RETRO REVIEW: Captain America: The First Avenger

As we reach the eleventh anniversary of the Captain America franchise, it seems worthwhile to revisit the first film in the series. While it’s generally agreed that Chris Evans was well cast as Steve Rogers, Captain America: The First Avenger tends to be overlooked as a film. To be fair, much of that is compared to Cap’s later films in the MCU, where the standards dramatically increased over time. This is especially due to the long shadow cast by its sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which tends to be regarded as one of the greatest films in the MCU’s history.

Still, I think that First Avenger is a film that deserves a second look as it reaches its eleventh year since release. The later achievements of Cap as a character, and in the context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, owe a large intellectual debt to First Avenger. This is the film that established the origin story of Steve Rogers, that introduced Chris Evans to the iconic role of Captain America, and that introduced key supporting characters like Bucky Barnes and Peggy Carter. It held true to the characterization of Steve Rogers established by the late, great Mark Gruenwald– a man out of time who was also forward-thinking, one who struggled socially while also being a living legend on the battlefield.

This film also doesn’t fall into the tropes of more established Disney-style Marvel films. There are no silly comic antics in the background, the main character is treated with seriousness and earnestness, and the main character doesn’t suffer from any large character defects that he must later overcome to be a hero. This is also a movie that’s focused on the story it is telling, and less on making connections with other films, though it does work in setting up the first Avengers film. In short, First Avenger is a proper Captain America film that captures the spirit of the character, while interpreting certain details in a way that tells the film’s story.

Still, even looking at First Avenger as a microcosm, separate from the rest of the MCU, it holds up as a self-contained film. One point that sets this film apart is that it’s a classic feel-good war film that is also a traditional superhero movie. Joe Johnston was the perfect director to handle this sort of film, as he was also the director of the much beloved The Rocketeer, featuring another WW2-era hero adapted from the comics. That expertise comes across well in First Avenger, balancing the wartime battles against the inspiring heroism of Captain America. But more than that, it’s the story of an idealistic young man struggling to make a difference in a world that doesn’t take him or his ideals seriously. Cap’s struggle has always been one of finding his place in the world, of learning to manage people as well as he does combat tactics. This movie conveys that character journey well, through triumph as well as tragedy, and in some ways, it offers more depth than you see in many modern MCU films.

The cast in this film is more impressive than I remembered when I first saw it. I already knew Chris Evans from previous comic-related films, including the Fantastic Four films and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. However, his Steve Rogers is easily his most defining role, and the qualities he brings to Cap ring through clearly in this film. Evans captures the selflessness, courage, and humility of Steve Rogers, while also keeping him relatable and understandable on a human level. Because we see him at his weakest, when he he’s exposed to the Super-Soldier Serum, Evans captures those same human character elements after he becomes fully Captain America. He brings across the awkwardness of Steve Rogers while being a firm, decisive leader in his role as a soldier. Though Evans would still have room to grow in the role of Cap in later films, we see the promise of that character in the idealism of young Steve Rogers. Evans was the perfect actor to build the franchise around, and in the end, he brought the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe with him.

However, the remainder of the cast is excellent and should not be overlooked either. Probably the best remembered today are Hayley Atwell, who played Peggy Carter, and Sebastian Stan, who would become the Winter Soldier. Atwell particularly works, as her Peggy is strong enough to keep up with Cap and she has good chemistry with Chris Evans. Sebastian Stan gets good moments as well early in the film, mainly in the moments where we see his friendship with Steve Rogers. Although the dynamic between Cap and Bucky is different than in the comics, which was more a hero/sidekick relationship, it works well for this film. The idea that Bucky was the stronger one until Rogers became a super-soldier is an interesting twist that makes them equal partners and adds depth to their friendship. Stan is probably as identified with Bucky as Evans is with Cap, though he grows more into the role in later films. Still, there’s some significant talent in the remaining cast as well. Hugo Weaving is a classic villain actor today, being best associated with Agent Smith in the Matrix films, but he gives his Red Skull an air of sociopathic menace that is enjoyable to watch. Tommy Lee Jones is a great choice for General Phillips, as his natural persona and dry humor contrasts well with Cap’s idealism. Stanley Tucci is another veteran actor who gives an understated but essential performance as Dr. Abraham Erskine; this version of Erskine is well fleshed out and his reasons for creating Cap are believable and sympathetic. Toby Jones is also fun to watch as the Nazi scientist Arnim Zola; he’s a versatile actor who I’ve enjoyed in many productions, but his Zola is an entertaining and complex villain in the time he’s given. There are also some currently well-known actors who weren’t at the time of filming, including Natalie Dormer and Jenna Coleman, and while their roles are brief, they offer some good “blink and miss it” appearances.

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe would move on to greater heights since this film, Captain America: The First Avenger is still one of the better films of Phase 1. It’s a movie that establishes the characters effectively, shows respect to Captain America and his mythos while making adjustments that make sense for the film, and helped set the tone for later MCU films. Even after eleven years, it’s still a good superhero film, and while not entirely flawless, it does exactly what a good first superhero film should do. It’s a film that remembers that to set up a universe, it needs to be a film that tells its own story well first, and it’s worth revisiting for that reason alone.

Score: 4/5

Director: Joe Johnston

Writers: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

Cast: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones, Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough

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Steve Sellers

Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).