The Best Captain America Movies And TV Shows

Summary

• Captain America: Brave New World is not about Steve Rogers but is full of ties to past MCU phases.
• The Falcon and the Winter Soldier sets up Captain America: Brave New World with an intriguing thriller.
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a top-tier MCU film, setting up future events and concluding S.H.I.E.L.D.’s story.

Captain America is an icon in comic books, and since the MCU debuted him in 2011, he’s been an icon in cinema too. Captain America: Brave New World is the fourth main movie starring a version of Captain America, but this time, it’s not Steve Rogers.

Sam Wilson shifted from The Falcon to Captain America as the titular hero in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which was a show on Disney+. With that show, Captain America: Brave New World, the Steve Rogers trilogy, and a secret adaptation, there are six Captain America adaptations in media worth discussing. Let’s rank them all without diving into too many spoilers.

7

Captain America

Pull The Car Over

This may surprise some people, but before the MCU began and viewers could enjoy Chris Evans as Captain America in Captain America: The First Avenger, there was a lower-budget comic adaptation. Captain America was released in the 90s without much fanfare. Steve Rogers in this film is a far cry from any of the other versions out there, be it in live-action or cartoon form. The costume looks silly, the shield is barely used, and Captain America seems uninterested in stopping the Red Skull or being a hero at all.

It wasn’t a hit in 1990, but since then, this Captain America movie has kind of had a resurgence among movie fans who love good/bad movies. Some of the acting is over the top, and Captain America has one move that may have viewers asking, “Did he just do that again?” before laughing uproariously. It involves being sick in a car, so let’s just leave it at that and get to the main attraction: the MCU versions.

6

Captain America (1979)

Made For TV, Still Fun

The 1979 version of Captain America is probably more obscure than the 1990 version. However, it’s easily a better movie despite the low budget. It was made for TV and viewers can easily tell thanks to the poor costume and weird see-through version of Captain America’s iconic shield.

While it can be just as dull as the 1990 version at times, the 1979 version knows it’s based on a silly comic book character and tries to have fun with it. It’s still leagues away from anything in the MCU, but this is another case for good/bad movie fans out there to check out. What’s more, this version of Captain America actually does some heroic deeds and doesn’t just ditch people. A sequel, Captain America 2: Death Too Soon, directed by Ivan Nagy, was released in November of that same year, but was much less remarkable besides the presence of the late great Christopher Lee as the villain, General Miguel.

5

Captain America: Brave New World

Why Aren’t You Smiling?

Captain America: Brave New World seems like it was a long time coming, as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was released back in 2021. Was the wait worth it for fans of Sam/Falcon/Captain America? That depends on viewers hoping for the next best MCU saga. It doesn’t outdo anything that came before it, but it’s also an intriguing thriller in its own right.

What holds it back is the length and unevenness of the pacing between the action and the melodrama. It also fails to highlight some of its better characters, like Isaiah Bradley, Sidewinder, and one other villain who will remain under wraps. It does at least set some things in motion that seem interesting for the MCU, like finally talking about the Celestials post-Eternals.

4

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier

Good Banter Between Sam and Bucky

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was one of the first runs of MCU shows released on Disney+. It’s the first thing that showcased Sam as Captain America following Avengers: Endgame. He was given the shield by Steve Rogers, but Sam still struggled with the weight of the name “Captain America.” That’s when the U.S. government stepped in and nominated their own successor to Steve Rogers: John Walker. While struggling with accepting this proposal, Sam and Bucky have their own adventure babysitting Baron Zemo and trying to avoid John and the government.

The first few episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are enthralling thanks to the chemistry between Sam and Bucky. Baron Zemo is great too, and furthers the bickering between the two while expanding on his character from Captain America: Civil War. The second half of the show is a bit more meandering as it tries to figure out who its villain is. It’s an important show that sets up both Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, but it’s a mixed bag overall.

3

Captain America: Civil War

Black Panther And Spider-Man Enter The MCU

Captain America: Civil War was a good movie because it set up a lot of things, like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. For example, it was the first movie to feature Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, aka. Black Panther, and that chase scene with him on foot still looks amazing almost a decade later. It was also the first movie to feature Tom Holland playing Spider-Man, which showcased how the MCU knew what they were doing with Peter Parker.

The sagas of those two characters alone made Captain America: Civil War worth it. There are other good things about the movie too, like bringing in accountability for the actions of superheroes, but it didn’t quite carry the same legacy as the Civil War arc in Marvel comics. The stakes felt lower, and it probably would have been better if the MCU waited for more heroes to join the cause further down the line.

2

Captain America: The First Avenger

A Campy World War 2 Drama

Captain America: The First Avenger is campy fun like the 1990s version should have been if it were made to honor the source material. Yes, some of the action isn’t as exciting as later MCU films, and the CG effects are a bit laughable now. Skinny Steve Rogers looks like he could have come out of an A.I. rendering, but regardless, the movie works because of the heartfelt portrayal Chris Evans gives as Captain America.

This “aww shucks” gimmick that the movie leans on to characterize Steve Rogers works because Evans is such a good actor. It’s a fun superhero movie on top of it being an exciting World War 2 adaptation. It’s a movie that can be enjoyed on its own without having to worry about fifty other MCU projects in the works.

1

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Does Anyone Want To Get Out?

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the movie that Captain America: Brave New World wanted to be. It’s another movie that can stand on its own while still setting things up for the future and concluding things like the dismantling of S.H.I.E.L.D. as an organization. It was a smart choice to make the movie a political thriller/spy movie first and a superhero movie second.

This Captain America could go toe to toe with other action spies like James Bond from the 007 films or Ethan Hunt from the Mission: Impossible franchise. Steve’s dedication to Bucky is endearing and that elevator scene is just endlessly rewatchable. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is not just the best Captain America movie, it’s easily one of the best MCU films that regularly makes it into the top ten or even top five discussions of the franchise’s lengthy catalog.