This Is What Causes 'Civil War'

By now, you probably know that Captain America: Civil War is about a fight between Iron Man and Captain America, and that it's over a document — the Sokovia Accords — that would give control of the Avengers to the government. You probably also know that when faced with this document, the Avengers split into sides, with Team Iron Man including members like Black Widow and Rhodes and Team Cap featuring Hawkeye, Falcon and Scarlet Witch. What you probably don't know, though, is what causes Civil War , specifically. Because while the Accords do a lot of damage, the document is only proposed after a catalyzing event that causes the Avengers to re-evaluate their powers. Spoilers ahead!

So what is it? What makes the Avengers consider signing the Accords? Well, it all comes down to one surprising source — Scarlet Witch. Although the hero doesn't purposefully cause the fight, it's her actions that lead to the Accords being proposed, and the Avengers taking sides. While in Lagos with the Avengers at the beginning of the film for a mission, Scarlet Witch accidentally causes a building to explode, which leads to many casualties. Although she's absolutely devastated by the damage she causes, the world is simply furious; government leaders, including the king of Wakanda, want the Avengers to take responsibility for their actions.

And so the Sokovia Accords are born. Although the Avengers aren't prosecuted for causing the explosion, they are considered dangerous by many people, which leads the government to propose a document that would limit the use of their powers. Scarlet Witch is heartbroken over her role in the deaths of several people, as are the other Avengers for their parts in the accident, yet the group chooses to handle their guilt differently. Iron Man and his allies think signing the Accords is a good way to keep them in check, while Cap and his allies think that it'd be giving the government total control. Scarlet Witch ends up being on Team Cap, but for much of the movie, she stays hidden in Tony's mansion, too guilt-ridden and upset to deal with the debate.

So while Scarlet Witch is certainly not the sole person responsible for the Accords and for the Avengers splitting up, she does provide the impetus for the government wanting control over the heroes. All of Civil War may not be her fault, but it wouldn't be entirely unfair, either, to pin at least some of the blame for the team's division on her. Sorry, Scarlet Witch fans, but the Sokovian hero is a big reason that Civil War takes place.

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