The franchise has also been given a lot of rightful credit for reinventing characters that are more well known. Heroes like Iron Man, the Hulk, and Black Panther have maintained popularity throughout the years, but since the MCU has been made to represent something new and fresh for the modern audience. Perhaps the biggest character transformation (so far) is one that was given to a very well-known classic Marvel hero. He used to represent something that is now quite dated and off-putting, but through the MCU has become something much more realistically heroic.
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Captain America was portrayed in multiple films by Chris Evans in the MCU, but following The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Disney Plus series the shield now belongs to Anthony Mackie. Originally, the character was created in 1940 during World War II. He was a representation of patriotism and “the American dream” and remained very popular throughout the war. The cover of his first comic even shows him punching Hitler right in the face, so this wasn’t an exactly subtle move. He’s essentially a super soldier, named Steve Rogers, who fights the Nazis and does a whole lot of good. While this was incredibly popular at the time, it’s now a message that doesn’t fit very well with current political climates.
The introduction of Captain America in the MCU was done in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. It’s essentially his origin story, and focuses a lot on his creation and his character being used as a symbol of hope and patriotism in America. It’s a pretty good movie, albeit a bit of a slow and background-heavy story, but it isn’t often seen at the top of people’s lists when talking about superhero movies or even the films of the MCU. Overall, even though they do seem to be kind of poking fun at the concept, Captain America still comes across as largely a propaganda machine and he’s sort of bland. This is very similar to Captain Marvel’s origin story movie. In these characters’ origin movies, they are just highly overpowered and pure with seemingly no faults.
In his second film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, his character starts to form into this new version. It’s a subtle change, but seeing the character in a modern world and being just kind of normal is a lot more refreshing than his origin story. He’s still of course the epitome of good, and super strong, but he’s becoming something a little different than people might expect. It’s in Captain America: Civil War though where he really comes into his own and becomes a modern Captain America, made for the people of today. He believes in social justice, not just goodness for the sake of patriotism.
Captain America: Civil War shows the real flaws that Captain America has. He makes mistakes, and he’s human. He still has the desire for goodness, but he’s got a real conflict. Captain America is fighting against the establishment, and against politicians, to fight for what he believes is right. He’s kind of breaking the law here. This is far more inspirational, and relevant, than him just being a figure who works for the government and does what he’s told. Chris Evans’s portrayal of the hero is so unbelievably honest, and he as a person has also made quite a lot of political statements, so the new Captain America was kind of cool. He’s an activist.
Following the end of the journey Chris Evans took with Captain America in Avengers: Endgame, it was time for someone else to pick up the mantle. Sam Wilson/Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie, was the hero’s first choice but it was unsure whether the shield would be a good fit. And if the Falcon and the Winter Soldier series on Disney Plus achieved anything, it surely showed audiences that Falcon was a perfect choice. This has changed the legacy of Captain America both within the MCU as well as in the world, forever.
Falcon wasn’t showcased as much as he should have been up until The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and it was there that so much was learned about him and why him becoming Captain America was so important. He’s a Black man. A Black man who has struggled with the Black experience in America. He is shown still struggling with money, being refused for things like bank loans, even though he’s a well-known superhero. His origin and his life are so different from what Captain America was originally meant to be, and that’s why it’s so important.
The new version of Captain America, is the one who truly represents America. He’s relatable and he’s real, and he represents the experience that far more Americans go through than the squeaky clean, blonde hair and blue eyes image that was previously there. This shows so much growth within the character, and what he can mean to people. It’s special and a great trajectory for the character to take. With so much emphasis being put on inclusivity and representation needed in the media, this feels like a necessary step for the MCU to take. Hopefully, this continues and ends up adding a new dimension to the character and the franchise as a whole.
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