| Steve Rogers | |
|---|---|
| Marvel Cinematic Universe character | |
 Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America inAvengers: Age of Ultron (2015). | |
| First appearance | Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) |
| Last appearance | Avengers: Endgame (2019) |
| Based on | |
| Adapted by | |
| Portrayed by |
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| Voiced by |
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| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Steven Grant Rogers[a] |
| Alias | Captain America |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Title | Captain (laterhonorary) |
| Occupation |
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| Affiliation |
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| Weapon | |
| Family | Sarah Rogers (mother) |
| Spouse | Peggy Carter[b] |
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Abilities |
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Steven Grant Rogers is asuperhero primarily portrayed byChris Evans in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)media franchise—based on theMarvel Comics characterof the same name—commonly known by hisalias,Captain America. Rogers is depicted as aWorld War II-erasuper soldier who was given aserum that provided him withsuperhuman abilities, including enhanced durability, strength, and athleticism.[8][9] During his fight against theNazi secret organizationHydra, he wasfrozen in theArctic for nearly seventy years until being revived in the 21st century.
Rogers becomes a founding member and one of the leaders ofAvengers. Following internal conflict within the Avengers due to theSokovia Accords andThanos initiatingthe Blip, Rogers leads the team on a final mission, and they successfully restore trillions of lives across the universe and defeat Thanos. After returning theInfinity Stones to their original timelines, he remains in the 1940s with his lost love,Peggy Carter; they marry, and Rogers lives a full life. Rogers choosesSam Wilson to be his successor, passing hisshield and the title of Captain America on to him.[10]
Rogers is a central figure in the MCU, appearing in eight films as of 2019[update]. When first introduced inCaptain America: The First Avenger (2011), the character received mixed reception,[11][12] but gradually became a fan favorite.[13][14] Chris Evans's portrayal of Steve Rogers has received acclaim, and the character is often cited, along withRobert Downey Jr.'sTony Stark, as cementing the success of the MCU.[15] His story arc is considered to be one of the best in the MCU,[16][17] and theCaptain America films within the "Infinity Saga" are commonly referred to as the franchise's besttrilogy.[18][19][20]
Alternate versions of Rogers from within the MCUmultiverse also appear in the filmAvengers: Endgame (2019) and in the animated seriesWhat If...? (2021–2023), voiced byJosh Keaton. These versions include an incarnation of Rogers, who, instead of receiving the serum, wears amechanized suit of armor and becomes theHydra Stomper.
Captain America was first conceived as a comic book character in 1940,[21] as a direct response to the military actions ofNazi Germany, prior to the United States entering World War II.[22] The initial introduction of the character included the concepts of a soldier named Steve Rogers being given a serum bestowing enhanced strength and agility, wearing a patriotic red, white and blue uniform,carrying a shield, and having as a sidekick, a teenagedBucky Barnes. In the 1960s, Marvel decided to test bringing the character back as part of the Avengers, with the premise that the character had been frozen for the two decades since the war, and was "haunted by past memories, and trying to adapt to 1960s society".[22] Live-action performances of the character in television and film serials began within a few years after its creation, with a1990 feature film resulting in critical and financial failure.[23]
In the mid-2000s,Kevin Feige realized that Marvel still owned the rights to the core members of theAvengers, which included Captain America. Feige, a self-professed "fanboy", envisioned creating a shared universe just as creatorsStan Lee andJack Kirby had done with their comic books in the early 1960s.[24] In 2005, Marvel received a $525 million investment fromMerrill Lynch, allowing them to independently produce ten films, includingCaptain America.Paramount Pictures agreed to distribute the film.[25][26][27]
"Casting Captain America was super hard. I started to think, 'Are we not going to be able to find Captain America, and if we can't, what are we going to do withAvengers? Is the whole thing going to fall apart?' And, then, finally opening ourselves up to Chris Evans, who we had initially sort of just looked past because he wasJohnny Storm in aFantastic Four franchise. Then, bringing him in and showing him the artwork, showing him what was happening in this movie, and he took a weekend to decide."
Originally, the film would stand alone; Feige said "about half" the movie would be set during World War II before moving into the modern day.[29] ProducerAvi Arad said, "The biggest opportunity with Captain America is as a man 'out of time', coming back today, looking at our world through the eyes of someone who thought the perfect world was small-town United States. Sixty years go by, and who are we today? Are we better?" He cited theBack to the Future trilogy as an influence, and claimed he had "someone in mind to be the star, and definitely someone in mind to be the director".[30] In February 2006, Arad hoped to have a summer 2008 theatrical release date.[31] In April 2006,David Self was hired to write the script.[32]Joe Johnston met with Marvel to discuss directing the film and signed on in November 2008,[33] hiringChristopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to rewrite.[34]
Variety reported in March 2010 thatChris Evans was cast as Captain America;[35]Ryan Phillippe andJohn Krasinski were also considered for the role.[36] Evans, who previously worked with Marvel as theHuman Torch in theFantastic Four film series, initially declined the part three times before signing a six-picture deal with Marvel,[37] saying, "I think Marvel is doing a lot of good things right now, and it's a fun character. ... I think the story of Steve Rogers is great. He's a great guy. Even if it [were] just a script about anybody, I would probably want to do it. So it wasn't necessarily about the comic itself."[38] In April, it was reported thatJoss Whedon would rewrite the script as part of his negotiation to write and directThe Avengers. Whedon said in August, "I just got to make some character connections. The structure of the thing was really tight and I loved it, but there were a couple of opportunities to find his voice a little bit —and some of the other characters'— and make the connections so that you understood exactly why he wanted to be who he wanted to be. And progressing through the script to flesh it out a little bit".[39]
Steve Rogers was born on July 4, 1918, inBrooklyn, New York, to Joseph and Sarah Rogers. His father, a member of the107th Infantry Regiment, was killed bymustard gas duringWorld War I. He was raised by his mother, a nurse, who died oftuberculosis, leaving Rogers alone at the age of eighteen.[c] At just 5-foot-4-inch (1.63 m) tall and weighing only 90 pounds (41 kg), Rogers was also afflicted with a number of medical issues includingasthma,scoliosis,heart arrhythmia, partialdeafness,stomach ulcers, andpernicious anemia.[d]
At the outset ofWorld War II, Rogers attempts to enlist in theU.S. Armed Forces but is repeatedly rejected due to his numerous health problems. In 1942, while attending the Stark Expo with his best friend,James Barnes, Rogers again attempts to enlist. Dr.Abraham Erskine overhears Rogers speaking with Barnes and approves his enlistment due to his continued efforts to serve his country despite his physical handicaps. He is recruited into theStrategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) as part of a super-soldier experiment under Erskine, U.S. ArmyColonelChester Phillips, and BritishMI6 agentPeggy Carter. The night before the treatment, Erskine reveals to Rogers that Nazi officerJohann Schmidt, head of the science division calledHydra, underwent an imperfect version of the procedure and suffered permanent side-effects. Nonetheless, Rogers agrees to the treatment and is injected with Erskine's serum and doused with vita-rays. After Rogers emerges significantly taller and more muscular, an undercover assassin kills Erskine and flees. Rogers, using his remarkable speed and strength increase, pursues and captures the assassin, who reveals he is a Hydra agent and commits suicide with acyanide capsule. With Erskine dead and the formula lost, U.S. Senator Brandt takes advantage of the media hype around Rogers' actions and has him tour the nation in a colorful costume with the title of Captain America to promote the sale ofwar bonds.
Whileon tour in Italy, Rogers learns that the 107th – Barnes' unit – wasMIA in a battle against Schmidt's forces. Rogers asks Carter and engineerHoward Stark to fly him behind enemy lines to mount a solo rescue attempt. Rogers infiltrates the Hydra facility, freeing Barnes and 400 other prisoners. Rogers confronts Schmidt, who reveals himself to be the "Red Skull" and escapes. Despite disobeying orders, Rogers is rewarded for his heroics and is formally promoted to the rank ofCaptain. He recruits Barnes and several other elite soldiers, who were among the prisoners he rescued, to form a team called theHowling Commandos to attack other Hydra bases. Stark outfits Rogers with advanced equipment, most notably acircular shield made ofvibranium, a rare, nearly indestructible metal. Over the next two years, Rogers and the Howling Commandos help to turn the tide of the war in favor ofthe Allies. The team eventually captures top Hydra scientist Dr.Arnim Zola on a train, but Barnes falls to his presumed death during the battle. Using information extracted from Zola, Rogers leads an attack on the final Hydra stronghold to stop Schmidt from usingweapons of mass destruction on major American cities. Rogers infiltrates the final Hydra base with the help of the SSR, including Carter who reveals her mutual romantic feelings toward Rogers and the two share a kiss before Schmidt escapes in an aircraft carrying the weapons and is pursued by Rogers. During the confrontation, the source of Hydra's advanced weapons, theTesseract, is physically handled by Schmidt causing him to vanish within a bright light. The Tesseract is lost in the ocean and with no way to land the plane without the risk of detonating the bombs, Rogers reluctantly bids farewell to Carter via the plane's communications system and crashes it and himself in theArctic, leading to him being presumed dead.
In 2011, Rogers awakens in a 1940s-style hospital room. Deducing from ananachronisticbaseball radio broadcast that something isn't right, he flees the building and finds himself in present-dayTimes Square, whereS.H.I.E.L.D. directorNick Fury informs him that he has been frozen insuspended animation for nearly 70 years.
Rogers learns that most of his World War II-era comrades are deceased, and he struggles to adjust to the modern world. In 2012, he is approached by Fury, who has activated the "Avengers Initiative", with an assignment to retrieve the stolen Tesseract fromLoki. Rogers agrees and is introduced toNatasha Romanoff andBruce Banner byPhil Coulson. InStuttgart, Rogers and Loki have a brief physical confrontation untilTony Stark arrives, resulting in Loki's surrender. While Loki is being escorted to S.H.I.E.L.D. on theQuinjet, his brotherThor arrives and frees him, hoping to convince him to abandon his plan. After a confrontation between Thor, Stark, and Rogers, Thor agrees to take Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying aircraft carrier, theHelicarrier.
The Avengers become divided, both over how to approach Loki and the revelation that S.H.I.E.L.D. plans to harness the Tesseract to develop weapons much like Hydra had in the 1940s. Agents possessed by Loki, includingClint Barton, attack the Helicarrier, disabling one of its engines in flight, which Stark and Rogers work together to restart. Loki escapes, and Stark and Rogers realize that for Loki, he needs to overpower them publicly to validate himself as ruler of Earth. Rogers recruits Barton to join the Avengers after he is freed from his mind control by Romanoff. Loki uses the Tesseract to open a wormhole inNew York City aboveStark Tower, allowing the alien army of theChitauri to invade. Rogers successfully leads the Avengers in defending the city and they defeat and capture Loki. Following the battle, Rogers coordinates the search and rescue of injured civilians. Thor returns Loki toAsgard to face justice for his invasion and the Avengers go their separate ways. Rogers, with newfound purpose in the modern world, rides off on his motorcycle.
Sometime afterwards, Rogers records a number ofpublic service announcements for high school students, encouraging them to do things like maintain healthy lifestyles, obey rules, and practice patience.[e][40]
In 2014, Rogers works for S.H.I.E.L.D. inWashington, D.C. under Fury, while continuing to adjust to contemporary society. Rogers and Romanoff are sent with S.H.I.E.L.D.'scounter-terrorismS.T.R.I.K.E. team, led byBrock Rumlow, to free hostages aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. satellite launch vessel, theLemurian Star, that has been hijacked by a terrorist group led byGeorges Batroc. Rogers and S.T.R.I.K.E successfully rescue the hostages, but Batroc escapes when Rogers discovers Romanoff has her own agenda: to extract data from the ship's computers for Fury. Rogers returns to theTriskelion, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters, to confront Fury and is briefed about Project Insight: three Helicarriers linked to spy satellites designed to preemptively eliminate threats against America. Rogers, citing his moral issues with such a program, expresses concern that the project will likely result in the deaths of innocent people. He visits an elderly Carter who expresses regret that Rogers never got to live the life he deserved.
Unable to decrypt the data recovered by Romanoff, Fury becomes suspicious about Insight and asks senior S.H.I.E.L.D. officialAlexander Pierce to delay the project. Fury, ambushed by assailants led by theWinter Soldier, escapes and warns Rogers that S.H.I.E.L.D. is compromised. Fury is gunned down by the Winter Soldier, but hands Rogers aflash drive containing Romanoff's data. Pierce summons Rogers to the Triskelion, revealing evidence that Fury hired Batroc to hijack the ship as cover to retrieve the data, but when Rogers withholds Fury's information, Pierce brands him afugitive. Hunted by S.T.R.I.K.E., Rogers escapes capture and meets with Romanoff. Using the data, they discover a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. bunker below Camp Leigh, Rogers' old military training base inNew Jersey, where they activate a supercomputer containing the preserved consciousness of Arnim Zola. Zola reveals that after S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded following World War II, Hydra has secretly operated within its ranks and creating world crisis that will eventually cause humanity to sacrifice freedom for security. A S.H.I.E.L.D. missile destroys the bunker, and the pair realize that Pierce is Hydra's leader.
Rogers and Romanoff enlist the help of formerUSAF pararescuemanSam Wilson, whom Rogers befriended earlier, and acquire his powered "Falcon"wingpack. Deducing that S.H.I.E.L.D. agentJasper Sitwell is a Hydramole, they force him to divulge Hydra's plan to use satellite-guided guns to eliminate individuals identified by analgorithm as a threat to Hydra. They are ambushed by the Winter Soldier, whom Rogers recognizes as Barnes. S.H.I.E.L.D. operativeMaria Hill manages to extract the trio to a safehouse where Fury, who faked his death, is waiting with plans to sabotage the Helicarriers by replacing their controller chips. After the World Security Council members arrive for the Helicarriers' launch, Rogers exposes Hydra's plot causing an internal conflict within S.H.I.E.L.D. Rogers and Wilson storm two Helicarriers and replace the controller chips, but the Winter Soldier destroys Wilson's suit and fights Rogers on the third. Rogers fends him off and replaces the final chip, allowing Hill to have the vessels destroy each other. Rogers refuses to fight the Winter Soldier in an attempt to reach his friend, but as the ship collides with the Triskelion, Rogers is thrown into thePotomac River. Barnes rescues the unconscious Rogers and departs. S.H.I.E.L.D. officially disbands and after Rogers recovers from his injuries, he and Wilson partner together to find Barnes.
In 2015, in the Eastern European country ofSokovia, Rogers leads the Avengers against a Hydra facility to recoverLoki's scepter. They are attacked by the twinsWanda andPietro Maximoff, two superhuman experimental volunteers. The Avengers succeed in obtaining the scepter and Rogers captures Hydra leaderBaron Strucker. Returning to the Avengers Tower, Stark and Banner use the scepter to complete Stark's "Ultron" global defense program. Afterwards, the Avengers host a celebratory party and Ultron reveals himself and attacks the team at the Avengers Tower, before escaping. InJohannesburg, the Avengers confront and battle Ultron, Wanda, and Pietro. Rogers is subdued by Wanda after she produces hallucinatory visions. After Maximoff also causes the Hulk to ravage the city before being subdued by Stark, Rogers and the other defeated Avengers take refuge at Barton's safe house so they can recover. While there, they are encouraged by Fury to assemble and stop Ultron.
InSeoul, Rogers, Romanoff, and Barton attempt to stop Ultron from uploading his network into a synthetic vibranium body powered by theMind Stone. Rogers fights Ultron in an attempt to keep him from completing the upload. He is assisted by the Maximoff twins who side with the Avengers after learning Ultron plans to exterminate humanity. They retrieve the synthetic body, but Romanoff is captured. At Avengers Tower, the Avengers have a dispute over the synthetic body which is activated and becomesVision. Rogers and the Avengers then return to Sokovia, where they engage in a battle against Ultron and are able to defeat him, but at the cost of Pietro's life and the complete destruction of the city. At the new Avengers Compound inUpstate New York, Rogers and Romanoff begin training new team members: Wanda,James Rhodes, Vision, and Wilson.
In 2016, Rogers, Maximoff, Romanoff, and Wilson stop Rumlow, now working as a mercenary, from stealing abiological weapon from a lab inLagos. Rumlow attempts to kill Rogers with asuicide bomb, but Maximoff saves him. However, she accidentally kills severalWakandan humanitarian workers in the process. This leads toU.S. Secretary of StateThaddeus Ross informing the Avengers that theUnited Nations is preparing to pass theSokovia Accords, which will establish a U.N. panel to oversee and control the team. The Avengers are divided: Stark supports oversight because of his role in Ultron's creation and Sokovia's devastation, while Rogers is hesitant to give the government that kind of control over the team.
Helmut Zemo, seeking to destroy the Avengers as revenge for the death of his family in Sokovia, tracks down and kills Barnes' old Hydra handler, stealing a book containing the trigger words that activate Barnes' Winter Soldier brainwashing. Barnes is framed for theVienna bombing that kills KingT'Chaka of Wakanda, and T'Chaka's sonT'Challa, theBlack Panther, vows vengeance. Rogers and Wilson track Barnes toBucharest and attempt to protect him from T'Challa and the authorities, but are apprehended. Impersonating a psychiatrist sent to interview Barnes, Zemo sends Barnes on a rampage to cover his own escape. Rogers stops Barnes and hides him.[f] When Barnes regains his senses, he explains that Zemo is the real Vienna bomber and wanted the location of theSiberian Hydra base, where other brainwashed "Winter Soldiers" are kept in cryogenic stasis.
Rogers and Wilson go rogue; they recruit Barton,Scott Lang, and Maximoff to their cause. Stark assembles a team composed of Romanoff, Rhodes, Vision, T'Challa, andPeter Parker to capture the rogue Avengers. They fight atLeipzig/Halle Airport in Germany, until Romanoff helps Rogers and Barnes escape. Stark strikes a truce with Rogers and Barnes after finding out about Zemo, but Zemo reveals footage of an automobile Barnes had intercepted in 1991 that contained Stark's parents, whom Barnes subsequently killed. Enraged that Rogers kept this from him, Stark turns on them. After an intense fight, Rogers disables Stark's Iron Man armor and departs with Barnes, leaving his shield behind. Rogers breaks his team out of theRaft, and heads to Wakanda with Barnes, where Barnes chooses to return to cryogenic sleep until a cure for his brainwashing is found. Wanted by the U.N. for breaking the Sokovia Accords, Rogers, Maximoff, Romanoff, and Wilson go into hiding, while Barton and Lang strike a deal with the government forhouse arrest so that they can be with their families.
In 2018, Rogers, Romanoff, and Wilson rescue Maximoff and Vision inScotland fromCorvus Glaive andProxima Midnight, two ofThanos'children. They return to the Avengers Compound, reuniting with Banner and Rhodes. Rhodes refuses Secretary Ross's order to arrest Rogers, Romanoff, Wilson, and Maximoff; and Rogers informs Ross they intend to defend the Earth against the incoming threat, with or without permission from the Sokovia Accords. Rogers and the team travel to Wakanda to haveShuri remove the Mind Stone from Vision without destroying him in the process. Rogers orders Maximoff to destroy the Stone as soon as it is removed from his head. As Thanos' children and theOutriders invade the battlefield, Rogers, Barnes, Romanoff, Wilson, Rhodes, Banner, T'Challa, and the Wakandan armies mount a defense and get support when Thor,Rocket Raccoon, andGroot arrive. Rogers attempts to rally the Avengers against Thanos who successfully destroys Vision, obtains the Mind Stone, and completes the Infinity Gauntlet. Rogers survivesthe Blip, but is left defeated.
Returning to the Compound, Rogers and Romanoff assess the worldwide casualties and discover that Thanos destroyed half of all living things. They are met byCarol Danvers, who arrives answering Fury's pager.[g] Sometime after, Rogers shaves his beard, before hearing theBenatar arrive. He, Romanoff, Rhodes, Banner, Rocket, andPepper Potts go outside and see Danvers bringing Stark andNebula to the Compound. After making a plan, Rogers leads Rocket, Danvers, Thor, Romanoff, Rhodes, Banner, and Nebula into space on theBenatar to hunt Thanos at his garden planet. They confront and subdue Thanos and are horrified to learn that he destroyed the stones to prevent his mission from ever being undone. A defeated Rogers watches an enraged Thor decapitate Thanos.
In 2023, Rogers leads a support group for grieving survivors in New York City, while living at the Avengers Compound. One day, Rogers and Romanoff are shocked when Lang arrives at the Compound and explains that he has been trapped in theQuantum Realm and suggests using it as a form oftime travel. Rogers, Romanoff, and Lang visit Stark at his lakeside cabin but he refuses to help. They meet Banner at a diner who agrees, however, their initial attempts at time travel are unsuccessful. Stark returns to the Compound, revealing he has unlocked the key to successful time travel, and he and Rogers conclude their nearly decade-long feud, reestablishing their trust in one another with Stark returning Rogers' shield. After Barton, Thor, Rhodes, Rocket, and Nebula return to the Compound, the team formulates a plan and Rogers teams up with Stark, Banner, and Lang to travel to an alternate 2012 to retrieve the three Stones present in New York City during Loki's invasion.
They succeed in securing the Time Stone and the Mind Stone, with Rogers having to fight his alternate 2012 version of himself to facilitate this. However, after the Space Stone plan goes awry, it necessitates a trip to 1970 so that Stark can recover it froma S.H.I.E.L.D. base in New Jersey, while Rogers findsPym Particles at the same base for their trip back. While in the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, Rogers sees the 1970 version of Peggy Carter through a window. The Avengers return, save for Romanoff who sacrificed herself for the mission, and the original Avengers hold a silent mourning for her. After Rocket, Stark, and Banner create a gauntlet, Banner reverses the Blip. However, an alternate Thanos from his 2014 timeline emerges from the quantum realm and attacks the Compound.
Rogers, Stark and Thor engage Thanos and during the fight, Rogers proves worthy to wield Thor's hammerMjolnir. Thanos proves too powerful and Rogers, bruised and battered with his shield in tatters, stands up alone to face Thanos and his entire army. However, the restored Avengers, theGuardians of the Galaxy, the Wakandan army,Masters of the Mystic Arts,Ravagers, and Asgardians arrive and Rogers rallies them all in a final battle against Thanos. During the battle, Rogers witnesses Danvers' return. With no other options for victory, Stark steals the Infinity Stones from Thanos and snaps his fingers. Thanos and his army disintegrate, and Stark dies while Rogers looks on in grief.
After attending Stark's funeral, Rogers reunites with Barnes, Wilson, and Banner before returning the Infinity Stones and Mjolnir to their appropriate timelines. However, Rogers also decides to go back to 1949 to reunite with Carter,[41] where he marries and lives a full life with her. It's contested whether or not this action created a new timeline. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have stated that Steve created a new timeline when he reunited with Peggy, and then found a way to return to the present in his old age. Meanwhile writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have stated that Rogers found a way to break the time travel rules and live his life with Peggy in the main timeline. This opens up the possibility of two Steve Rogers existing simultaneously, as the writers stated that both Steves were present for Peggy Carter's funeral in Civil War.[42] Regardless of how he gets there, Steve returns to Barnes, Wilson, and Banner, where he appears as an elderly man finally at peace, and passes his shield and mantle to Wilson. He remembers giving Peggy that dance that he promised her, to the songIt's Been a Long, Long Time by Harry James and his Orchestra, the same song that was playing in Sharon's apartment.
In spring 2024, Wilson struggles with the idea of taking up Rogers' title as Captain America and instead gives the shield to the U.S. government so it can be displayed in aSmithsonian museum exhibit dedicated to Rogers.Joaquin Torres mentions to Wilson that discussions about Rogers' whereabouts have become an internetconspiracy theory, and a common one is that he is hidden in a secretmoonbase. The government namesJohn Walker as the new Captain America and gives him the shield.
Barnes confronts Wilson, who reveals that he did not feel comfortable being Rogers' successor. Walker indicates his desire to fill Rogers' shoes but comes into conflict with Wilson and Barnes, who refuse to work with him and theGlobal Repatriation Council (GRC) in tracking down theFlag Smashers, a group of terrorist super soldiers. Barnes introduces Wilson toIsaiah Bradley, anAfrican-American successor to Rogers that he came into conflict with during theKorean War. Bradley was kept a secret (even from Rogers), imprisoned for thirty years, and experimented on by the government and Hydra. Wilson and Barnes learn that Bradley's blood was used to create a new variation of the Super Soldier Serum for thePower Broker but was stolen and used by the Flag Smashers. Helmut Zemo destroys all but one of the remaining vials of the serum, which is secretly retrieved by Walker, who uses it and gains super soldier abilities. Walker murders a Flag Smasher with the shield while a horrified crowd watches and records him. Wilson and Barnes forcibly take the shield from Walker, who has the Captain America title stripped from him by the government. Wilson eventually takes up the mantle as Rogers intended. Wilson, with assistance from Barnes, Walker, and Sharon Carter, defeats the Flag Smashers, and Wilson convinces the GRC to end its forcedresettlement practices. Wilson later has a memorial dedicated to Isaiah Bradley added to the Captain America museum exhibit.
Students atMidtown School of Science and Technology create a tribute video, with Rogers being included.[h]
That same year, theStatue of Liberty is modified and undergoes construction to replace the torch with Captain America's shield.[43]
Additionally, aBroadway theatre production entitledRogers: The Musical is created as an homage to Rogers.[44] While Barton is in New York City, he attends the musical with his family and is displeased with the musical's upbeat depiction of the Battle of New York.[i]
A memorial plaque commemorating the first assembling of the Avengers is seen by theGrand Central Terminal, and as the leader, Rogers' name is on the top of the memorial.[45] In 2025, a statue of Rogers is seen at the entrance of AvengerCon at the rebuilt Camp Lehigh.[j]
Other versions of Rogers are depicted in the alternate realities of the MCU multiverse.
In an alternate 2012, Rogers, having successfully led the Avengers to victory over Loki, prepares to coordinate search and rescue of civilians when he encounters the time traveling 2023-Rogers in Stark Tower. 2012-Rogers, having heard that Loki escaped custody, believes 2023-Rogers is Loki using magic to disguise himself, and attacks him. After a brief confrontation, 2012-Rogers manages to put 2023-Rogers in achokehold but is tricked into releasing him when 2023-Rogers, using his knowledge of future events, mentions Barnes being alive. 2023-Rogers uses Loki's scepter to render 2012-Rogers unconscious.
Severalalternate versions of Rogers appear in the animated seriesWhat If...?, in which he is voiced byJosh Keaton.[1]
Chris Evans portrays Steve Rogers in theMarvel Cinematic Universe filmsCaptain America: The First Avenger (2011),[35]The Avengers (2012),Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014),[47]Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015),[48]Captain America: Civil War (2016),[49]Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017),[50]Avengers: Infinity War (2018), andAvengers: Endgame (2019).[51] In addition, Evans makes uncredited cameo appearances as the character inAnt-Man (2015)[52] andCaptain Marvel (2019),[53] and asLoki impersonating him inThor: The Dark World (2013).[54]
Evans confirmed that he intended to retire from the role after the fourth Avengers film, leading to speculation that the character would die over the course of the final film;[55] in the finale ofEndgame, Rogers uses a means of time travel to go back and live out a full life with Peggy Carter, with his elder self later appearing in the present to pass on his shield toSam Wilson.[56] Theater actor Leander Deeny was the body double in some shots in the first film for Steve Rogers' pre-transformation physique,[57][58] whilePatrick Gorman served as thebody double for elderly Steve Rogers.[59] In January 2021, Evans was reportedly close to signing a deal with to reprise the role of Captain America in at least one future MCU project. Evans' involvement was said to be similar to howRobert Downey Jr. appeared in large supporting roles in other film franchises, such asCivil War andHomecoming, after concluding theIron Man film series withIron Man 3 (2013).[60] Evans tweeted shortly after the report of his return that it was "news to [him]".[61]
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Costume designerAnna B. Sheppard stated that Captain America's uniform inCaptain America: The First Avenger (2011) was partly based on that ofparatroopers of the era, explaining, "I think that the challenge of this costume was that it had to look 40s, that's why certain elements like using leather for the straps and belt, metal buckles and not having too tight a fit were important. Forget spandex!"[73] Visual Development Supervisor Ryan Meinerding elaborated, "The straps that come off his chest are very similar to theALICE webbing that was used inVietnam. Using the straps as the stripes across his torso then seemed like an elegant design solution. In the end, the main design aspects of this suit are meant to be about making it appear soldier-like, functional and tough."[74] InThe Avengers (2012), his suit was made to look "a bit more 'superhero'" in comparison toThe First Avenger, atJoss Whedon's request. Costume designerAlexandra Byrne stated the difference between both suits were "the fabrics that are available. Today we have a lot of stretch fabrics and there weren't any 'technofabrics' then", and called his design "the most technically difficult" of the Avengers' costumes.[75]
ForCaptain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Evans trained inparkour,Brazilian jiu-jitsu,karate,boxing,kickboxing, andgymnastics, as theRusso brothers believed that bringing Rogers into the modern day also meant that he had studied and mastered modern fighting styles and techniques. The filmmakers also looked to make the character's shield, which has traditionally been used for defense, a more offensive weapon.[76] ForAvengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Evans said that he was able to maintain the strength he built up forThe Winter Soldier by working out up to an hour a day.[77] Evans didn't want to take a step back from the skills shown inThe Winter Soldier, and made sure Rogers' fighting style advanced, showing "a consistent display of strength" and having Rogers utilizing his environment.[78] Evans' training regimen to get in shape for the role included weight lifting, which consisted of "the classic bodyweight and bodybuilding stuff", gymnastics andplyometrics, while staying away from cardio-based exercises, along with a high-protein diet.[79] ForCivil War, his costume in the film received "subtle changes to all the details and cut" as well as its color, becoming a combination of the stealth suit fromWinter Soldier and theAvengers: Age of Ultron (2015) suit.[80] InAvengers: Infinity War (2018), Rogers receives new vibranium gauntlets fromShuri to replace his traditional shield.[81]
In his civilian attire throughout the series, it has been noted that Rogers "tends to go for a very low key look ... based around very simple pieces that work together".[82] In his earliest appearance, designed by Sheppard, "post-serum Steve was All-American in a devastatingly tight white tee and khaki pants",[83] while inThe Avengers Byrne made him "sophisticated enough to beautifully blend plaids and stripes."[83] Costume designerJudianna Makovsky described his fashion evolution betweenWinter Soldier andCaptain America: Civil War (2016) as becoming increasingly comfortable in his clothes.[84] ANew York magazine article, however, criticized his clothing across the series as being "bereft of patterns, graphics, imagery or anything you couldn't color in with one singular crayon".[85]
InThe First Avenger, Rogers uses a weaponized 1942WLA motorcycle in World War II in his fights against Hydra.[4] InCaptain America: The Winter Soldier andThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, this model is shown to be displayed in the Captain America exhibit in theSmithsonian Air and Space Museum.[86] InThe Avengers (2012), Rogers is shown to have switched to aSoftail Slim model for commuting around New York City, before using theStreet 750 model when fleeing from pursuing Hydra agents inThe Winter Soldier.[87] Rogers later uses other models such as the Breakout,[88]V-Rod and the Softail Slim S.[89]
InCaptain America: The First Avenger (2011), Steve Rogers begins as a frail, sickly young man who is enhanced to the peak of human ability by an experimental serum in order to aid the United States in World War II.[35] Regarding the extent of the character's abilities Evans remarked, "He would crush theOlympics. Any Olympic sport he's gonna dominate. He can jump higher, run faster, lift stronger weight, but he can be injured. He could roll an ankle and be out for the season. He's not perfect, he's not untouchable. So a lot of the effects, if I'm going to punch someone they're not going to put them on a cable and fly them back 50 feet, but he's going to go down, probably not getting back up, which I think humanizes it. It makes it something that, again, I think everyone can relate to a little bit more, which I really like."[90]
Evans said that Rogers is much darker inThe Avengers (2012): "It's just about him trying to come to terms with the modern world. You've got to imagine, it's enough of a shock to accept the fact that you're in a completely different time, but everybody you know is dead. Everybody you cared about ... He was a soldier, obviously, everybody he went to battle with, all of his brothers in arms, they're all dead. He's just lonely. I think in the beginning it's a fish-out-of-water scene, and it's tough. It's a tough pill for him to swallow. Then comes trying to find a balance with the modern world."[91] Regarding the dynamic between Rogers and Tony Stark, Evans said, "I think there's certainly a dichotomy—this kind of friction between myself and Tony Stark, they're polar opposites. One guy is flash and spotlight and smooth, and the other guy is selfless and in the shadows and kind of quiet and they have to get along. They explore that, and it's pretty fun."[92] A key moment inThe Avengers occurs when Stark, who had been dismissive of Rogers at earlier points in the film, defers to Rogers as leader of the newly formed team to defend New York against a large-scale attack.[93] Describing his character's continuing adjustment to the modern world inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Evans said, "It's not so much about his shock with [technology]... It's more about the societal differences. He's gone from the '40s to today; he comes from a world where people were a little more trusting, the threats not as deep. Now, it's harder to tell who's right and wrong. Actions you take to protect people from threats could compromise liberties and privacy. That's tough for Steve to swallow."[94]
In his next appearance, inAvengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Rogers is the leader of the Avengers.[95][96] Evans stated that since the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., Rogers has been left to depend on his Avenger teammates without the structure of military life and is now "looking to understand where he belongs, not just as a soldier, as Captain America, but as Steve Rogers, as a person."[97] InCaptain America: Civil War (2016), Rogers becomes the leader of a faction of the Avengers against regulation.[98][99] Director Anthony Russo described Captain America's character arc in the film as taking him "from the most ra-ra company man" and "a somewhat willing propagandist" to "an insurgent" at the end of the film.[100] Unlike the comics' Civil War, the film was never going to kill Rogers, as the directors thought that was "an easy ending ... The more difficult and more interesting place to leave a family fight is: can these important relationships ever be repaired? Is this family broken permanently?"[101]
Director Joe Russo said that after the events ofCivil War, Rogers struggles with the conflict between his responsibility to himself and his responsibility to others.[102] InAvengers: Infinity War (2018), the character embodies the "spirit" of his comic alternate identityNomad in the film.[103] An early draft of the film experimented with Rogers first appearing in the film saving Vision from Corvus Glaive during the third act. Markus and McFeely said they were called "insane" for waiting that long to introduce Rogers into the film and ultimately conceded it was "not [a] satisfying" approach.[104]
InAvengers: Endgame (2019), Christopher Markus described Rogers as someone who is "moving toward some sort of enlightened self-interest." McFeely knew Rogers "was going to get his dance" he promised Peggy Carter inThe First Avenger. He initially planned to complete Rogers's story arc by killing him off, given the character's elongated life for his occupation, before deciding to have Rogers abandoned his shield.[105]
The origin story of Captain America follows that of the comic books, particularlyUltimate Marvel for certain elements like growing up in Brooklyn and Bucky being a childhood best friend rather than being met later, but diverges from there. Rogers is also a founding Avenger, unlike in the comics where he is a later addition to the roster and the formed Avengers are the ones who thaw him out of the ice.[106] In the comic books, Steve Rogers is murdered at the event of theCivil War storyline, leading to Bucky Barnes becoming the next Captain America. In the MCU, Rogers survivesCivil War,[107] eventually passing the mantle of Captain America to Sam Wilson inAvengers: Endgame.[56] In the comics, Wilson became Captain America in 2014 after Rogers' aging accelerated to be the real age of 90.[108]
Evans' portrayal of the character has been positively received by fans and critics. Roger Moore of theOrlando Sentinel positively reviewed Evans' performance as Steve Rogers, writing that Evans "brings a proper earnestness to the character".[109]Roger Ebert described the character as "a hero we care about and who has some dimension".[110] Likewise, in his review ofAvengers: Endgame,Joe Morgenstern ofThe Wall Street Journal lauded both actor and character, calling "Chris Evans's effortlessly likable Steve Rogers/Captain America, the team's natural leader."[111]
Peter DeBruge, writing forVariety, had a more critical take, finding that "as Marvel heroes go, Captain America must be the most vanilla of the lot", and that because of his quick healing and fighting abilities, "there's never the slightest concern that the Nazis might get the better of him".[112] In 2015,Empire named Captain America the 46th greatest film character of all time.[113] In a December 2017 interview withVanity Fair, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige called Evans "a great actor" and "a reluctant star". He compared his portrayal of Captain America withChristopher Reeve'sSuperman for the strong association between the actors and their respective characters.[28]
Rogers's catchphrase is "I can do this all day",[114] first said inCaptain America: The First Avenger when he, before becoming Captain America, stands up to a bully.[115][116]: 20 Rogers repeats this line inCaptain America: Civil War andAvengers: Endgame.[117] According toSalon, the line is "iconic and oft-quoted".[118]The Washington Post considered it among the franchise's "most memorable and effective lines".[119]Entertainment Weekly called it one of the MCU's "best one-liners".[120]Film journalCinephile cited the phrase as an indicator of the character's "heroic fortitude and resilience" and "moral character".[121]: 40
Rogers' elderly appearance at the end ofAvengers: Endgame has been noted to resembleJoe Biden, which Evans acknowledged.[122][123] His quote "No, I don't think I will" has also become the subject of severalInternet memes.[124]
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