3 MCU Moments That Proved Chris Evans’ Captain America Is an S-Tier Character; Only One Is A Fight Scene
The trailer for Avengers: Doomsday officially brings Steve Rogers back into the fold, with Chris Evans returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time since Avengers: Endgame. The footage shows him joining Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) desperate rally of Earth’s mightiest defenders against a multiversal threat, teased to be Victor von Doom (Robert Downey Jr.). In addition to surprising his old Avengers friend, Steve also reclaims Mjolnir in the trailer, proving he’s still worthy of handling the magic hammer. It’s an emotional moment that nevertheless underlines a common criticism toward Marvel Studios’ upcoming crossover event.
Avengers: Doomsday detractors argue that Marvel Studios is leaning on a familiar face to drive hype rather than serve the story, especially given that Steve had already retired by the end of Avengers: Endgame. Still, the trust the MCU is placing in Steve by bringing him back at all underlines how important the character is for millions of fans. Steve spent the entire Infinity Saga proving why he was worth that trust, from leading the original team through the Battle of New York in 2012, to refusing the government oversight terms at the center of Captain America: Civil War, to volunteering to return every Infinity Stone to its exact place in time in Avengers: Endgame. Steve has arguably the best character arc in the MCU so far, and a few moments prove why he’s an S-tier hero.
3) Diving on the Grenade in Captain America: The First Avenger
Long before Steve Rogers gains superhuman strength, Captain America: The First Avenger uses a training-camp drill to establish exactly what kind of man is about to receive it. In the scene, Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) tosses a live-looking grenade into a group of recruits as an unannounced test, and almost every soldier dives for cover. Almost. Steve, still the ninety-pound weakling turned away by five separate enlistment boards, throws himself directly on top of the grenade, willing to sacrifice himself to contain the blast and save the others.
The scene serves so Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) can settle an argument with Phillips over which recruit deserves the Super-Soldier Serum. The scientist wants to equip a soldier who already has an unbreakable moral fortitude, while the Colonel is initially favoring physical strength. The grenade test proves why Steve is the best candidate to become Captain America, as even without powers, and even knowing he will die, he’s still ready to throw himself into danger if that means saving lives.
2) The Elevator Ambush in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier finds Steve Rogers discovering a conspiracy inside SHIELD itself. While trying to escape the agency’s headquarters, Steve starts a tense elevator ride. At each floor, more armed SHIELD agents board the elevator, including Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo), a man Steve has fought alongside on prior missions. While there’s nothing inherently wrong about sharing an elevator ride, Steve’s observes the subtle clues that the men are there to fight him, and someone in SHIELD wants to capture Captain America.
Before anyone moves, Steve asks if anyone wants to leave. No one does, and only then does the fight start. The scene runs about three minutes, as Steve is trapped in a space too small to dodge, fighting against nine trained men who take his shield and pin one of his arms to the wall with a magnetic restraint. Steve wins anyway. Beyond the impressive choreography of the scene, the elevator brawl is relevant because Steve offers a way out to men who are seconds from trying to kill him, and he only fights because they refuse it. That tells a lot about Captain America, as despite being one of Marvel’s best combatants and a brilliant strategist, Steve always sees direct conflict as his last option, never his first.
1) Leaving the Shield Behind in Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: Civil War splits the Avengers over the Sokovia Accords, but the story’s real climax happens after the titular brawl, inside a HYDRA bunker in Siberia. In the bunker, a recording reveals that Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), while brainwashed as the Winter Soldier, killed the parents of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Tony attacks Bucky on the spot, intending to kill the Winter Soldier, and Steve fights his friend to a standstill to stop him.
When the fight ends, Steve and Bucky start to walk away. Tony, wounded on the ground, calls after them that the shield isn’t Steve’s, that he doesn’t deserve it, and that his own father built it. Steve doesn’t argue the point. He leaves the shield behind and keeps walking. The message is clear: Steve believes he did the right thing protecting Bucky, but he also recognizes the errors of his actions and knows Tony has every reason to hate him. Dropping the shield is also symbolic of how Steve is letting go of the title of Captain America, a government-adjacent hero, to become an outlaw. After all, Captain America’s morals are aligned first and foremost with what he believes is right, and only then with institutions.
Which Captain America moment do you think makes the strongest case that Steve Rogers is the MCU’s most complete character? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
