32 Thoughts From The Steve Rogers Era Of Captain America

Though Steve Rogers’ time as Captain America has passed, the man’s legacy is still very much with us. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to march on past his happy ending in Avengers: Endgame, the Chris Evans standalone series is still pretty insightful. It also inspires a lot of thoughts that go into random tangents, so let’s get into a reappreciation of what the Steve Rogers era of Captain America has contributed to the MCU.

Joe Johnston Was The Perfect Choice To Direct The First Avenger

If you’d put “From the director of The Rocketeer” on the posters for 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, you’d have probably made someone’s day. Having Joe Johnston help introduce this man out of time with a thrilling throwback adventure was definitely the move. I don’t care what anyone says, this is a top-tier entry when looking at the Marvel movies in order.

Howard Stark Was Totally A Plus Ultra Member

Tying in an obscure Disney movie that I still love to death, I think Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) would definitely have been a member of Tomorrowland’s Plus Ultra. If only there was a push to connect that film to the Marvel legacy, maybe it could have seen more eyes.

The Agent Carter Series Was Done Dirty

Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter is an icon of cunning and strength. And in those early eras where “everything is connected,” giving Agent Carter only two seasons on ABC feels like a move that could only come from HYDRA high command. It’ll never be too late to revive this series, if only to fill in more of Peggy’s adventures with or without Steve.

What Would Dr. Erskine’s Super Serum Do To A Morally Level Person?

In The First Avenger, Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) laid out the knowledge that his Super Serum amplifies both the good and the bad in a person. So basically your moral compass gets as juiced as your muscles do, which begs the question: what if you’re morally neutral? Are you just an aggressively fair person, or would that ultimately count towards the “Good” side of the spectrum?

Dr. Erskine Would Have Protested Isaiah Bradley’s Super Soldier Treatment

If Dr. Abraham Erskine had even an inkling of the experimentation and eventual disowning of super soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), he’d have been furious. Seeing his life’s work being used the way that was revealed in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, we might have gotten another Disney+ subscription exclusive series: “The Wrath of Dr. Erskine.”

Having A Drink With Stanley Tucci Is A Career Goal

Between stories of how Stanley Tucci drank with Chris Evans, and the various cocktail videos he’s shared on social media, it’s now a career goal for me to have drinks with Mr. Tucci. Oh, the stories that could come from a sit down in the right lounge.

I Don’t Think Arnim Zola Was A True Believer In HYDRA

While Arnim Zola (Toby Jones) worked for the Nazi party, and later for HYDRA, I don’t think the man was as dyed in the wool about that nefarious organization’s goals. Sure, he was opportunistic and loved to use infinite resources to do stuff like turn himself into a computer. But I think his superiors benefitting from such work was just an example of a cost he’d pay for his own selfish aims.

Disneyland Should Totally Do A Recreation Of Cap’s USO Show

Not too long ago Disneyland put on the supposedly Broadway-worthy Rogers: The Musical. While the series was never intended to be a permanent fixture, I think having a Marvel Studios stage show at Anaheim Park’s Avengers Campus makes sense. The only difference is I wouldn’t bring back Rogers: The Musical, but rather I’d want a replica of Cap’s big USO show, complete with “Star Spangled Man” being sung in the finale

We Really Need A Howling Commandos Spinoff

I know that the Howling Commandos were eventually used in episodes of both Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, and I appreciate that fact. However, that wasn’t enough screen time for Steve Rogers’ unit, especially since Captain America: The First Avenger made them a joy to watch in action. This should seriously be a Disney+ spinoff, as it could help make up for the untimely cancellation of Agent Carter.

From Steve Rogers’ Decision To Crash In The Ice, This Picture Becomes One Huge Cry

The moment you know that the first Captain America is going to sacrifice himself for his country, it’s an emotional plunge from there. Seeing Peggy Carter’s heartbreak, the Howling Commandos' mournful drink, and the kids inspired by Steve’s heroism putting a perfect dot on this extended flashback are all tear-worthy moments.

Was Adrianne Palicki The First MCU Double Dip?

People love to notice things like the “Marvel Double Dip,” which is where a single actor is seen in different roles throughout the MCU. But was future Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D star Adrianne Palicki the first actor to achieve that feat? She’s certainly one of the earliest occurrences of that phenomenon, and it’s no wonder Marvel Studios has continued to employ it.

Alan Silvestri’s Captain America March May Be My Favorite Marvel Theme

I could never get tired of the “Captain America March,” crafted by the legendary Alan Silvestri. One of the most iconic composers not named John Williams, this maestro’s work has made quite an impression throughout cinematic history, especially on the MCU. If there’s anything that lifts me from the sadness of The First Avenger’s ending, it’s this rousing tune that stands for fighting the good fight.

Sam Wilson Showed Us He Was The Next Cap Right Up Front

Right from the beginning of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) showed the world why he was the perfect successor to Steve Rogers. With a background in counseling veterans and a heart dedicated to doing what’s right, Wilson’s inheritance of that Vibranium shield was spelled out quite early on.

What Ever Happened To Sam’s Girl At The Front Desk?

Sam Wilson makes a fun remark about how he wants Steve to “stop by the VA, make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk,” and it’s never really followed up on. But since the character became even more prominent throughout the MCU after The Winter Soldier, doesn’t it make you wonder if Sam ever did impress the object of his affection?

Project Insight Leaves Me With Tons Of Questions

Wow oh wow. The centerpiece MacGuffin known as “Project Insight” raises a ton of questions that could probably be a separate list. So I’ll just focus on two big concerns for now: how in the world did S.H.I.E.L.D. get the funding for Captain America: The Winter Soldier’s big bad project, and at what point did this ever look like a good idea to anyone?

Gary Sinise Would Be A Fantastic Captain America

Through the Marvel Multiverse, all things are possible, even casting Gary Sinise as a variant of Captain America. His apt voiceover for The Winter Soldier’s Smithsonian exhibit on Steve Rogers always reminds me of the fact that in an earlier time, the Apollo 13 vet would have been a perfect Cap. However, it’s not too late to make Mr. Sinise an alternate universe’s Old Man Rogers, provided he’s up for that.

Robert Redford’s Winter Soldier Casting Is Perfect Subversion

Robert Redford’s career has seen the iconic actor quite often playing the good guy who challenges authority. So to have Captain America 2 using him as the ultimate big bad Alexander Pierce led to one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s biggest rug pulls. I still feel the betrayal when he kills his housekeeper to cover his tracks.

Sharon Carter Is Probably The Biggest Loose Thread In The MCU

After helping Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson navigate a massive government conspiracy in The Winter Soldier, and the perils of the Sokovia Accords in Civil War, Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) is the biggest question mark of the MCU. With her appearance in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier revealing her to be a secret traitor to the government, Agent 13’s story is all over the place.

I Really Hope Steve Rogers Was A Lot Of Young People’s Introduction To Harry James

Harry James and His Orchestra’s “It’s Been A Long, Long Time” practically became a theme song for the personal side of Steve Rogers. Introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and fulfilled in Avengers: Endgame, I’d like to think quite a few young Marvel fans are now also big band-era enthusiasts.

The Winter Soldier’s Politics Are Practically Timeless

Using Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) as our new man out of time, The Winter Soldier offers a practically timeless political counterpart to the Captain America legacy. With the hired assassin showing us the downside to the existence of the Super Serum program, the balance of power is a huge theme of the story that’s told in this massive blockbuster.

Anthony Mackie Was Totally Right About Captain America

While some audience members weren’t too keen on Anthony Mackie’s comments on Captain America and how its various leads represent its country’s ideals, I think he’s absolutely correct. Through both Sam Wilson and John Walker’s embodiment of the title, very different messages come out in these insightful Marvel stand-alones.

I Think The Sokovia Accords Are The First Step To The X-Men’s Struggles

Thanks to Captain America: Brave New World’s massive ending, the government that succeeds Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross’ presidency feels primed to take on legislation against “enhanced beings” in light of that picture’s events. Which kind of feels fitting, as that very character seems to have laid the groundwork through the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War.

Captain America Movies Need To Stop Being Backdoor Sequels To Other Series

Let’s just admit it once and for all: Civil War is a backdoor Avengers movie, and Brave New World could basically be an Incredible Hulk sequel. No matter who Cap happens to be at any given moment, it feels rather unfair that his stories are often hijacked to set up some grander plan, which doesn’t allow us to dig into his character as much as we should.

Tony Stark Pulling Peter Parker Into Civil War Was A Very Dumbledore Move

What happens when a mentor endangers a young kid full of promise, via a fight that’s way over his head? You get Tony Stark’s drafting of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) into Captain America: Civil War’s big fight. Or, you get Dumbledore’s treatment of Harry Potter throughout his tenure in the Wizarding World. The big difference is that we’ve never seen Hogwarts’ headmaster grapple with as much guilt as Tony did during Avengers: Endgame.

The Civil War Story Arc Should Have Been Its Own Phase

In the world of Marvel Comics, the Civil War story arc was a gigantic deal that played out over an extended period of time. For as good as the finished product happens to be with this Captain America three-quel, it still feels rude to short-change this huge pivot, in the name of introducing Spider-Man and Black Panther.

Part Of Me Still Wishes We Got Captain America: Serpent Society

When it was first announced, the third chapter of Steve Rogers’ story was initially titled Captain America: Serpent Society. A wildly different movie than what we eventually got, YouTube channels like Bullets & Blockbusters have covered how the original concept was supposed to play out, and the moral dilemma that Steve Rogers would have faced is one of the several reasons I’m still curious about what could have been.

Cap Also Betrayed Howard Stark By Siding With Bucky

As if it wasn't bad enough that Captain America: Civil War pitted Steve Rogers against Tony Stark, we also learn that Bucky Barnes' Winter Soldier persona was the murderer of Tony's parents. So when Cap sides with his old buddy from Brooklyn, he's betraying two generations that trusted him to do the right thing.

Henry Jackman’s Scores Still Totally Rip

Composer Henry Jackman was a fantastic successor to Alan Silvestri’s work on Captain America: The First Avenger, full stop. Both The Winter Soldier and Civil War’s musical scores are mindblowing entries into the musical catalog of the MCU, with special thanks to cues like “Taking A Stand” representing the musical path laid out for Cap’s road ahead.

We Didn’t Get Nearly Enough Time With Steve Rogers’ Nomad Persona

A totally disillusioned Steve Rogers who believes in beards and forgoes his classic shield was something that teased all sorts of possibilities in Avengers: Infinity War. Of course, Chris Evans’ MCU hero would eventually clean up, and start wearing the stars and stripes when the chips were really down; but couldn’t we have gotten a little more time with the grittier side of Cap?

Cap Getting Thor’s Hammer Will Never Stop Being Amazing

It was the shot called during a random gag in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but Steve Rogers getting to wield the hammer of Thor is always a moment that’s welcomed on the big screen. In fact, it sits up there next to Cap finally yelling “Avengers, assemble!” as an iconic moment that makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe what it is.

For A Kid Who Had No Business Fighting, Steve Rogers Did The Best He Could As Cap

In terms of military training being paired with his skills as a counselor, Sam Wilson is the epitome of who I think should be Captain America. But for a kid from Brooklyn who had to build that legacy the hard way, and with no examples to work off of. Steve Rogers did the best he could - and that should never be forgotten.

Steve Rogers Should Have Never Went Back In Time To Romance Peggy Carter

I’m sorry, but Avengers: Endgame’s finale showing Steve returning to Peggy Carter after World War II is wrong. Not only is this a time paradox so great it should rip apart the Sacred Timeline, but it also means that when Mr. Rogers was kissing Sharon Carter in The Winter Soldier, he was technically kissing family. I don’t think he’d approve of that.