It’s going to be really interesting to see how Sam fits into and feels about the civil war. He’s sort of an outsider in the Avengers. Other heroes are newer: Wanda, Vision, but they both have superpowers while Sam is an ordinary human caught up in the struggles of these “gods” - sort of like Hawkeye, but Sam wasn’t even an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. before becoming part of the team. He was just a guy who happened to have (well, actually know about and know how to use) a government-issued suit with wings and who also just happened to catch Captain America’s eye while jogging, and now his life has basically been swept up in Steve’s journey, for better or worse.
Sam hasn’t had much on-screen interaction with many of the other Avengers. We saw him with Natasha in Winter Soldier, and he made a small cameo in Age of Ultron, but he stuck with Steve, didn’t mingle much. Despite this, Sam seems to have quite a pull in the New Avengers, as he recruits Ant-man on his own. With Natasha joining team Iron Man, Sam could take the place of Steve’s right-hand man. How would Sam handle that position? From the trailers, we see that Sam is more cautious about getting into a war than Steve is.
Sam Wilson: I just want to be sure you’ve considered all our options. Because people who shoot at you, usually wind up shooting at me too.
I think it’s interesting that Sam says “our” instead of “your.” He is very clearly telling Steve that what is going on isn’t just about Steve and his personal issues, that other people are involved. Sam is also telling Steve that both of their own lives are at stake, that there are great risks with being a revolutionary. Most revolutionaries die. And Sam doesn’t really have a death wish (looking at you ‘I have no plans tonight,’ puts-his-life-into-brainwashed-enefriend’s-hands, crashes-plane-without-looking-into-other-options, joined-the-army-because-he-wanted-a-chance-to-die-for-his-country Steve).
It makes me wonder if Sam has any real personal reasons for joining the Civil War, beyond protecting his newfound friend. Sam was retired from the Air Force, so not only had he given up on fighting -which he seemed happy about - but before that he was working for the government that Steve is about the rebel against. It’s true that he started on his path as an Avenger because of a corrupt government, so he could have learned to be more cynical, but rebelling against your government is a huge step and a path that really has little room to turn back from. Sam also seems to have little to gain from the civil war. Sure, if they win he can fly around in his Falcon suit unhindered, but how could they possibly win? Realistically how is a handful of rebel superheroes fighting another handful of superheroes who are being backed by the government and the military going to win? At best, this is a slow losing game. Say, they are able to go on for years, Steve’s team is going to age (even if Steve doesn’t.) Sam, Clint, Sharon, Scott, they are all human. They’ll get old, tire, eventually die. Their lives will have been wasted on a useless war. And this is looking at a better turn out. If Captain America doesn’t get any support from people outside of his small group, his team is going to be picked off one-by-one. And I think Sam sees that more clearly than Steve does, and that’s why we have these trailer shots with him looking tired and anxious. He knows that what they’re headed into is trouble, but he’s going to follow Steve anyway.
Sam Wilson: [From trailer, on the situation] What do we do? Steve Rogers: We fight.
It really is going to be really interesting to see how Sam fits into and feels about the civil war. However, let me point out that Sam used to be not just military but the best of the best when it came to tip top physical shape (for ‘ordinary’ humans) because he was also a Pararescue [here’s some info on the badassery of PJs] PJs specialize in emergency medical knowledge so if he’s not personally fighting the fight, he’d be more than useful at being the team’s healer but of course we saw from TWS that he’s more than capable of holding his own against a bunch of dudes with knives and guns. not so much against that ant guy tho. Don’t tell Cap. But given that, his opponents there were still humans and not.. enhanced or super humans (or an android).
“It makes me wonder if Sam has any real personal reasons for joining the Civil War, beyond protecting his newfound friend.”
If protecting his newfound friend and everyone else he loves and cares about isn’t a ‘good enough’ reason to rebel against the source and cause of their pain and injustice, then this world needs more superheroes (like Sam). If that said source and cause is the whole entirety of the unlawful government (with the whole military and Team Iron Man to back them up), even more the reason to STAND UP and voice one’s concerns. Death wish or not aside, Sam, like Steve and most soldiers, aren’t fighting to hurt people opposing them; they fight to protect the ones behind them.
“Sure, if they win he can fly around in his Falcon suit unhindered, but how could they possibly win?”
I’m pretty sure a lot more rides on this fight and the outcome of it than whether Sam gets to freely fly around on man-made wings.
“If Captain America doesn’t get any support from people outside of his small group, his team is going to be picked off one-by-one.”
As much as it grieves me to say it: people see Captain America as a mantle piece, a costume, a political figure, an idol; he’s not seen for the man that Steve Rogers is. That said, we’ve all seen the Captain inspire followers and win against incredible odds with the help of said followers because Captain America is just a title without Steve. Sam (and Bucky and everyone else) isn’t following the Star Spangled Man into battle, they’re following Steve and his sense to right what’s wrong even if the outcome is bleak.
Yeah, Sam looks tired and anxious. As does Steve and everyone else. I’m sure they’re doing everything they can to not escalate it to where people are going to get hurt.. (unless it involves anyone hurting Bucky). If it becomes a war, there are going to be casualties. Anxieties and sleep are going to need to take a back seat when that happens.
