Captain America

We all felt a certain kind of way when Captain America aka Steve Rogers finally got his last dance with Peggy Carter in the closing moments of Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame.” Personally, sadness crept over me when Old Man Cap came into frame after Thanos was defeated too. Overall it was a very emotional movie for Cap. In “Endgame” alone we witnessed Captain America come full circle from defeated (both literally and figuratively) in act 1 to fulfilled and victorious by the time the credits rolled.

In fact – Steve’s character development from his first appearance in “Captain America: The First Avenger” through “Endgame” was surely the most extensive of any Avenger in the MCU. His progression from a ‘goody two-shoes’ all-American boy to a rugged and jaded warrior with his own individualized sense of right & wrong really effected the way we digested Captain America on screen. As an audience we wondered and speculated how Cap was going to change in each new MCU movie. What event/situation would cause him to break from being the perfectly good, American, hero? Ultimately we learned that Steve Rogers’s perception of the world could be shifted by experience (like any person); but Steve’s core traits were unbreakable. That’s why Dr. Erskine chose Steve for the Super Solider Serum. No matter what powers he was given, no matter the situation… Steve Rogers would always remain fundamentally good.

Captain America

Don’t get it twisted though, being good doesn’t mean you can’t kick some ass and that’s exactly what Captain America does best. To commemorate Cap we thought it would be fun to take a look back at his best moments from throughout the MCU. No spoiler warning here cus if you don’t know what’s up with Cap then why are you even reading this lol?

 

“The First Avenger” – Cap VS. Hydra (2011)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgo3eTXLSNw

When Captain America made his comics debut back in 1941 he was tagged as “the Commie Smasher” and was really used as a moral booster during WW2. Seeing him wreck lots of Nazis (Hydra, whatever) troops was extremely satisfying in his first solo outing, “Captain America: The First Avenger” simply because Nazis are trash, plain and simple. It kinda reminded us of a certain southern American solider from another movie…

 

“The Avengers” – Battle of New York (2012)

At the end of the day Cap is just a normal dude in a tight ass blue outfit… with enhanced strength, speed, endurance & stamina. During the Battle of New York in “The Avengers” we got a down to Earth look at how Cap operates in battle. He’s a calm and collected leader with the ability to galvanize those around him. New York’s first responders didn’t know what the hell was going on, and in their defense not many pigs would be ready to deal with an alien invasion; so Cap kicked some butt and got them pointed in the right direction. It was just a funny little moment that proves that you don’t need magic or an Infinity Stone to be a powerful force.

 

“Civil War” – Airport Battle (2016)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ez5qkKj4wo

 

Captain America: “You got heart, kid. Where you from?”

Spiderman: “Queens”

Captain America: (Smirk) “Brooklyn…”

Nothing like some good ‘ol superhero on superhero action. “Captain America: Civil War” is probably many MCU fans’ favorite movie because of its compelling story and flawless action set pieces. During the legendary Airport Fight scene Cap spars with Spiderman in an exchange that was both funny and entertaining. It wasn’t the most important matchup of the afternoon, but it surely got hearts pumping!

 

“The Winter Soldier” – Elevator Fight Scene (2014)

This scene was shot more like a perfectly timed indie thriller than a Marvel blockbuster, and the Russo Brothers deserve a lot of credit for treating a majority of “Captain America: The Winter Solider” that way. Cap’s sequel highlights his character shift from an order taker to more of a free thinker. He begins to question the purity of ‘the man’ (establishment) realizes that the world isn’t black and white – there’s a lot of grey in modern society. Enemies aren’t clearly marked like in World War II; and Steve had to come to grips with that throughout “The Winter Solider.” The Elevator Fight was perfectly choreographed, perfectly paced and perfectly revisited in “Endgame!” Oh, and them Hydra soldiers caught a whole lotta fresh ones!

 

“Avengers: Endgame” – Cap Lifts Mjölnir (2019)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqAlPSeD8RQ

Captain America picking up Thor’s hammer in “Avengers: Endgame” was one of the most lit movie theater experiences of my life, and I’m sure anyone else that saw the movie felt the same way. Back in “Age of Ultron” the Avengers enjoyed a nightcap and played a friendly game of “lift Mjölnir.” At the time no one but Thor could lift the weapon, but Steve (aka Cap) managed to wiggle the hammer loose ever so slightly. In Marvel lore, one worthy pure hearted people can lift Mjönir; so Captain America’s brawl with Thanos in the third act of “Endgame” was some of the illest fan service and a proper callback to “Age of Ultron.” Cap rocks homeboy Thanos, and even hit ’em with a friggin’ thunder strike!