We've seen a cavalcade of set pics from Marvel's upcoming superhero epic, CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, which features a virtual who's who of characters from previous films, as well as some new faces, that suggests more of an AVENGERS-style film than a standalone Cap story. With each new MCU film we've seen costume upgrades/changes and CIVIL WAR will be no different, as we've already seen for some characters. Today, we have some cool costume, character, and story details for CIVIL WAR that will further your excitement for the project, touching on what upgrades you can expect from returning characters and some details on one of the new ones. As per the usual, you can take these details with a grain of salt or a grain of truth. Or, just check our track record. Read on, but BEWARE OF SPOILERS.

BLACK PANTHER:

As we previously reported, Black Panther will be on a mission of his own that has nothing to do with the Rogers/Stark squabble (with speculation that he could be hunting The Winter Soldier on his own for any number of reasons). However, it appears that Black Panther will stand more on the side of Stark than Rogers (at least in the beginning), which will feature a showdown between both characters. Panther's costume will be shrouded in Vibranium (the same material that Cap's shield is made from), which is also the key resource in his homeland of Wakanda (as it is in the comics and most recently noted in AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON). In the showdown between Cap and Panther we'll see him scratching Cap's shield easily and his prowess will prove to be a viable threat to Rogers. It is speculated that Stark needs Black Panther to help take Cap down. In addition to Black Panther's sleek costume, we'll also see a sleek Panther jet of some type, which we're told looks very "Stark-like" in its technical buildout.

HAWKEYE, ANT-MAN (GIANT-MAN) & WAR MACHINE:

Hawkeye has been slowly morphing from his Ultimate version to the Marvel 616 (RIP) version, and will be adding more purple and flair in CIVIL WAR, as well as a full right sleeve to his costume. Paul Rudd's ANT-MAN will have a much "bigger" costume upgrade, as the one he wears in his solo film is derived from the old 1960's version that Michael Douglas' Hank Pym wore at that time. For CIVIL WAR, we'll see a more modern/techno stylish costume. Additionally, as we previously mentioned, you can expect to see Ant-Man take on his GIANT MAN form (about 15-20 ft. height) and square off against Iron Man and his team. In terms of visuals, we'll also see Ant-Man standing on one of Hawkeye's arrows, ready to be launched. Very cool.

Lastly, We know that Don Cheadle's War Machine will be back in action for Civil War and it looks like he'll be getting a serious armory upgrade as well. He'll be looking more tank-style in this film and will have a new dual weapon that acts as a shoulder cannon/gun that can also be detached and used as a kind of warhammer/baton.

FALCON and "REDWING":

While we've already seen The Falcon's new costume, it's to note that he'll also be adding wrist lasers and grappling hooks, as well as a very familiar friend, albeit in a very different form. Comic fans have been wondering if we'll see Sam Wilson's famous telepathically-linked bird Redwing in the MCU for a while. Well, you will and you won't, depending on how you look at it. Redwing will be featured as The Falcon's helper/sidekick in CIVIL WAR, although there's one big difference; Redwing will be a robotic drone, obviously "linked" to him, but not quite telepathically. The "bird" will be red in color and will resemble a cooler, modified MCU-like "bird" drone. Really, that makes perfect sense in how Mackie's Falcon has been set up. A telepathically-linked bird seems like a lot to explain in an already packed film. A drone accessory makes more sense for this version of The Falcon.

Cap's Chainmail Armor:

And, finally, we have word that Cap will finally add his trademark chainmail armor to his suit, which has long been a staple of his uniform. For us comic nerds, this should be especially badass, as it's the one accoutrement we've been waiting to see in his MCU persona (that and the actual wings on his helmet, but I can let that slide).

So, lots of interesting tidbits on costume changes/upgrades, a confirmed scrap between Cap and Black Panther, and a confirmation of a modified "sidekick." Or, as I like to call it, more icing on the cake for one of the most-anticipated films on the MCU's calendar. After CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, which is currently my favorite of all the MCU films, my anticipation for the third solo Cap film is at an all-time high. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have more than proven that they're up to the task of bringing CIVIL WAR to life and each new tidbit I hear about the film has me more excited than before. We'll find out how they measure up next year when CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR hits theaters on May 6, 2016.