Alex Garland’s ‘Civil War’ movie trailer sparks MAGA conspiracy theories

Upcoming movie Civil War‘s inaugural trailer has sparked conspiracy theories among a faction of conservatives that the plot is a foretelling of real-life plans for the not-so-distant future of the U.S.

Civil War, which is helmed by British Ex Machina writer and director Alex Garland, sees Kirsten Dunst portraying a journalist in a near future where 19 states have seceded from the Union. Western Forces, including California and Texas, are seen battling it out with groups that include the Florida Alliance.

Nick Offerman, who plays a three-term U.S. president, is seen ordering devastating air strikes on domestic soil against the militant forces that have risen up.

“Citizens of America, the so-called Western forces of Texas and California have suffered a very great defeat at the hands of the United States military,” Offerman’s president is heard saying in the trailer.

An official logline for the politically charged movie describes it as a “race to the White House in a near-future America balanced on the razor’s edge.”

“Every time I survived a war zone, I thought I was sending a warning home: don’t do this,” says Dunst’s photojournalist character, as she attempts to make her way to Washington, D.C., amid forces closing in on the capital.

Dunst’s real-life husband, Jesse Plemons, is seen holding up civilians and journalists at gunpoint as he questions “what kind of American” they are.

The trailer for the movie, which is set to be released next spring, closes with dramatic scenes of major government buildings in D.C. being bombed as the battle between the warring sides reaches its presumed climax.

When the trailer was shared on social media on Wednesday, a number of people veered away from critiquing the film to instead share their belief it contained a bold message of what Americans will be facing in the near future.

Using this theory, many have tied Civil War to the new Netflix film Leave the World Behind, which is partially produced by former President Barack Obama’s Higher Ground and follows two families forced to work together amid a nationwide blackout. As the threat grows, both families must decide how best to survive the potential crisis, all while grappling with their places in the collapsing world.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, conservative political commentator Jack Posobiec shared the trailer, adding the caption: “A new ‘Civil War’ Movie is coming out ahead of 2024. This is Predictive Programming.”

“Predictive programming” is a conspiracy theory that the government, or other forces in power, use fiction (whether books, movies or some other medium) to make a population accept future events that have been planned by people in power.

Jack Danger, a self-styled “Twitter influencer” and part of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, echoed that sentiment and also pointed out the timing of the film’s release ahead of the November 2024 presidential election.

“BREAKING: The Government/Hollywood is using Predictive Programming to tell you what’s going to happen in 2024,” Danger wrote. “This is a new Civil War movie coming out ahead of 2024. It’s Predictive [because] there will be a Civil War after they use illegals to steal the 2024 election.”

X user @UltraMJTruth pointed out elements included in the Civil War trailer, before surmising: “This movie in combination with Obama’s film ‘Leave the World Behind‘ is not a coincidence… Is this a BIG RED PILL?

“Or are they trying to instill fear into the hearts and minds of people? I don’t know…. But it appears Americans are being prepped for something very BIG. I will not be afraid. Neither should you.”

“Not to get too deep into tinfoil hat land but ‘Leave The World Behind’ and ‘Civil War’ landing back to back feels like predictive programming for something serious on deck,” another X user commented.

Another viewer wrote in reaction to the trailer that the upcoming movie “could be a continuation of ‘Leave the World Behind.'”

“First Obama’s Cyberattack movie and now this,” another chimed in. “Think they’re trying to tell us something?”

While some X users took the movie’s trailer as an ominous threat, others mocked the idea that California, which has traditionally been seen as a Democrat state, would ever join forces with a largely Republican Texas.

“The only plausible reason that California and Texas would unite in a civil war is that Alex garland is British and doesn’t get over here enough,” said one.

Praising the casting of Offerman, famed for his role as Ron Swanson in the sitcom Parks and Recreation, another stated: “Much as I would love for Ron Swanson to be President, it’s just not believable to me that California and Texas could ever end up on the same team. I mean come on…”

Highlighting the positives that could come of a California-Texas alliance, another quipped: “With a united CA + TX, it’s over. 24% of GDP, 60% of the oil, all of the best apps, SpaceX, Fort Hood, and 100% of good Mexican food. Don’t mess with Texifornia!”

“Texas and California? What?” another said. “Other then that it looks good.”

Expanding on their thoughts, they added: “I know rural California is Red and major [cities] in Texas are Blue and both states have a lot of military forces, but they should have a good explanation in the movie for how this happened.”

Civil War is set to be released on April 26, 2024.