By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)
The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.
Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments.
• STEVE DOESN’T LIKE BULLIES •
MOMENT# 47
MOVIE: Captain America: The First Avenger
DIRECTORS: Joe Johnston
WRITERS: Christopher Marcus & Steven McFeeley
Chris Evans as a young and much smaller soldier in Captain America: The First Avenger
There are many character-defining moments for Steve Rogers in the MCU. Moments that show just what kind of person he strives to be, this is a guy willing to stand up for ideals. One truly personal ideal is his stance on bullies. One moment would define, not just his character, but the people he would go on to fight. Outside of the first two Avengers films (and a brief cameo in Thor: The Dark World and Spider-Man: Homecoming), Christopher Marcus and Steven McFeely have written almost every film Steve Rogers has appeared in. This is a distinction they don’t share with any other writers in the MCU. Because of this, they were able to lay down the character and then build on the foundations over time.
Audiences are introduced to Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, the final movie before the hotly anticipated The Avengers. Before Steve Rogers became Captain America, he was a short scrawny guy, who just wanted to do his part. He felt it wasn’t fair that all these other men his age were going off to war and he wasn’t. After an argument with long-time best friend James “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Steve once again attempts to join the Army. He’s so desperate to do his part and fight for his country that he’s willing to risk prison time by lying on his physical form. He’d been trying every recruiter in the state to give him a shot. When it looks like he was found out, Doctor Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) walked into the room and asked Steve a simple question: “Do you want to kill Nazi’s?”
Doctor Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in Captain America: The First Avenger.
“I don’t want to kill anyone. But I don’t like bullies, I don’t care where they're from.”
Steve’s response is short and to the point. The future Captain America had spent his entire life being bullied. He learned at a very young age that they would never stop unless he stood up to them. He would later tell Peggy (Haley Atwell) that he knew that if he ran, they would never let him stop. His response to Dr. Erskine in that room was what ultimately convinced Erskine that Steve was the perfect candidate for the super-soldier program. Steve was willing to put his life on the line to fight the most dangerous bullies the world had ever seen, not because of some sadistic desire to kill, but because it was the right thing to do. As far as Erskine was concerned, he’d found his man.
General Phillips (played by Tommy Lee Jones) and Erskine (Stanley Tucci) in Captain America: The First Avenger.
During basic training for the program, General Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) would try to push Erskine to pick Gilmore Hodge (Lex Shrapnel), since Hodge was the most capable soldier at that camp. Erskine just replied that Hodge was a bully. In his mind, the serum had to go to a good man, a man who didn’t seek power, but a man whose sole desire was to do right. Erskine had seen firsthand what his serum could do to a man who had power already with the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). While Hodge might not have turned out to be another Red Skull, giving a bully of any kind the serum was not an option to Erskine.
The moment in that physical room told Erskine and the audience everything they needed to know about Steve Rogers. Standing before Erskine was a good man, the kind of man that will stand up to the bullies of the world. This philosophy would guide Steve throughout his journey in the MCU. When he faced Loki, SHIELD, or his fellow Avengers, he knew what the right course of action would be because he was an incorruptible force and he had to put the bullies in their place.
Captain America Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) in Captain America: The First Avenger.
Steve Rogers is a true hero. A good man, constantly trying to do the right thing and taking a stand against the bullies of the world to protect those who can’t protect themselves. The anti-bullying theme of the MCU may not be the most overt one but it was baked in its DNA from the beginning and given shape and form with Captain America. That one fateful moment in a physical room at the Stark Expo gave the MCU one of its most prestigious heroes and more importantly, one of its defining ideals.