When Does Marvel's Civil War Begin? Comic and Film Start Points
Marvel's Civil War starts in the 2006 comic event with an attack on Castle Doom, Latveria. The 2016 film Captain America: Civil War is a separate story with its own start.
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You can find out when Marvel's Civil War begins by starting with the comic event, which dates from 2006 [1]. That is the original story, and it is where the conflict between heroes starts.
The story begins with superheroes attacking Castle Doom in Latveria [2]. If you want the first scene of the saga, that is where to look, and it sets up everything that follows. For a new reader, that opening scene is the clearest place to start.
The film Captain America: Civil War is a separate work with its own dates [3]. This article covers both the comic and the film, so you can see where each one begins and pick the path that suits you best.
How does the Civil War comic event open?
The Civil War comic event opens with a fight, not with a signup process. The story begins with the superheroes waging an unsanctioned attack on Castle Doom, Latveria [2]. Right away, heroes are acting without official permission, and that sets up the conflict for the rest of the saga.
The saga is by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven [1]. Their names appear in the credit line of issue #1, so that is the first place to look when you start reading.
The central rule is the Superhuman Registration Act. Under it, heroes must register their secret identities with the government or become outlaws [1]. A hero who has kept a secret identity for years suddenly has to choose between signing up and being treated as a criminal.
The two sides form quickly. Iron Man pushed Superhuman Registration in the Super Hero community and helped enforce these new laws, while Captain America led the resistance [1].
So the opening attack and the registration law are two parts of the same split. The heroes break ranks first, and then the law forces everyone to pick a side.
What order should you read the Civil War comics in?
Read the Civil War comics in the order they were published, starting with the opening issues and then moving to the tie-ins. The event builds on itself, so jumping around can leave you unsure who is fighting and why.
A full reading order guide covers the event in two ways: issue by issue, and by trade collection. [4] If you prefer paperbacks or hardcovers, the trade order shows which volume to pick up next. If you want every single issue, follow the issue-by-issue list.
Reading in order keeps comic continuity intact. [4] Reveals, character decisions, and the fallout from one issue then land the way the writers planned. Skipping ahead to a tie-in before you have read the core story can take the surprise out of it.
Start with the event's opening issues before moving to tie-ins. Tie-ins are side stories that run alongside the main series, so read the core issues first. A simple rule: finish each main issue before you pick up any tie-in that refers to it. That way, each connected story fits into the timeline where it belongs.
When did the Civil War movie come out?
The Captain America: Civil War film opened in theaters in 2016, and its listed dates are April 12, 2016 at the Dolby Theatre and May 6, 2016 [3]. If you are looking for the film's release, those are the dates to note, since the premiere came first and the general release followed about three weeks later.
The film is a Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures release [3]. That means it comes from the same studio family as the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, so you will see its name on the studio credits you already know from other Marvel movies.
The film is a different story from the comic, with its own plot, characters, and choices [3]. If you watch the movie expecting the comic's exact storyline, you may notice gaps or changes, so think of the two as related but separate experiences.
Knowing this before you start will help you enjoy each one on its own terms.
Which version should you start with?
Civil War (2006) is the saga where heroes faced a choice: register their secret identities or risk becoming outlaws under the Superhuman Registration Act [1]. Reading it gives you the premise that everything else in the saga builds on.
Want the movie first? Start with the 2016 film, Captain America: Civil War, which had its premiere on April 12, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre [3]. It tells its own story, so do not expect it to match the comic beat for beat.
Pick one path and stick with it. Either choice gets you into the conflict, and you can go back to the other one later.