Captain America: Civil War is a promising watch


Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6, and Marvel promises a superhero movie audiences have never seen before. With the two principal characters squaring off, the Avengers are forced to choose sides as they battle the moral questions of government oversight and superhero regulation. Featuring more superheroes that he previous Avengers movie, Captain America: Civil War welcomes back the likes of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), War Machine (Don Cheadle), Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and Vision (Paul Bettany), as well as introduces new characters Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and the much-anticipated third incarnation of Spider-Man (Tom Holland).

Advance screenings have revealed surprisingly good reviews for the action film, receiving a 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The Daily Trojan had the opportunity to interview one of the stars from the blockbuster, Emily VanCamp, who plays Agent Sharon Carter.

“When we find her, she’s working in Berlin, the Joint Terror Taskforce,” VanCamp said. “We meet her at Peggy’s funeral and that’s where Steve finds out sort of who she really is, because it was never mentioned in The Winter Soldier. And that’s sort of the beginning of when the whole Accords thing is happening, so she sort of finds herself a little bit between a rock and a hard place in terms of her loyalty to Cap.”

In the first film, VanCamp’s character was introduced as Steve Rogers’, (and therefore Captain America’s), neighbor and it wasn’t revealed to the audience until later in the movie that she actually works for S.H.I.E.L.D. VanCamp said that the reveal to Steve Rogers in this movie is a compelling advancement in the pair’s relationship moving forward, especially considering her allegiance to the organization for which Captain America opposes in this film.

In terms of making the creative jump to film, VanCamp has had a successful career in television, most recently starring as the lead character in the TV show Revenge. Before that, she starred on Brothers & Sisters, as well as Everwood. On her transition from television to film, VanCamp believes her experience in television has helped her when on a film set.

“I remember we did a little fight sequence on Captain America that, you know we were just losing the day,” VanCamp said. “We were running out of time and we had to shoot it in an hour and a half, or something ridiculous. And because I had that TV background, it makes it a lot easier to sort of learn quickly and get it done.”

The movie was directed and written by Anthony and Joe Russo, the duo that previously worked on the second installment in the Captain America franchise as well as the television show Community on NBC, the brothers will continue their work within the Marvel Cinematic Universe as they take on directing the two-part Avengers: Infinity War movies that are set to begin back-to-back filming for nine months at the end of 2016 to be theatrically released in May 2018 and May 2019, respectively. Throughout the press tour for this movie and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, cast members have had only positive reactions to working with the brothers, and VanCamp is no exception.

“I mean, they obviously are brothers so they have a tremendous rapport,” VanCamp said. “But with a movie of this scale, it kind of is amazing to have two people that, one person can be focusing on one thing, one person can be focusing on the other. So they really get great performances.”

As one of the sole female actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, VanCamp has been recognized by Marvel for her work and has been tasked with spearheading a new diversity campaign, aimed at encouraging young girls to get involved in STEM  programs.

“To know that in doing this, it could be you potentially empowering young girls, is amazing,” VanCamp said. “I think Marvel’s really trying to diversify. They’re really sort of incorporating more women in these great parts and I think it’s just kind of heading in the right direction, you know? But it’s super enjoyable to play, too.”

As Captain America: Civil War rapidly approaches worldwide release, fans and celebrities alike have begun choosing sides in the Civil War, siding with either Team Captain America or Team Iron Man. VanCamp is conflicted, as are most fans.

“I mean, I always … I guess, because I have such an attachment to Sharon and her loyalty to Steve and Captain, I just feel that I sort of agree with him,” VanCamp said.

Although VanCamp is unsure of where her role of Agent 13 will take her in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is with excitement and anticipation that we await her next action-packed appearance.