This Day In Marvel Cinematic Universe History Is A Captain America: Civil War Callback

12/16/2016 02:05 pm EST

Today is one of the most iconic days within the Marvel Cinematic Universe's history.

It's not the date of a cornerstone movie's release. It's not when a record was broken. It isn't Captain America's birthday. None of the above.

It's the day of Tony Stark's parents deaths. It's the day Bucky Barnes was manipulated into tracking down Howard and Martha Stark in an effort to retrieve the Super Soldier Syrum and assassinate one of the universe's brightest minds.

Mission Report: December 16, 1991.

The line was one of the most iconic from Captain America: Civil War. It was the driving force behind the movie's biggest subplot and, in fact, became the real reason for Captain America and Iron Man's showdown at the end of the film. Just when the two heroes with opposing views of the Sokovia Accords appeared to be setting their differences aside, Baron Zemo dropped the knowledge bomb of Bucky's actions on them.

When Tony was forced to watch Bucky (as the Winter Soldier) kill his parents, all bets were off. The only way to settle their differences was to fight it out.

Captain America won the brawl with help from Bucky but the story hardly ends there.

December 16, 1991 is a day which sent shockwaves through the MCU when the truth of its contents was revealed. The Avengers are divided. Captain America has dropped the shield made by Howard Stark and gone underground. Tony Stark's view of Captain America as a trustworthy soldier and friend is permanently altered. When the band gets back together for Avengers: Infinity War, the safe bet is that the dynamic between all characters will be changed forever.

All because of today... 25 years ago.

Captain America: Civil War is now available on blu-ray and DVD. The next film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe coming to theaters is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in May of 2017, followed by Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok. Stark will make his next MCU appearance in Homecoming as he joins his Civil War ally on the streets of New York.

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