SINGAPORE - The rivalry is real.

Iron Man is a "Coke can". War Machine is a "trash can". Vision looks like "a big marker". Black Panther is a pile of "Michelin car tires".

This is how actor Anthony Mackie, 37, hilariously describes the members of one of the warring superhero teams in the upcoming blockbuster Captain America: Civil War. Not coincidentally, they are the team led by Iron Man opposing that of Mackie's character Falcon, led by Captain America.

To be fair, Mackie also calls Team Iron Man's Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, "perfect".

In the movie, which opens here on April 28, Captain America (Chris Evans) is pitted against Iron Man when Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) is accused of carrying out a devastating attack.

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Mackie, Evans and Stan, along with the movie's co-director Joe Russo, are in Singapore to promote the latest Marvel superhero blockbuster.

Taking the competitive theme of the film to heart, Mackie takes another opportunity to root for Team Captain America - or Team Cap for short - and diss Team Iron Man.

He points out that he, Evans and Stan would try to get to know the local culture by eating stingray and chilli crab and learning to say "yes, lah" and "no, lah", whereas Team Iron Man would "go from the press conference to the spa, from the spa to their jet".

Jokes aside, this is a serious instalment in the Marvel cinematic universe.

There is spectacular action as superheroes clash and there is an emotional heft to the proceedings as friends pick sides.

Evans, 34, looking relaxed in a tight white polo shirt and jeans, says that the action scenes are easier to handle. "The emotional moments, that's up to you, and the director really."

As for his workout routine, he quips: "You go to the gym, pick up heavy stuff and you put it back down. You do that till you can't do it anymore and you get big. It's real simple."

Russo, 45, points out that Civil War is extremely pivotal in the bigger scheme of things. "This movie changes the psychology of the Marvel universe in a very significant way and the ramifications of Civil War are going to carry over into Infinity War.

"It's probably the most important Marvel movie to date."

Avengers: Infinity War is slated to be a two-parter due for release in 2018 and 2019.

Asked to describe Civil War in one word, Stan, 33, picks "heartbreaking" and Mackie says "ass-kicking".

Evans says: "Record-setting. There's a hyphen, but give me a break."