Captain America: Civil War's alternate ending would have significantly changed phase 3 of the MCU. The third installment of Captain America's franchise, Civil War was the first film in phase 3, setting up the likes of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The movie not only introduced new characters such as Spider-Man and Black Panther, but generated a lasting and important conflict as well.

As the name implies, Civil War revolves around an internal dispute - mainly between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark - over government oversight and family secrets. While the two sometimes butt heads ideologically before the film, Civil War fosters a deep personal rift as well, with the result that by its end, the Avengers break up and scatter across the globe. Civil War's climactic, brutal, and emotionally charged fight between Stark and Rogers is pivotal for the course of the Avengers' storyline moving forward into the MCU's Phase 3.

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However, Captain America: Civil War's alternate ending would have seen Steve and Tony's conflict resolved and the team reunited by the end, facing off against a contingent of Winter Soldiers commanded by Helmut Zemo in a spectacular Siberian battle. Not only would the alternate ending have dulled the film's emotional impact, but it would have significantly changed phase 3 as well. With reconciliation occurring right at the end of Civil War, the Avengers would have presented a unified front when facing Thanos.

HYDRA Siberia in Captain America Civil War

As is, a significant portion of Avengers: Infinity War's opening act involves various Avengers tracking down the team members they haven't spoken to for years, and the entire film is broken into separate storylines following the fractured members of the team. With Civil War's alternate ending, this structure would be harder to justify, since every Avenger (except Thor and Hulk, thanks to Thor: Ragnarok) would likely be on hand in New York to fight as soon as the children of Thanos arrive. Also, if that early battle were to go differently, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange could stay earth-bound and be present to face off with Thanos in Wakanda by the end. All of these changes add up to the possibility of the Avengers faring better in their fight against Thanos's children and the Mad Titan himself, possibly even defeating him before he can collect all six stones and snap. This, in turn, would radically alter the events of Avengers: Endgame, maybe even rendering it moot.

Not only would Civil War's alternate ending make the later films' storylines shorter and more straightforward—that is, less interesting — but it would also rob Infinity War and Endgame of some of their best character moments (and Infinity War deaths). The intensity and length of Steve and Tony's divide is what makes their later reunion in Avengers: Endgame more complicated and meaningful. Likewise, Tony's separation from the rest of the team during both Infinity War and Endgame offers him lots of time for introspection, which helps develop his character into the version that will eventually sacrifice himself, and also yields such standout moments as Peter Parker's "Mr. Stark, I don't wanna go," and Morgan Stark's "I love you 3,000." Ultimately, Civil War's alternate ending would resolve important character conflict and growth too soon.

It's also worth mentioning that a different ending to Civil War in which the Avengers face off against a Baron Zemo-led army would also change the course of his storyline within the MCU. As is, he goes to prison alive and is later freed by the titular protagonists of The Falcon & Winter Soldier, but this may have gone differently with a different battle. Overall, Captain America: Civil War's alternate ending would have drastically changed phase 3, and not for the better.

Next: Black Widow Was The Only Civil War Avenger Who Was Right (Not Cap Or Iron Man)

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