Russo Brothers Just Settled Marvel’s Civil War: Captain America or Iron Man?

Let’s be honest: For years, Marvel fans have obsessed over which side the Russo Brothers actually picked in Captain America: Civil War. That movie didn’t just divide the Avengers—it split the entire audience into Team Cap and Team Iron Man, and the directors themselves just kept dodging the question. Well, ten years after Civil War hit theaters, we’ve finally got our answer.

A Decade-Old Mystery, Solved

During a 10th anniversary bash for Civil War (yes, that’s really been a decade), someone finally put Joe and Anthony Russo on the spot about which team they’d personally side with. Joe Russo cut right to the chase: 'At the end of the day, it’s like, are you Team Institution? Or are you Team Rebel?'

So, which way did he go? Here’s his answer:

So, I think I’m Team Rebel.

No ambiguity there. In Civil War terms, that means he’s siding with Steve Rogers’ 'You move' approach, not Tony Stark’s government-friendly supervision.

Anthony Russo could’ve just said 'me too,' but he went with a little visual flair. He referenced his own pocket square during the event. Turns out it was an American flag pattern, giving away his allegiance without saying a word. That’s two for Team Cap.

Civil War Changed Everything (and Paid Off Big)

If you need a quick refresher: Civil War landed in theaters on May 6, 2016, and pretty much instantly changed the tone and direction of the MCU. We had our heroes split right down the middle: Cap, Falcon, Wanda, Hawkeye, and Ant-Man vs. Iron Man, Black Widow, Black Panther, War Machine, Vision, and Spidey. And nobody really patched things up until Infinity War brought them all back—just in time to take an L against Thanos.

The movie also started Phase Three, and the fallout from it was felt literally through Endgame. Speaking of which: While Tony eventually sacrificed himself to snag the big win for the universe, the whole 'should superheroes be accountable to governments' debate kicked off here and kept echoing.

By the Numbers

• Release Date: May 6, 2016
• Rotten Tomatoes - Critics: 90% approval
• Rotten Tomatoes - Users: 89% approval
• Box Office: $1.155 billion worldwide on a $250 million budget

And What’s Next for the Old Guard?

If you thought Endgame was the last time you’d see Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. in the MCU, guess again. Both actors are coming back for this year’s Avengers: Doomsday. Curveball here: Evans is back as Cap, but Downey Jr. won’t be suiting up as Tony Stark. Instead, he’ll be taking on the role of—wait for it—Doctor Doom. Didn’t see that one coming.

So there you go: The Russos are officially Team Cap, ten years later. Maybe the rebel spirit was in the director’s chair all along.