Well we’ve made it to the last Phase 1 origin story. It’s been a lot of fun remembering where these characters came from. Despite my distaste for Iron Man 2 and Hulk, the main 3 Avengers get great introductions. Captain America was one I was more interested in than Thor, yet still didn’t compare to Tony Stark. For many, Captain America is the physical embodiment of justice and what a superhero stands for. He is a hero at heart and every decision he makes from First Avenger all the way to Civil War, has always been about what’s right. But how does this movie do on its own?
Well already we have gained millions of bonus points for Peggy Carter. She’s a wonderful human being and still to this day one of the best female characters in the MCU. The relationship between Steve and Peggy is so heartbreaking in the long run and is responsible for one of the most emotional lines in this movie. God if there’s anything I’ve learned watching this, then it’s that Steve would be a great husband and I want him to live with me. You all laugh at me but you know he’s the good guy who insists on cooking and cleaning.
The setting of this film also makes for a more unique MCU film to the one’s we’ve seen before. Iron Man to Thor have all been set in modern day. Captain America takes a setting that has been touched in many movies and shows, World War 2 and makes it fun again. I’m not saying that there’s no good WW2 movies out there, but it’s not always the most positive area in time. The First Avenger takes this setting to teach us everything we need to know about Steve Rogers. He’s a man who lives for war, he will put his country at the centre of his heart and never stop until its safe.
In this sense it really was a great idea to keep his origin in the past before Avengers. This way his character could undergo a translation of sorts. What would this WW2 solider think of the wars in our time and how we moved forward. It’s everything from this movie that follows through Steve in all of his MCU movies. That’s how you know you’re dealing with a good origin, unlike Thor which looses focus of everything we knew from his introduction.
I also wanna say before anyone tries to think they’re right. Peggy Carter doesn’t love Steve because he’s a super soldier. Those two are perfect for each other and she’s in love with his dedication and heart. Some people seem to think that because she’s a woman she only loves him for those reasons. If you are one of those people then I beg you to leave my life forever. Peggy Carter is a precious human being and they deserve to be with each other.
God now I’m onto the point of Steve and how heartbreaking his story is. At the end of the film Steve wakes up in the present day after being frozen in ice for 60+ years. He runs out into the street and takes in the busy streets of New York. Despite all of this, he looks fairly calm for a man out of time. Until Nick tells him how long it’s been which makes him sad as he thinks of Peggy. “I had a date.” boom movie over, emotions destroyed. This is a man who doesn’t care about who’s trying to kill him, he just wanted to be with Peggy. Thinking about that moment hurts my soul.
That’s where I feel it’s fair to talk about The First Avenger and its overall strength. While this movie has some fun action, seeing the iconic shield fly around. It’s the character of Steve Rogers who carries the film forward. His best friend Bucky is also significant in a sense but it wouldn’t be until Winter Soldier where that really shines. From start to finish we see a skinny boy who is given super powers and a rocking bod. But by the end of it he has lost more than he ever gained from those abilities. The whole idea of Captain America was to have a super solider fighting on the front lines.
Steve was more than happy to do anything he could to be a solider. As a result of that he has a traumatic experience and wakes up out of time missing those that he loved. Despite all of this he still knows it’s right to pick up the shield and fight, because he knows he should. That’s what I love about Steve. Even though I praise Tony as my favourite, there’s no doubt that Steve is right behind him as my favourite Avengers. How hard do you think it was for me to watch Civil War, but we’ve got a few phases til we get there.
I do like this film in general. It’s a fitting end to the MCU origins of phase 1 and sets up Avengers nicely. It’s not on Iron Man levels for me personally, the action is good but not the most groundbreaking thing ever. It’s definitely better than some of the phase 2 movies and I think that’s down to Steve and Peggy. I’m excited that we get to see him again very soon as we get to the end of the first phase and onto one of the most incredible things that ever happened on screen. I’ll see you tomorrow when we assemble the gang.