It's #TeamCap v #TeamIronMan on the publicity trail, as Civil War rages on-screen and off.
It's a very clever marketing strategy; a massive Avengers cast essentially facing off against each other in this latest Marvel outing, with life imitating art during press conferences, as they fire salvos from Paris to Singapore and back again.
#TeamIronMan upped the ante first, delivering a spectacular light show courtesy of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
In Singapore, #TeamCap responded with a dazzling fireworks display and stunning, huge images from the film projected across multiple buildings.
At a previous press conference at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, an enthused and vocal crowd of reporters and camera crews from across Asia and the Pacific cheered for Chris Evans (Captain America), Anthony Mackie (Falcon), Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier) and co-director Joe Russo as they took to the stage for their media conference.
It didn't take long for the insults to start flying. Mackie took umbrage at Falcon's impressive superhero armour being described as a 'bird suit', responding, "If my costume is described as a bird suit, then Iron Man's is a coke can!"
He didn't stop there. Vision, he said, is simply a "big magic marker", and Don Cheadle's War Machine "a trash can".
Black Widow was the only member of #TeamIronMan to emerge unscathed. Mackie described Scarlett Johansson as "perfect".
Evans was happy with the insults thrown his way by #TeamIronMan and their Eiffel Tower stunt, relishing what the back-and-forth would do for the film.
"I think the entire battle itself will help the movie. The more buzz we create, the more energy we create with the conflict between the two camps is only going to help the film. So I welcome it," said Evans.
Movie junket media conferences are such a funny old thing. Carefully managed free-for-alls, you can always count on at least one odd, inane and awkward question to be thrown at the talent.
I find there is usually one member of the panel who rises as the natural 'chairperson' and entertainer - it was no surprise that in Singapore it was Mackie.
He charmed the local Singaporeans with his commitment to sampling the local culture, food and language of every place he visited, and injected his junket mud-slinging with an energetic self-deprecating humour.
Joe Russo (his brother and co-director Anthony was off heading up #TeamIronMan in Europe) took several questions about the large scale action scenes on the production, talking about their decision to shoot the biggest showdown of the movie on IMAX, and understandably urging us all to see it on an IMAX screen if we can.
On directing the film's titular Avengers in-battle, which takes place at an airport, Russo called it "amazing".
"It's that dream you have as a kid who collects comics of who would win in a fight against whom. We get to play that out on the grandest scale ever, so it was a dream come true," Russo beamed.
To wrap, the cast was asked to describe the film in one word, and each opted for a hyphenate. Stan called it "heart-breaking", Evans followed with a wry "record-breaking" then Mackie polished it off with "ass-kicking".
As the press junket civil war continues to be waged, the hype undoubtedly grows with it.
Kiwi fans don't have too long to wait for the film, although it may feel like forever -- Captain America: Civil War opens in New Zealand cinemas May 5.
Newshub.
