As Captain America: Civil War prepared to release a couple years ago, Marvel fans around the world took sides with their favorite group: Team Captain America or Team Iron Man. Entire websites, forum posts, and Facebook pages were dedicated to the rivalry that was set to play out on the big screen. Unsurprisingly, the excitement over the impending movie and the stark competition between the two groups sparked an engaging meme war that has continued for the last two years. This meme was has gone well beyond the world of Marvel, with fans of various subjects throwing their favorites into the ring, with Captain America and Iron Man playing out the meme battle for the world to see.
While some of the Captain America versus Iron Man memes generated little interest and following, others garnered plenty of online discussion and heated debates. Along with the expected dog versus cat memes that were produced, other clever creators found other subjects to play out, including many that were already memes themselves. The end result is a fun-loving meme war that will likely continue as long as Chris Evans’ Captain America and Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man grace the silver screen.
Here are 20 Savage Captain America vs Iron Man Memes.
Cats versus Dogs
As mentioned above, one of the simplest and most created Captain America versus Iron Man memes is that of dogs versus cats. This isn’t too surprising considering how intense many people feel about this subject. While there are certainly people who prefer both or neither, there are thousands, and even millions, of people who would rather one over the other.
The cats versus dogs debate has even gone so far to include scientific studies by research groups about which one really is better for one’s health and happiness, and which a person should choose based on their personality and health needs. There’s even been a study about which animal loves its owner more (hint, the winner was dogs by a long shot). It’s a competition that will live on as long as there are pets in the world.
Your Dad Loved Me More
As the Marvel movies have progressed, viewers have had an opportunity to get a deep look into the lives and histories of many of the heroes. Two of the most celebrated and noted have been Captain America and Iron Man, likely because of the impending Civil War that kicked off in 2016 (at least the movie version). One of the most prominent aspects of the two men’s lives has been the part Tony Stark’s father, Howard Stark, played in the two men’s lives.
Interestingly, viewers learn in the Captain America films that Howard Stark and Captain America were great friends. We learn from the Iron Man movies that while Howard influenced Tony’s life, Tony didn’t feel the same love from his father that many other sons do. So it comes as no surprise that someone created a savage meme with Captain America rubbing Howard’s love for him in the face of Tony Stark.
New Best Friend
What superhero is truly effective without his trusty sidekick? While the idea of a sidekick was laughable in the “olden days”, they’ve become far more impressive and useful in modern times. Captain America’s Buck and Iron Man’s Iron Patriot have been shown their aptitude and vigor on the battlefield, including during the epic fight scenes of Captain America: Civil War.
However, it’s hard to miss the fact that the actor who plays Iron Patriot shifted between the first and second Iron Man movies. After the first Iron Man movie, Terrance Howard, who played Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes, was replaced in the second film by Don Cheadle. Much has been revealed about why the change has happened, and there has been plenty of discussion online about whether or not the change was positive or negative for the franchise.
Dress Color Meme
Three years ago this month, someone posted a picture of a dress online and asked the world if the dress was white and gold or black and blue. One would think there should be a simple answer to the question, but it turns out that due to the way people perceive color, a lively discussion churned up online among millions of people about the color of the dress.
Naturally, with such a situation with only two options, someone created a Captain America versus Iron Man meme once it became popular. Thanks to that individual, the dress color question lives on, with Cap and Iron Man arguing over whether it’s white and gold or blue and black. Interestingly, even though the true colors of the dress have been defined, there is still the occasional discussion and disagreement online about the case.
*NSYNC versus Backstreet Boys
Just because a rivalry has long since extinguished doesn’t mean fans of one side or the other can’t make a Captain America versus Iron Man meme about it. A great example is the N’Sync versus Backstreet Boys version. The two 90s boy bands may not make the same headlines they once did, but they certainly still have plenty of fans.
Even though N’Sync went on hiatus in 2002 and Backstreet Boys have had a few comeback moments since the early 2000s, there are still plenty of debates online about which is better, along with new polls on social media and forums every so often. It’s a topic that will surely continue as long as there are people who believe N’Sync hasn’t really gone Bye Bye Bye, and that it’s always okay for Backstreet to be back.
Kiss
While most of the Captain America versus Iron Man memes have to do with some this-or-that debate, occasionally someone will create on that adds humor in another way. At least that’s the case with the kiss version of the meme. In this version, Iron Man is laying on the ground after falling back through the portal during the New York City fight sequence in The Avengers. The grateful Tony Stark looks like a Disney princess who just woke up from a deep sleep. Iron Man asks if someone kissed him and Captain America is there to claim the honors.
It’s comical to think of Captain America laying a giant smooch on the philandering Tony Stark, which makes this meme enjoyable even if it departs from the normal debate-style meme.
Gif versus Jif
Easily one of the most intense debates that’s occurred in recent memory is the pronunciation of the word “gif”. Gif stands for graphics interchange format and is used for moving pictures that aren’t in a video-style format. For one side, the word is pronounced with a hard “g” sound, since the word originates from “graphics”, which uses a hard “g” sound. Others have claimed it should actually be pronounced like the peanut butter brand Jiff.
The original creator of the gif format has gone public to say it’s pronounced after the peanut butter Jiff, but that hasn’t stopped the debate online, nor has it deterred those who think the word should be pronounced with a hard “g”. This one will likely never be truly resolved.
Politics
It comes as no surprise that plenty of Captain America versus Iron Man memes were generated during the 2016 U.S. elections. With such a highly emotional political landscape and two big personalities of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton running for president, it only makes sense that the competition is distilled into a friendly meme.
However, some felt that they still wanted their voice to be heard about another candidate, namely Bernie Sanders, who gained a massive following during the primary elections. So, creators departed slightly from the normal format of the meme and brought Bruce Banner into the mix to make his claim for Sanders, then ended the meme with Planet Hulk instead of Captain America: Civil War. Like the meme shows, there were plenty of people triggered by the meme’s finale.
Pluto
Back in 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU)caused a massive uproar when it claimed that Pluto was no longer going to be considered a planet. The decision came amid discussions about what constituted a “planet”, a term that excluded Pluto due in large part to its size. Granted, Pluto is still considered a “dwarf planet”, but that hasn’t done much to appease those who still want Pluto considered a planet.
Despite the fact that it’s been over a decade since the IAU made its announcement, the pain is still fresh enough for some that they’ve taken their feelings to the world of memes, forums, and gifs (or is it jif?). It’s unlikely the IAU will ever reclassify Pluto as a planet again, but that won’t stop from believers from calling it a full-blown planet anyway.
Superman versus Batman
Just because Captain America and Iron Man are Marvel heroes, the Captain America versus Iron Man meme can still reach across borders into the world of DC. And for most people, the biggest competition when it comes to DC heroes is whether or not Batman is better than Superman.
For many, Superman rules. He’s from outer space, he is nearly invincible, he can shoot lasers from his eyes, he can fly, and he is constantly saving the world from impending destruction. Batman fans argue that he’s the best because he doesn’t need any special powers to be an effective defender of his city. Instead, he uses his immense fortune to buy and create impressive gadgets, and uses those gadgets to defeat his foes. The argument of which of these two is better will continue as long as there are people on this planet.
Fruit or Vegetable
Sometimes people use the Captain America versus Iron Man meme to engage in a debate that's already been solved. At least that's the case for this one, which has the two heroes arguing over whether or not a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. Interestingly, this question made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court since tariff amounts were dependent on whether or not the food was a fruit or vegetable. That court case, which took place in the late 1800s came to the conclusion that a tomato is a vegetable. That said, there is still a movement out there that's trying to reshape the argument and rebrand tomatoes as fruits.
At least Captain America and Iron Man aren't arguing about whether tomato is pronounced "tom-a-to" or "tom-ah-to".
The Best Spider-Man
With so many superhero movies getting rebooted, fans of the various heroes are bound to have their favorite actor for a particular role. In the case of Spider-Man, there has been a lot of debate about whether or not Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield was the better Spider-Man.
The debate both about which Spider-Man actor and which Spider-Man movie set was the best is still a topic of heated discussion online. Many have stated they think Maguire’s first Spider-Man movie has been the best, and that Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the worst of the set. That said, there are still those who feel Garfield’s Spider-Man character was more approachable and better fit the role. It’ll be interesting to see how this debate plays out as Tom Holland progresses in the role, and if he’s able to dethrone either one as the favorite of the trio of Spider-Mans.
Shawarma
One of the after-credits scenes at the end of The Avengers departed a bit from the normal upcoming-action-setup of past Marvel movies, and instead showed the Avengers sitting around a table eating Shawarma. The moment was a reference to Tony Stark’s request to try Shawarma after the battle had ended.
However, not everyone is a fan of Shawarma, and it seems one Marvel fan took to the Captain America versus Iron Man meme to share that sentiment through the mouth of Captain America. That said, considering what Shawarma is made of, it’s hard to believe that any meat-eating human alive wouldn’t be a fan of the lamb, turkey, beef, chicken, and veal concoction. Maybe for Captain America’s sake the team can grab some falafel next time.
Captain Iron Man
Let’s take a quick break from the Civil War-themed Captain America versus Iron Man memes, and take a moment to appreciate this gem. When Iron Patriot’s armor was upgraded in Iron Man 3 to include a more patriotic paint job, Marvel fans have pointed out how closely the new suit looks like Captain America’s suit.
That’s not surprising considering the original Iron Patriot in the Marvel comics was meant to resemble Captain America. In many ways, Iron Patriot is an amalgamation of the two beloved Marvel heroes Captain America and Iron Man. It’ll be interesting to see if the Iron Patriot drone army ever shows up in the movie adaptations of the franchise, or if that will forever remain only a part of the comic’s history.
Best Starting Pokémon
Back when the Pokémon games first kicked off in the mid 1990s, players only had a few starter Pokémon to choose from as they set out on their journey to Catch ‘Em All. Since then, many new starter Pokémon have been introduced, but for many fans of the franchise, it’s nostalgic to think back on those three original options: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.
Interestingly, numerous unofficial polls and surveys have been done to see which of the three starter Pokémon have been most selected over the years. Unsurprisingly, Charmander comes in as the number one pick nearly every time. Behind Charmander, it seems gamers prefer Bulbasaur then Squirtle. There are many reasons why Pokémon players have their favorite, and it’s curious that the creator of this meme thinks Captain America would choose Bulbasaur over Charmander, especially considering Chris Evans’ affinity for fire as the Human Torch.
Pulp or No Pulp
Another somewhat trivial debate is whether or not pulp should be in juices, especially orange juice. As evidence of the differing opinions on pulp one need only walk down the orange juice aisle at the grocery store to see the numerous choices, from no pulp to some pulp to high pulp. Some love it, others detest it.
There have been studies conducted that show how orange juice with pulp is more beneficial for health than orange juice without. According to this meme, Tony Stark sides with the group that prefers plenty of pulp in their orange juice. And gauging from Captain America’s face, he highly disagrees with that sentiment. Of course, considering Captain America’s physique, he doesn’t necessarily need that extra boost of health from pulp. In fact, Steve Rogers is in fantastic shape for being over 100 years old.
Best Hulk
Another fun break from the normal Captain America versus Iron Man meme is the one about which Hulk is better. The two men are arguing, with Captain America siding with Eric Bana, while Tony Stark throws out Edward Norton as his favorite. Then at the right moment, Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner shows up, and the meme ends with the title for Planet Hulk, implying that Ruffalo won the debate.
Like Spider-Man mentioned above, there have been plenty of discussions about which Hulk actor of the modern era is best. However, unlike the Spider-Man debate, it seems most people can agree that Ruffalo is the best in many ways. That’s a good thing, too, considering he has a hefty contract to play the character in numerous movies as part of the Marvel Universe’s ongoing franchise build-out. Hopefully fans won’t have to endure another Hulk actor change for a while.
Star Wars versus Star Trek
One debate that’s rattled on for the better part of four decades is Star Wars versus Star Trek. The two series take place in space and on distant planets, and are easily the two most recognizable sci-fi franchises in the world. For many sci-fi fans, Star Wars and Star Trek have set a very high standard for the genre that few movies and franchises are able to meet.
Granted, there are many people who are fans of both, but even among those folks there are disagreements about which is better. With both franchises experiencing resurgences in recent years, the debate about which is better has been reignited with the rising generation. Countless articles, polls, and surveys have been done to see which one sci-fi fans prefer, with results coming in across the map.
Robot Batman
It’s hard to miss the similarities between many of the Marvel and DC heroes. Green Arrow and Hawkeye, Catwoman and Black Cat, Mr. Fantastic and Plastic Man, Aquaman and Namor, and the list goes on. One of the more prominent comparisons is that of Iron Man and Batman. While not exactly the same, the two share a lot in common.
Both Iron Man and Batman are billionaires who use their money to fight evil in their respective cities, neither has superpowers beyond their gadgets and fighting abilities, and both are in many ways the leaders of their groups. There are also plenty of differences between the two heroes, which is why many fans of both Marvel and DC argue over which billionaire hero is better.
Meta Meme
This list wouldn’t be complete without a Captain America versus Iron Man meta meme. In this one, Captain America says he hates these Civil War memes, while Iron Man says he loves them. It’s not hard to understand Captain America’s point-of-view, especially considering how saturated the Internet became with these memes once Captain America: Civil War was announced. It’s the perfect medium for visualizing simple debates and starting conversations online.
Love them or hate them, the Captain America versus Iron Man Civil War meme will continue to be used as long as memes are created. Which side you do fall in line with? Do you like these Civil War memes, or would you prefer they go the way of the Unpopular Opinion Puffin and disappear from the world of memes entirely?
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Which of these made you laugh most? Let us know in the comments!