Captain America: Civil War - Or, Avengers 2.5

*Image from Wikipedia.

Before Infinity War, this was the pinnacle of the MCU. Sure, there were no Guardians present, but it was still the ultimate mash-up in that now only were our Avengers all together,but fighting one another. Yes, if you somehow never watched Civil War, it is a definite must-see, regardless of whether you are an MCU fan or not.
So Team Cap versus Team Iron Man. A division among fans. I remember how at my school, even teachers were arguing over the better side. Yes, Cap has the morals, and we knew Bucky was up and about prior to this, Team Cap seeming to be the overpowerful side of the fandom on the online world. I, being Team Iron Man, understood the morality issues with Tony, but also remember, he is the foundation of this franchise, his film being the first released, along with being the smartest of them all. I went in a Team Iron Man, and left as one, even more in favor of my side. But others switched.
Bucky is the center of our plot, being a suspected criminal. Yet, Cap trusts and believes in the true Bucky behind the Winter Soldier. So he goes into outlaw protective mode with Falcon. As issues start complicating themselves, Hawkeye is pulled out of retirement, Scarlet Witch taken from the compound, and Ant-Man brought from, well, his home.
On the other side, Stark wants accountability, for he is faced with an innocent life the fight with Ultron took, as well as the possible others he does not know about. Vision notes the rise of these violent, other-worldly attacks more them appear. Black Widow joins, wanting to keep some control, War Machine because he gets the accountability aspect as well. Black Panther joins by the death of his father, and Stark goes to bring in Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man.
The first big scene - beyond the intro fight - is the Bucky-Cap team-up on the stairwell. While not as impressive as Fury's car fight, it does show the MCU's creativity, taking Black Widow's small fight scene on a staircase in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and improving it. Fast forward to the intro of Black Panther, a chase out on the streets ending in not only the arrest of Falcon, Cap, and Bucky, but the revelation that Black Panther is T'Challa of Wakanda.
After Zemo fakes his way to see Bucky and "reactivates" the Winter Soldier, we are given our next biggish scene, the fight to catch Bucky. No one is suited-up, Iron Man working with only the suits hand, everyone showing of their fighting skills.
Now, THE BIG ONE. Yes, I'm talking about the airport battle. A truly epic moment, there is no way that describing it would does this scene justice. Just Google it up, honestly, because it is one of the very best moments of the MCU.
And finally, Cap (and Bucky) versus Iron Man. I'm glad Tony was able to hold his own against these two. When I first saw this movie, I was sure Bucky was going to kill him and when not Bucky, Cap. Another grand visual moment in the MCU, the conclusion leaves you to ponder over who the winner is. On one hand, Cap is able to leave with his friend Bucky, and the ending shows that he goes back for the others, Tony having failed in bringing in Tony. On the other hand, Cap gives up his shield (Howard did build it; honestly, Tony had every right to be angry and upset) and is a fugitive, Tony going back to the compound. So yeah, I personally consider this a draw.
When the trailers started coming out, revealing Spider-Man and Black Panther, Spider-Man was what was being talked about, understandably as he is Stan Lee's beginning, as well as being widely recognized. Peter Parker and Aunt May are made even younger than in the previous two versions, a likeable relationship shown between them.
Black Panther, while joining Stark's side, ends up in the relative middle, acknowledging that vengeance is what has caused this chaos. Bucky is taken to be frozen in Wakanda, and while we don't get Shuri yet, Black Panther is able to stand his own with the rest of the Avengers.
Now, let me rant about Black Widow. In the infamous airport scene she switches sides to help Cap and Bucky, electrocuting Black Panther repeatedly. Then, when Tony tells her to be careful, as she just helped a fugitive get away, she tells him that she isn't the one that needs to watch her back. Um, Natasha, you are in trouble. And, at least to me, Tony wasn't being taunting or menacing, he was just acknowledging that, yeah, Black Widow is going to be in a heap of trouble. So don't be snarky, because Tony's is basically your only line of defense at the moment. Yeah, she goes of with Cap and the others, but at that moment, she was on her own still.
I do think it was a great move to acknowledge accountability; I remember how, in the whole Team Cap versus Team Iron Man aspect of the fandom, this guys literal reasoning was that Cap never killed anybody. Um, did you actually watch any movie he was in? I mean good people. He only killed Nazis and Hydra. Even so, have you seen the movies? Civil War literally points out the major deaths, and when Cap rescued soldiers from the hydra camp, many such soldiers died still. Well, he didn't make bombs like Tony. Let me go back; he could have exited with the liberated soldiers, who just moments before were locked up in a HYDRA CAMP, but he went back for Bucky. Yes, this is very noble, but you can't help but wonder that if he'd exited the facility sooner, would less people have died? I know people don't like the speculative but, hey, he's a super soldier that came out late to the fight. Besides, Disney+ is going to have a show on the speculative in the MCU, the first one actually revolving around Cap.
Anyway, I can go on and on about the greatness of Captain America: Civil War, but you should honestly rewatch it, Endgame or not. And if you haven't watched it before and are preparing for Endgame, this will help you understand why certain Avengers are where they are in Infinity War, as well as just given you a fantastic ride. Go watch it!