A map has surfaced showing the division of the United States in A24’s upcoming Civil War film. However, the map is dividing America in real life as a debate has arisen over how plausible the division and alliances are.
Civil War is set to premiere on April 26, 2024, and will explore the beginnings of a civil war in the United States in the near future. It’s an interesting concept for a film to tackle, as it reflects modern fears of the country breaking out into civil war due to intense political polarization.
As the January 6 riots and several mass shootings demonstrate, political violence is a very real threat in America. Many far-right extremists often promote the view that they’re at war or under attack, thus encouraging violence and other drastic actions through hysteria. Political violence from extremists on either the right or left is cause for concern as unrest grows.
At the same time, there’s a possibility that we’re perceiving the political divide as more extreme than it really is. After all, more and more Americans are labeling themselves politically independent rather than identifying with one political party. Not only are fewer Americans involved in the political polarization between parties, but it’s only the most extreme on each side that would resort to war.
Still, the interest in A24’s Civil War shows that the wariness of another civil war persists. The hypothetical war also raises interesting discussions about which side the states would be on.
A24’s Civil War imagines an oddly divided America
If America did experience another civil war, it isn’t likely that it’s going to be perfectly divided between red and blue states. Some states may secede and try to become independent, while some may try to remain neutral, and others might band together to form their own union. So, it’s not surprising that America will be divided in several different directions in Civil War. In the trailers, there are mentions of the Western Forces and Florida Alliance, in addition to California and Texas seceding and several states remaining loyalists.
In the latest trailer for Civil War, viewers get a glimpse of the political divide from a map. The map highlights all the states that have seceded and where their allegiances lie. It’s hard to see the whole map because only a reflection of it is shown, but Redditors quickly recreated the map to the best of their abilities, and it has since started making the rounds on X, formerly Twitter.
Given that it’s fan-made, it’s unclear if this is the actual situation Civil War shows, but it appears fairly close. However, the map quickly divided social media users over how plausible the situation is. Mostly, users were very concerned about what is going on with California and Texas.
In the trailer, one line suggests that these states are leading the Western Forces together. The map shows that they’re both separate from the unions that have formed, but it leaves it unclear whether they’re working together. Of course, the idea of these two states, which are about as ideological opposites as states can get, working together has shocked viewers.
In addition to the unlikelihood of California and Texas ever joining forces, many are critical of the Florida Alliance. Given how far-right groups are thriving in Florida, the Florida Alliance isn’t too far out there. Users are pointing out that it’d probably just be made up of Florida, though, because who would voluntarily team up with Florida?
However, if the states in the Florida Alliance did band together, users acknowledge that it would probably take the majority of the South with it. Would the Carolinas really be neutral in this situation? Also, wouldn’t Texas easily be a part of the Florida Alliance or start its own Southern union? Even though Oklahoma is a red state, many Oklahomans were indignant at the idea their state would join something called the Florida Alliance.
It’s interesting to see the conversations and divide this map has caused and how citizens think their respective states would react during a civil war. The map may even prove that there’s a little bit of hope for America. At the very least, no one besides Florida seems to think joining something called the “Florida Alliance” would be a good idea.
(featured image: A24)
