Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures, it is the fifth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Joe Johnston, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America, alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, and Tommy Lee Jones. In the film, Rogers undergoes a transformation and becomes a patriotic superhero who fights against the Nazi HYDRA organization in World War II.
The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $370 million worldwide against a production budget of $140 million. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for Evans' performance, the action sequences, and the visual effects. Captain America was nominated for two Academy Awards, for Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction.
The film was followed by two sequels, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016).
Plot
In 1942, Steve Rogers is a sickly but determined young man who is repeatedly rejected for military service. After being rejected yet again, Rogers is approached by Dr. Erskine, who offers him the chance to participate in a secret experiment. Rogers agrees and is injected with the Super Soldier Serum, which gives him enhanced strength, speed, agility, and intelligence.
Rogers is then trained by Peggy Carter and Bucky Barnes, and he becomes Captain America, a symbol of hope and courage for the Allies. Captain America fights against HYDRA, a Nazi organization led by Johann Schmidt, who has been experimenting with the Tesseract, a powerful energy source.
After Schmidt uses the Tesseract to open a portal to another dimension, Rogers sacrifices himself to stop him. He is presumed dead, but he is actually frozen in ice.
In 2011, Rogers is found by S.H.I.E.L.D., who revive him. He is reunited with Carter, who is now an elderly woman. Rogers learns that the world has changed a lot since he was frozen, and he must adjust to a new era.
Rogers joins S.H.I.E.L.D. and teams up with Black Widow and Hawkeye to stop a terrorist attack. He also meets Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who tells him that the Tesseract has been found.
Rogers and his team track down the Tesseract, but they are attacked by HYDRA, who is led by Alexander Pierce, a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. official. Rogers learns that HYDRA has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and is planning to use the Tesseract to launch a global attack.
Rogers and his team stop HYDRA and prevent the attack, but Pierce escapes. Rogers is then offered a position with the Avengers, a team of superheroes who protect the world from threats.
Cast
- Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America
- Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
- Hugo Weaving as Johann Schmidt / Red Skull
- Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter
- Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier
- Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark
- Neal McDonough as Dum Dum Dugan
- Derek Luke as Gabe Jones
- Tommy Lee Jones as Chester Phillips
Production
Development
Captain America was first announced in 1997, when Artisan Entertainment acquired the film rights to the character. In 2000, Marvel Studios regained the rights and began developing the film with Paramount Pictures. Joe Johnston was hired as director in 2006, and Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely were hired to write the screenplay in 2007.
Casting
Chris Evans was cast as Steve Rogers / Captain America in July 2010. Evans had previously played the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four films, but he was eager to play Captain America because he felt the character was more complex and interesting.
Samuel L. Jackson was cast as Nick Fury in October 2010. Jackson had previously played Fury in the Iron Man films, and he was happy to continue playing the character in Captain America.
Hugo Weaving was cast as Johann Schmidt / Red Skull in December 2010. Weaving had previously played Agent Smith in The Matrix films, and he was excited to play a villain in Captain America.
Hayley Atwell was cast as Peggy Carter in January 2011. Atwell had previously played Carter in the short film Agent Carter, and she was happy to continue playing the character in Captain America.
Sebastian Stan was cast as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier in February 2011. Stan had previously played Carter in the short film Agent Carter, and