Let’s face it. The actual Civil War, the one that ravaged this country from 1861 to 1865, has been re-enacted to death. In fact, Civil War re-enactors, those oddly devoted hobbyists who seek to relive history through elaborate cosplay, have been duly parodied on The Simpsons, Mr. Show, and Conan. The time has come for a different sort of re-enactment of a different sort of internecine conflict, specifically the superhero-on-superhero conflagration of Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War. In a new Funny Or Die video, Veep’s Tony Hale and Happy Endings’ Adam Pally portray Chad and Angus, respectively, two pool-supply salesmen who devote their spare time to reliving the events of the blockbuster film and the comic books that inspired it. Their hobby is shown to be expensive and time-consuming, but these men are extremely dedicated. Hale, in particular, becomes very emotional when discussing his connection to Tony Stark. But all is not well in their insulated, deeply nerdy world. The two criticize each other on a number of technical points, including how best to portray Ant-Man without resorting to imagination or forced perspective. As the mockumentary shows, these fights have started spilling over into the workplace, causing headaches for their general manager, played by legendary character actor M. Emmet Walsh.
Captain America: Civil War Reenactors from Funny Or Die
Part of the problem is that Pally and Hale are so different in temperament. The former is a flirtatious, would-be lothario, while the latter is a dedicated husband and father who plays by the rules in all aspects of his life. Pally even dismisses Hale’s wife and children as “distractions.” Interestingly, Hale’s daughter is also into re-enacting Captain America: Civil War, but his wife would rather re-enact Nancy Meyers movies. Along the way, other Marvel re-enactors are interviewed, including a clueless white dude who blithely portrays Black Panther. “I identify as black,” he cheerfully explains. Things get ugly between the two main characters, but eventually Pally and Hale are able to work through their issues in the unremarkable expanse of pavement that’s meant to stand in for Civil War’s airport.