Captain America The First Avenger is easily the best film in Marvels Phase 1. It introduces Captain America into the universe, expands on Shield and the US military/government, introduces super soldiers, and Hydra. All of these players play massive roles within the MCU going forwards and their core values are shown throughout this film.
All of the Characters Develop Each Other’s Character
The characters of The First Avenger all play pivotal roles across the MCU however a lot of them only ever prominently appear in this film. Peggy Carter, Howard Stark, and the Red Skulls influence is felt throughout the saga, and it all starts, and can be completely understood, in this film.
Captain America is the Perfect Superhero
Steve Rogers is arguable the best character in the MCU. His unweathering motivation to fight for what is right, how he inspires others, and how he is willing to make sacrifices for the greater good, all come together to create the perfect superhero even before he has any powers.
Captain America is an inspiring character. We first see him taking a beating after he stood up to someone being disruptive in a cinema. Everyone else in the audience glances over at him but Steve is the only who actively does anything. This is where we get the famous line “I can do this all day” which is Steve Rogers in a nutshell.
Steve Rogers is not only an inspiration to other characters in the film but also to the audience. He is relentless in the pursuit of his goals, and this consumes him. We see this at the Stark convention where Howard shows off a flying car. This would have been close to magic at the time, but Steve is distracted by an enlisting tent and goes off to enlist. Even after he successfully enlists thanks to Dr Erskine, we see him reading books and articles in the barracks whilst everyone else is celebrating. His goal to become a soldier is everything to Steve and it’s truly inspiring to anyone who has big goals in life.
All of these factors come together to make Steve Rogers an amazing character even before he gets powers. Unlike every other hero in Phase 1, Steve doesn’t actually go through a character arc in his film. He starts and ends with the same core values which goes to show just how pure those values are.
Steve’s Core Values are Always on Display
One of the great things about Captain America is that there’s an innocence to him. He’s obviously been a shy kid who’s been obsessed with his goals instead of socialising so now he’s in a very social environment he lacks the capabilities of those around him.
There is a blind respect for authority and Steve will do often whatever he is told from someone in a higher position of power than him (unless he believes that order is wrong in which case he’ll disobey it). This leads to him being exploited by the propaganda people who use him in their shows to convince civilians to sign up. It’s during this time that we see Steve pushing through his fears to complete a goal. He is terrified of public speaking but tries anyways which shows that he would rather try and fail than never try at all.
We see him face discomfort when Private Lorraine, Natalie Domers character, makes a move on him. Despite being embarrassed and awkward, Steve remains in his position when he probably wanted to run away. This backs up his trait of never backing down from a fight. We also see that Steve doesn’t have an ego in this scene when he doesn’t take any credit for the rescue. To him, it was just the right thing to do, and any good person would have done the same thing.
These scenes show that whether feeling uncomfortable, being in a bad position, or being praised, Steve never changes. He will always be Captain America, and this is why he is an amazing character.
Peggy Carter Lifts Up Captain America
Peggy Carter is a Steve’s love interest and is an influencing factor on him throughout the MCU. The First Avenger uses her to build up Steve’s character as he influences her and visa versa throughout the film. This is done masterfully and organically develops both characters at the same time which is the reason for their relationship.
Captain America inspires hope and courage in those around him and we see the effect of this through Peggy. She believes in Captain America and his mission so goes out of her way to assist him with his objectives. We first see this when he plans to save the captured soldiers and she employs a pilot, gives him military information and equipment, and acts as support for his mission. She goes against her higher ups orders because she believes in Captain America and Howard puts his life at risk for the same reasons. This organically shows that Cap inspires those around him to follow him in doing the right thing.
Peggy is shown to be a competent soldier who doesn’t put up with nonsense which makes her very likeable. The fact that she’s British but has been transferred to the American front indicates that she must be one of the best and we often see her interacting with many people of power. Her first scene is when she takes down a trainee double her size, and this again goes into making her a likeable character.
Howard Stark is Fleshed Out
Up until The First Avenger, our only information about Howard Stark came from his son, Tony Stark, and was mostly negative. Howard was apparently a flawed father, a workaholic, and a very serious man who didn’t have fun. This is not the Howard Stark that we meet here.
Howard is very much like Tony in this film, that being a genius inventor and charismatic womanizer, which sets up an interesting contrast. We know that at some point that he becomes the man that Tony remembers him as, but we don’t know why or when that happens. This sets up some interesting questions that we hope to be answered in future films (they’re not answered but there’s enough clues to make an educated guess).
Howards involvement here also sets up an interesting dynamic between Cap and Tony since they both knew different versions of the man. This dynamic is expanded on throughout the saga and it’s great that we can see both sides of the man so can form our own opinions.
Hydra are the Perfect Opposite of Captain America
Hydra are the scientific research and manufacturing division of the Nazi party and are run by Johann Schmidt, a.k.a The Red Skull. They pose a serious threat to the allied and Nazi forces due to their advanced weaponry and lust for power.
Hydra are the perfect opposition to Cap because it shows how great power can affect people differently depending on their core values. Hydra uses great powers to create weapons of destruction and then take over the world whilst Cap uses them to inspire others to do the right thing. This is another group/ character whose actions develop Caps character and, whilst it’s a common trope for superhero movies, it’s done well here.
Overview
Captain America The First Avenger is a masterclass in character development and is a great case study for any aspiring writer. The characters all lift each other up and create lasting impressions throughout the saga despite only being in one film.
Do You Want to Learn More?
By signing up to the mailing list you’ll receive:
Updates on the latest posts
Weekly Motivational content, videos, or graphics
Weekly Marketing Tips
Weekly Mini articles via email on upcoming subjects (such as upcoming films etc)