the MCU timeline, from his World War II origins to facing off with Thanos, eventually leaving behind the moniker and ing it to Sam Wilson.
To see all of Steve Rogers' appearances, check out Captain America's 11 MCU Appearances Ranked.
Captain America has been such an elemental and ever-present force in the MCU that it's hard to believe the two iterations of the character have only technically starred in four solo films. Many of their appearances have come in team up films, where it's easier to contrast their purity of spirit and purpose with some of the more obviously flawed Avengers. Some movies are among the best MCU films when it comes to the Captain America franchise - though this does apply to some of them more than others.
4 Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
A Disappointing Fourth Captain America Entry
Captain America: Brave New World
- Release Date
- February 14, 2025
- Runtime
- 118 minutes
- Director
- Julius Onah
Cast
Sam Wilson / Captain America
Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross / Red Hulk
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Dalan Musson, Malcolm Spellman
- Prequel(s)
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Franchise(s)
- Captain America, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Captain America: Brave New World is the first film in the Captain America franchise to star Sam Wilson as the titular character rather than Steve Rogers, though The Falcon and the Winter Soldier did see Sam Wilson embrace his new title prior to the film. Despite the idea of a new Captain America providing a fresh take on the franchise, Brave New World feels more like a retread of what came before for both iterations of the character, resulting in a rather disappointing outing for Anthony Mackie as the character.
Captain America: Brave New World RT Score Debuts With Third-Lowest MCU Movie Score Of All Time
Captain America: Brave New World isn't ing the best MCU company as it debuts with one of the franchise's lowest Rotten Tomatoes scores.
Perhaps the biggest letdown about Captain America: Brave New World is that it fails to capture the spirit that made the original Steve Rogers trilogy so great despite it pulling heavily from them thematically. This results in a lackluster film that doesn't necessarily take the character of Captain America to any bold, new heights. Fortunately, Sam Wilson will be able to see his story continue (and hopefully evolve) as he looks to play a significant role as part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast.
3 Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The MCU's Major Turning Point
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Captain America: Civil War
- Release Date
- May 6, 2016
- Runtime
- 147 minutes
- Director
- Joe Russo
Cast
Steve Rogers / Captain America
Tony Stark / Iron Man
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Prequel(s)
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel
Captain America: Civil War was a huge turning point for the MCU. Cap's efforts to protect his deeply damaged friend Bucky and shirk the Sokovia Accords led to a splintering of the Avengers that wasn't fully healed heading into Endgame. By the MCU's standards, it's a dark, heavy movie that sees friends forced to fight each other over morally ambiguous ideals that neither side is completely sure about. It's also a movie blessed with the debut of Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther, who both make a strong impression right before their own solo films.
Captain America: Civil War is, essentially, an Avengers film. It's just as much about Tony Stark as it is Steve Rogers, and the fact that nearly every Avenger - save for Thor and Hulk - are on hand makes it hard to take too much time to focus on Cap himself. The film still manages to say some important things about Cap's worldview - his sense of loyalty and righteousness, even in the face of unthinkable resistance, is the character at his core.
2 Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
A Fun, Romantic Origin Story
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Captain America: The First Avenger
- Release Date
- July 22, 2011
- Runtime
- 124 Minutes
- Director
- Joe Johnston
Cast
-
Captain America / Steve Rogers
Peggy Carter
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Captain America: The First Avenger introduces audiences to Steve Rogers, and in many ways feels separate from the larger MCU, not only in its time period but in its storytelling and visual style. The First Avenger was the fifth MCU film, before the studio had established what is sometimes derisively described as their "house style." Veteran director Joe Johnston evokes a warm, nostalgic tone, similar to his underrated classic The Rocketeer. The film firmly and effortlessly establishes what kind of man Steve Rogers is before he's ever shot up with super-soldier serum.
The heart of the film is the relationship between Steve and Peggy Carter.
Aside from a delightful villainous performance from Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, the heart of the film is the relationship between Steve and Peggy Carter. Their doomed romance looms large over the entirety of Steve's MCU story, mostly because it's so immediately affecting. Perhaps appropriately for a film set in the 1940s, Captain America: The First Avenger feels like a film from a different era, before the wry attitude and inescapable interconnectedness of the MCU took root. It's far from the MCU's biggest hit, but it's the movie where audiences first fell in love with this version of Captain America.
1 Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
A Tense Thriller That Is One Of The MCU's Bests
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Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Release Date
- April 4, 2014
- Runtime
- 136 Minutes
- Director
- Anthony Russo
Cast
-
Steve Rogers / Captain America
Nick Fury
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Prequel(s)
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Sequel(s)
- Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: The Winter Soldier was the first MCU film that truly muddied the waters between who was good and evil in the universe, revealing a massive Hydra conspiracy at the highest levels of the ostensibly altruistic S.H.I.E.L.D. Anthony and Joe Russo seemingly came out of nowhere to make the most visually appealing and dynamic MCU film up to that point, while simultaneously leaning into some political thriller tropes that Marvel Studios hadn't really touched before. It also served as the introduction to Sam Wilson, who would go on to become Captain America.
I Was Right! Captain America: The Winter Soldier Is The Most Important Marvel Movie Ever Made
Captain America: The Winter Soldier marks an important turning point for the MCU in the legacy of superhero movies - and I have the data to prove it.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is also the point where it was made plain that Steve Rogers' Captain America was more than a loyal soldier, and that his own sense of right and wrong superseded powerful institutions and direct orders. Captain America: The Winter Soldier not only solidified Steve Rogers as the MCU's arbiter of justice, but it also proved that Marvel Studios was capable of being more than just an assembly line of blockbuster films, and they could tell timely, important stories about big ideas.
Captain America
- Created by
- Kevin Feige
- First Film
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Latest Film
- Captain America: Civil War
- First TV Show
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
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