Summary

• Captain America's journey in the MCU showcases his evolution from a two-dimensional, All-American hero to a more complex embodiment of justice.
• Sam Wilson's continuation of the Captain America mantle brings a fresh perspective, highlighting the struggles faced by someone who looks different in America.
• Captain America's appearances in various films range from forgettable cameos to emotionally resonant moments, with The Winter Soldier standing out as the strongest portrayal of the modern Steve Rogers.

Chris Evans' time playing the character is reportedly over, he has certainly been a perfect Cap. Steve Rogers is the embodiment of justice, moving from a more two-dimensional, All-American approach to something much more complex on his journey through the MCU.

As Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) takes on the Captain America mantle, the legacy he continues belongs to Steve Rogers. Sam Wilson has already brought a fresh perspective to what it means to be Captain America in an America that has long rejected people who look like him, something Rogers' Captain America never faced. Audiences are preparing themselves for a whole new Captain America, but no one will forget the one who began it all.

11 Captain America's Appearance In Ant-Man Is Only A Brief Cameo

Ant-Man (2015)

Captain America's appearance in Ant-Man is a very brief cameo in the end-credits scene. The scene, which features Cap and Sam Wilson interrogating Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), makes it to 2016's Captain America: Civil War. The scene suffers from being such a brief appearance, and a post-credits appearance, at that.

A strong post-credits scene, however, can be both memorable and timeless — this is neither. As with many such scenes, this was a mere Easter egg for a movie that would come out the very next year, and the scene itself would appear in said film. Ultimately, the scene is irrelevant to the movie it appears in, with little enjoyment to re-watch once Civil War came out.

10 Steve Rogers Was There For Carol Danvers' Return To Earth

Captain Marvel (2019)

Once more, Captain America appears in a rather small appearance mid-credits. This time, however, it has some plot relevancy to move the MCU forward. The scene features Rogers' Captain America, Black Widow (Scarlett Johanssen), James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) attempting to crack Nick Fury's (Samuel L. Jackson) pager when Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) herself appears.

The placement of the film's release between Infinity War and Endgame is ideal, especially due to the former's cliffhanger ending. The scene is not a repeat in a future movie, therefore standing on its own; something lacking in the Ant-Man appearance. Nonetheless, it does lack the "timeless/memorable" factor and focuses on several other heroes, not just Cap, and is thus simply not impactful.

9 Loki Does A Perfect Steve Rogers Impression

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

This Chris Evans cameo isn't even technically a Captain America appearance. Evans dons the persona for a brief moment as Thor converses with Loki, who transforms into the hero to nettle his brother. Though brief, the moment is hilarious, especially since Thor is not having it.

While Loki transforming into Cap shouldn't count, the scene is too good to ignore. Evans plays Loki playing Cap incredibly well as he asks Thor to have a "rousing" discussion about truth and justice before meeting Thor's rage and getting pinned against a wall. The performance, though brief, shines and makes for a memorable moment in an otherwise rather forgettable film.

8 Captain America Has A Message For Teenagers And Audiences

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Cap's role in Homecoming is yet another minor cameo, as the hero appears in a video for Peter Parker's (Tom Holland) high school gym class and the film's end-credits scene. The scenes themselves have little plot relevance, but their utter hilarity makes them highly memorable for audiences. The gym video sets up the end credits as Marvel Studios takes the prime opportunity to prank its fans for waiting until the very last of the credits to roll, only to be told their patience has not paid off.

The motivational gym videos on their own are funny enough, but the way they set the end credits up is priceless. The MCU has its fans well-trained to wait for Easter eggs during and after the credits roll, and by the time Homecoming was released, audiences were highly unlikely to leave until the absolute end of the movie. To be rewarded with a lecture from Captain America about how patience is not always rewarded was to have the rug pulled out from under the audience's feet. However, the apparent lack of reward was reward enough as it produced one of the funniest post-credits scenes in the MCU thus far.

7 Captain America's First MCU Appearance Is Fine If Not A Bit One-Dimensional

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

The hero's first-ever appearance in the MCU is significant, if on the weaker side. The film itself is a fun adventure, but Evans' Steve Rogers just isn't that interesting — yet. His character arc satisfies the movie, but, in retrospect, Captain America is capable of much greater depth than his surface-level heroics suggest.

The movie deserves a lot of credit for setting up things like Steve and Bucky's friendship, which gets paid off in future MCU projects. The most important payoff, however, is the depth these events add to Cap's character once he is unfrozen in the future. Without the loss of everything he knows, Captain America has no room to grow.

6 Avengers: Age Of Ultron Isn't Really Captain America's Movie

Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)

Age of Ultron has a lot of memorable Captain America moments despite his not-so-memorable arc compared to his counterparts in The Avengers. The ensemble project is one of the weaker Avengers films and definitely benefits from watching it in retrospect of what it sets up. Ultimately, Ultron reads more as a tale of Iron Man's (Robert Downey Jr.) hubris than as a prominent arc for Captain America.

The film serves the audience quotable Cap moments like the infamous "Language!" line, where he instinctively reprimands Iron Man's language in a moment he can never live down. There is also the famous scene in which the heroes take turns trying to lift Thor's hammer, and Steve seems to get closest to moving it. Due to the pay-off in Endgame, where Cap wields Mjölnir, there remains debate to this day whether he had the ability all along. Between such scenes and Cap's sympathetic dynamic with the Maximoff twins, this Captain America appearance certainly brings a lot to the table.

5 The Avengers Begins What Will Be A Deeper Character Arc

The Avengers (2012)

The Avengers benefits from being better received than its first sequel, thereby serving as a stronger appearance for Captain America. The battle against Loki for the Tesseract is the launching board for Cap's reemergence after his stint as a superhero popsicle for the past several decades. It is the beginning of an arc toward a more complex hero, one who has lost everything and emerged in a world full of unimaginable challenges.

This version of Cap, fresh from the ice, has a lot more of an All-American perspective, making him ripe for conflict with the more cynical Tony Stark. In The Avengers, Steve has to learn to work with a team of people who aren't soldiers and aren't quite full-fledged heroes yet, either. His unifying role sets up his future of leadership; even as his experiences chip away at his old-school worldview, he remains the beacon of justice his fellow Avengers need.

4 Civil War Puts Steve Rogers' Convictions To The Test

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

The third Captain America film places Cap in an ethical dilemma that develops his character more than any prior film or, arguably, any of his latter appearances. There is something of a role reversal between Cap and Iron Man here, as the former takes on a position opposing order and oversight while the latter argues militantly for it. Possibly more intriguing is how Cap is forced to choose sides between his oldest, best friend, Bucky Barnes, and Tony Stark.

This appearance of Captain America is an emotional one, made polarizing by the choice to be either "Team Cap" or "Team Iron Man." While this is one of the strongest showings of Captain America as a character, the spotlight is evenly divided between his team and that of Iron Man, essentially making the movie more about The Avengers than about Captain America himself. There is also the controversial kiss between Cap and Sharon Carter, which undermines the hero's ultimate ending and makes for a very awkward moment. Nevertheless, Captain America carries this film with gravitas and tough choices.

3 Infinity War Forces Cap To Refind His Optimism

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Infinity War shows a side of Captain America that isn't seen in any of his previous appearances. On the run at the film's outset, Cap demonstrates haggard cynicism reflected in his changed appearance, from clean-shaven soldier to bearded outlaw. The rift between The Avengers that he is half responsible for is palpable in the movie and plays a role in the heroes' ultimate loss.

While this rift plays into Thanos' hands, it's clear that Cap hasn't changed enough, as his loyalty to his team and unwillingness to sacrifice lives are equally responsible for the villain's victory. Cap utters the final words of the movie as he witnesses Thanos' plan come to fruition in horror. The film is definitely a strong showing for Captain America as he gives a voice to the haunting ending.

2 Cap's Presumed Final Appearance Is A Perfect Ending

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

If Infinity War is a movie about loss, then Endgame is about redemption. Steve Roger's arc in the three-hour blockbuster is a moving tribute and final goodbye to this iteration of Captain America. Beginning from a place of loss like never before, Endgame shows Cap at his most vulnerable — and his most desperate.

This broken-down version of Cap, attending group meetings to cope, is slowly built back up through the movie as the heroes band together in a Hail Mary to reverse their loss. Between the most memorable humorous moments, like Ant-Man's quip about how Cap has "America's ass," and iconic ones like Cap grabbing Thor's hammer, Endgame delivers a memorable appearance from Steve Rogers. His ending, however, is the most beautiful moment for him. Cap has always been a hero first and a person second, so seeing him choose to live out a life with his true love, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), is a touching end.