories for the citizens of America in the months and years following the September 11th attacks, showing the division over the consequences of an increasingly powerful government versus the consequences of a lack of national security (Kilkenny 2016). Through looking further into our heroes’ backgrounds, we can easily see the connection between them and American citizens.

Tony Stark is left dealing with guilt over the lives that were lost due to the Avengers' mistakes during their last mission in Sokovia. Though that mission was successful, he is stuck seeing the consequences of their actions and sees the Accords as a way to prevent any more unnecessary deaths. After 9/11, thousands of families had to deal with the grief that comes from losing a loved one and countless politicians were put in a similar position to Tony, trying to figure out the best way to remedy the situation. This side of America thought expanded government power was the most effective way to protect the country from another attack, so just like Tony fought to sign the accords, they made the choice to enact the patriot act, giving the government more control over its citizens. On the other hand, Steve, who has lived through the consequences of unjust government interference, is worried the accords are an invasion of the team's personal liberties. His experiences as Captain America and with Hydra within the United States government have made him skeptical of governments. Throughout the movie, he is also fighting for his best friend's life, who has been turned into a Hydra soldier without his consent. Even though he also sees the grief and pain the mission in Sokovia caused, he has seen all the flaws of government power and overreach firsthand, and isn’t willing to sacrifice personal rights for government regulation. Steve represents the other half of America, that while seeing the devastation caused by 9/11, wasn't okay with giving up their personal rights and privacy. When the patriot act was passed, allowing governments to monitor citizens on a level previously unheard of, people were outraged. Just because they chose to place more value in their personal rights, doesn't mean they didn't also feel sympathy for the victims of the attacks and their families.

The two protagonists in Captain America: Civil War stand as allegories for the debate over government powers and expansion we see today, and particularly in our country following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. By looking at the opposing views of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, we see how the movie parallels the divide of our nation caused by the terrorist attacks, where some Americans prioritized security through expanded government oversight, and others feared the loss of individual rights.

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Loyalty and Betrayal in the MCU

The introduction of the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War created a significant conflict for the Avengers, where they were forced to choose between loyalty to their friends or loyalty to their government. This struggle focuses more on the emotional and moral aspects of the fight the characters are faced with, than the physical struggles action movies typically depict. The team's loyalty to the government, and to friendships is tested, making the fracture of the team and their betrayals feel more personal than political.

 In an article published by the Verge, Brian Michael Bendis, a famous comic book writer, takes a look at the morality of the fight. He highlights the fact that Civil War succeeded because it doesn’t present an obvious right side, rather, it shows how people with the same goal can have conflicting opinions over how to achieve them, especially when loyalty to friends and personal morals are at odds. He puts it best saying, “Nobody is the villain of their story” (Opam) This point of view reinforces the idea that the movie is less about heroes vs villains and more about conflicting ideologies. The realisticness of the characters choices and moral dilemma shows us that betrayal isn’t always done with bad intent, sometimes it’s the consequence of staying loyal to a different set of morals. 

In one of the more prominent side plots, Black Panther and Tony Stark are after Bucky Barnes because he killed their parents. Steve Rogers knows that he was brainwashed by the government and had no choice in killing them, but the others don't know that. These heroes are forced to choose between believing their friend or avenging their families. This debate further fuels the fight between captain america and iron man. The divide caused by the Sokovia Accords and the fight for Barnes's safety highlights the humanity of the superheroes, making their struggles relatable in a world where loyalty often comes with a price. In a world where politics is a defining personality trait, it's usually impossible to stay loyal to both family and friends of opposing views and the party you choose to support. Captain America: Civil War reflects how loyalty and betrayal are inevitable in today’s increasingly political and polarized society, where conflicting values often force people to choose sides.

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How Captain America: Civil War Reflects Post 9/11 Politics

Captain America: Civil War reflects the post 9/11 political climate by showing the debate between governmental control and personal freedom. The moment when a grieving mom confronts Tony Stark about her son's death in Sokovia parallels stories of lost citizens after 9/11 and how they gathered support for expanded government surveillance. This scene specifically highlights the very real consequences of unchecked government power. Just as this mom blames Stark and the avengers for her son's death, many of the families affected by 9/11 wanted to find accountability and pushed for expanding government security.

 In an article published by the New York Times, just months after the 9/11 terrorist attack, a handful of writers wrote short excerpts about some of the victims that lost their lives that day. From citizens who were just at another day of work, to firefighters who lost their lives trying to protect others. Take for example, Michael Lynch. A corporate broker, a runner, a father to his 1 year old daughter Caroline. His portrait highlights who he was before the attack and the tragedy that followed, “At 8:33 a.m., he was on the phone with his mother making plans for a birthday party a week later for his wife, Michelle, and a nephew and a niece. Later that morning, his mother kept calling his office number. No answer.” (Appleborne). This comparison is important because it shows how emotional trauma and loss can be leveraged to shape public policy. Similarly to how this mothers confrontation is what pushes iron man to support the Accords, the grief of families who lost loved ones in the world trade center attack helped pass the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act was a U.S. law passed after 9/11 that expanded government surveillance and investigative powers to prevent terrorism. It’s similar to the Sokovia Accords in Marvel because both increase government control in the name of public safety, but at the cost of individual freedom. The emotional scene relates to how grief after 9/11 fueled real world policy changes, and how citizens viewed policies like the patriot act when they were overcome with grief.

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What Makes a Hero?

Civil War encourages viewers to think differently about our government by showing opposing views on government overreach and personal freedoms, testing loyalty, and connecting to real life events like 9/11 that influenced politics and public opinion. The movie shows the conflict between government control and personal freedom through Tony and Steve’s fight over political policies, highlights how the Sokovia Accords test the Avengers’ loyalty to each other, and reflects how national tragedies like 9/11 can lead to emotional decisions that reshape government policy.

Captain America: Civil War challenges its audience to reconsider what it really means to be a hero. In most Marvel or superhero films, the hero is obviously in the right, and the villain is obviously wrong. But in this film, both Cap and Iron Man are heroes, and they’re fighting each other, not against a villain. Stark wants to protect the people through government regulation and Steve wants to protect people by protecting their personal rights. Neither of them are motivated by greed or evil, they’re both just trying to do the right thing, but in different ways. This shows that heroism isn’t always about saving the day or winning the fight. Sometimes it’s about making the hard choices and standing up for your values and what you believe is right. 

At the end of the day, it's up to you how you want to see the movie. It's your choice if you want the movie to be like any other superhero movie or if you want to see it for its political aspects. Regardless of what you should choose, the question remains the same; are you Team Cap? Or Team Iron Man?

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Works Cited:

Appleborne, Peter, et al. “A Nation Challenged: Portraits of Grief: The Victims; Parties, Love Notes and Other Small Memories That Now Loom Large (Published 2001).” The New York Times, 18 Sept. 2001, www.nytimes.com/2001/09/18/nyregion/nation-challenged-portraits-grief-victims-parties-love-notes-other-small.html. 

Kilkenny, Katie. “The Post-9/11 Ethics of ‘Captain America: Civil War.’” Pacific Standard, 9 May 2016, psmag.com/news/the-post-911-ethics-of-captain-america-civil-war/. Accessed 30 Aug. 2025

Opam, Kwame. “Brian Michael Bendis Tackles America’s Profiling Problem in Civil War II.” The Verge, The Verge, 1 June 2016, www.theverge.com/2016/6/1/11826766/civil-war-ii-marvel-brian-michael-bendis-interview. 

“Captain America: Civil War.” Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, 2019.