The journey of Captain America to the big screen was a long and arduous one, predating the formation of Marvel Studios itself. Initial rights were held by Cannon Films in the mid-1980s, culminating in a low-budget 1990 direct-to-video film that was largely disowned. After the rights reverted to Marvel, the project entered a new phase of development in the early 2000s, with various writers and directors attached over the years. The true momentum began after the founding of Marvel Studios and the success of `Iron Man` in 2008. As a core `Avenger`, a Captain America film was a critical piece of the “Phase One” puzzle leading to the 2012 team-up. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige envisioned a film that was unabashedly a World War II period piece, not a modern story with flashbacks. This commitment to the 1940s setting was a bold creative choice. Director Joe Johnston, known for his work on `The Rocketeer` and his art direction on the `Indiana Jones` series, was hired in 2008. His experience with period action-adventure films was seen as a perfect fit for the desired tone. The screenplay, credited to Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, drew inspiration from decades of comics, particularly the classic stories by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, as well as Ed Brubaker's more modern run which recontextualized Bucky Barnes. Casting the titular role was a significant challenge. The studio sought an actor who could believably portray both the pre-serum, 90-pound Steve Rogers and the peak-human super-soldier. Many actors were considered, but the role ultimately went to Chris Evans. Evans was initially hesitant, concerned about the long-term commitment of a multi-film contract and the pressures of headlining such an iconic franchise. After conversations with Robert Downey Jr. and his own family, he accepted the role, a decision that would become one of the most celebrated casting choices in modern cinema history. The visual effects for “Skinny Steve” were a groundbreaking combination of digital manipulation, forced perspective, and the use of a body double (Leander Deeny), creating a seamless and convincing transformation. Filming took place primarily in the United Kingdom, using locations in London, Manchester, and Liverpool to stand in for 1940s New York City. The film was released on July 22, 2011, serving as the final solo film before `The Avengers`.
`Captain America: The First Avenger` is the fifth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the final solo film of Phase One. While released after `Thor`, its story is a prequel to the entire MCU saga, save for the prologue of `Thor`. Its narrative is set almost entirely between 1942 and 1945, with a modern-day bookend that directly sets up Steve Rogers' role in `The Avengers`. The film's premise centers on Steve Rogers, a scrawny but courageous young man from Brooklyn who is repeatedly rejected for military service due to a host of health problems. His indomitable spirit and refusal to back down from bullies catch the eye of Dr. Abraham Erskine, a German scientist who has defected to the Allies. Erskine recruits Steve into the Strategic Scientific Reserve's “Project: Rebirth,” seeing in him the “good man” worthy of his Super-Soldier Serum. The experiment is a success, transforming Steve into the pinnacle of human potential. However, when Erskine is assassinated by an agent of HYDRA—the Nazi's deep-science division led by the megalomaniacal Johann Schmidt—the secret of the serum is lost forever. Initially used as a propaganda tool and mascot, Steve Rogers, now dubbed “Captain America,” must prove he is more than a symbol. He embarks on a one-man rescue mission behind enemy lines, which propels him into a full-scale war against Schmidt and HYDRA, who are harnessing the cosmic power of a mysterious object called the Tesseract to achieve world domination.
The film opens in the present day with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents discovering a massive, frozen object in the Arctic—the wing of a colossal aircraft. Inside, they find a circular, red, white, and blue shield. The story flashes back to March 1942 in Tønsberg, Norway. Johann Schmidt, leader of the Nazi science division HYDRA, raids a village to steal the Tesseract, an artifact of immense power he believes to be the “jewel of Odin's treasure room.” He murders the town's guardian and takes the cube, planning to use its energy to power advanced weaponry developed by his chief scientist, Dr. Arnim Zola. Meanwhile, in New York City, the audience meets Steve Rogers, a determined but physically frail asthmatic who is trying for the fifth time to enlist in the U.S. Army. His application is again rejected. After being beaten up in an alley for standing up to a bully, he is saved by his lifelong best friend, Sgt. James “Bucky” Barnes. Bucky, who is about to ship out with the 107th Infantry Regiment, tries to console Steve, but Steve's desire to serve is unwavering. At a Stark Expo exhibit, Steve makes one last attempt to enlist. His conversation with Bucky is overheard by Dr. Abraham Erskine, who is impressed by Steve's selflessness and courage. Erskine allows Steve to enlist, recruiting him for the top-secret Project: Rebirth. Steve is taken to a training camp under the command of Colonel Chester Phillips and Agent Peggy Carter of the SSR. He is physically outmatched by every other soldier in the program but consistently demonstrates superior intellect, bravery, and ingenuity, most notably when he throws his body on what he believes to be a live grenade to save his fellow soldiers. This act solidifies Erskine's belief that Steve is the perfect candidate. Erskine explains his choice to Steve, revealing that the Super-Soldier Serum amplifies everything inside a person: “Good becomes great. Bad becomes worse.” He reveals that Schmidt was his first test subject, and the unstable, early version of the serum turned him into the monstrous “Red Skull.” The experiment takes place in a secret lab in Brooklyn, with Howard Stark assisting. Steve is injected with the serum and bombarded with “Vita-Rays.” The process is excruciating but successful, transforming him into a tall, muscular super-soldier. As the observers celebrate, a HYDRA agent named Heinz Kruger, who had been observing the procedure, assassinates Dr. Erskine and steals the last vial of the serum. Steve, fueled by rage and newfound abilities, pursues Kruger through the streets of New York. He ultimately captures Kruger, but the agent commits suicide with a cyanide capsule before he can be interrogated. With Erskine dead and the formula lost, Steve Rogers is the one and only super-soldier.
With the U.S. unable to create more super-soldiers, Colonel Phillips shelves the project. Senator Brandt, however, sees an opportunity. He recruits Steve, gives him a colorful costume based on Stark's initial designs, and christens him “Captain America.” Steve is sent on a USO tour across the country and later to the European front to sell war bonds and boost morale. He becomes a celebrity and a propaganda icon, starring in films and performing in stage shows with a chorus line of dancers. While the troops on the front lines mock him, seeing him as a joke rather than a real soldier, he endures the role for the good of the war effort. During a tour in Italy, Steve learns that Bucky's unit, the 107th, was lost in a battle against HYDRA forces. Refusing to believe Bucky is dead, Steve defies orders from Colonel Phillips. With the help of Peggy Carter and Howard Stark, he flies a plane behind enemy lines to Schmidt's primary weapons facility. There, he single-handedly infiltrates the factory, frees the captured soldiers, and confronts the Red Skull. Schmidt reveals his disfigured, crimson face and his belief that he has transcended humanity. During the ensuing battle and factory's destruction, Steve reunites with Bucky and leads the freed prisoners, including soldiers Dum Dum Dugan, Gabe Jones, and Jim Morita, back to the SSR base. His heroism earns him the respect of Colonel Phillips and the men he rescued. He is finally allowed to fight. Howard Stark outfits him with a new uniform and a variety of prototype shields, but Steve is drawn to a simple, circular shield made of `vibranium`, a rare, vibration-absorbent metal that is completely indestructible. Steve recruits Bucky and the other soldiers he rescued, forming an elite unit that becomes known as the Howling Commandos. They launch a series of devastating raids on HYDRA bases across Europe, systematically dismantling Schmidt's operations. The montage of their successes establishes Captain America as a legendary battlefield hero.
During a mission to capture Dr. Zola on a high-speed HYDRA train, the Howling Commandos are ambushed. In the ensuing fight, a blast from a HYDRA weapon blows a hole in the side of the train car. Bucky is thrown from the train and plummets to his apparent death in a frozen ravine below. Grief-stricken but more determined than ever, Steve uses the intelligence gathered from a captured Zola to locate the Red Skull's final, hidden base in the Alps. He leads a full-scale SSR assault on the fortress. Inside, Schmidt reveals his endgame: to use the Tesseract's power to destroy major cities across the globe, starting with New York. Schmidt boards his massive, wing-shaped bomber, the Valkyrie, and takes off. In a daring chase, Steve boards the aircraft with the help of Colonel Phillips and Agent Carter. Aboard the Valkyrie, Steve battles his way through HYDRA soldiers to confront the Red Skull in the cockpit. Their final fight damages the housing for the Tesseract. Schmidt, arrogantly grabbing the cube with his bare hands, is consumed by its raw energy and appears to be teleported or disintegrated into a beam of light that shoots into space. The Tesseract burns through the floor of the plane and falls into the Arctic Ocean. With the plane still armed and flying towards New York, Steve realizes there is no way to safely land it. Over the radio, he says a final, heartbreaking goodbye to Peggy Carter, promising her a dance. He then deliberately crashes the Valkyrie into the Arctic, saving millions of lives at the cost of his own. Howard Stark later recovers the Tesseract from the ocean floor but is unable to locate Steve or the plane. Captain America is presumed dead, a national hero lost in action. The film then cuts to Steve waking up in a 1940s-style hospital room, with a baseball game playing on the radio. He recognizes the game as one from 1941 that he attended, realizing something is wrong. He breaks out of the facility and finds himself in modern-day Times Square, overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., arrives and calmly explains that Steve has been asleep—frozen in the ice—for nearly 70 years. The final line of the film has Steve looking at the chaos of the modern world, lamenting, “I had a date.”
`Captain America: The First Avenger` is a deep exploration of what it means to be a hero. The central theme, articulated by Dr. Erskine, is that true strength comes from character, not physical power. Steve is chosen because he is weak; he knows the value of strength and has compassion. He never seeks power for its own sake, only as a means to protect others. This is contrasted directly with the Red Skull, who craved power and was corrupted by it. The film also examines the line between patriotism and propaganda. When Steve first becomes Captain America, he is a manufactured symbol, a tool to sell bonds. He only becomes a true hero when he casts aside the scripted role and takes independent action to save his friends. His journey is about reconciling the public symbol of “Captain America” with the private identity of “Steve Rogers,” a theme that resonates through all his subsequent appearances. Finally, the theme of sacrifice is paramount, culminating in Steve's decision to sacrifice his own life—and his future with Peggy—to save millions.
This film is the historical linchpin of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its contributions are immense:
The film is remarkably faithful to the spirit of Captain America's Golden Age origins while making shrewd adaptations for a modern audience.
`Captain America: The First Avenger` was a critical and commercial success. It grossed over $370 million worldwide against a budget of $140 million. Critics praised the film's earnest, pulp-adventure tone, Joe Johnston's direction, and the period setting, which distinguished it from other superhero films of the era. Chris Evans' performance was widely lauded for capturing both the vulnerability of “Skinny Steve” and the quiet authority of Captain America, silencing any initial skepticism about his casting. Hayley Atwell's portrayal of Peggy Carter was also singled out as a highlight. While some critics found the second act's montage a bit rushed, the overall consensus was that it was a strong, heartfelt, and entertaining origin story that successfully set the stage for `The Avengers`.
The legacy of `The First Avenger` is profound. It not only introduced one of the MCU's central “trinity” of heroes but also established a historical context that enriched the entire universe.