Reason number 1: This -
*sigh* can all the ladies just agree that Chris Evans is nice to look at? (and all of the guys can groan now. Go ahead, you know you want to.)
Reason number 2: The shield.
Reason number 3: He’s kind.
No, seriously, before you roll your eyes. I know this isn’t exactly top of the list for superhero traits, but there’s this kindness about him. He cares for others and watches over them. He’s a protector. He dives onto a dummy grenade, trying to protect everyone before he realizes it’s a fake. Even when he’s angry with someone, he’ll still put them first (example, working with Iron Man/Stark - they don‘t always get along, but Cap still has his back).
Reason number 4: Character
You know, in the first movie, Steve wants to join the war effort. That’s kind of the beginning of the tale. And someone asks him if he wants to kill Nazis and he replies, “I don’t want to kill anyone. I don’t like bullies - I don’t care which side they‘re on.” He makes the decision to go through with the experiment because he hates war and injustice. He isn’t doing it because he’s been bullied all his life and he wants to show them up, but simply because he wants to help end the horror some people are facing. So reason 4, is that I love his strength of character. Even when the decision isn’t maybe the best one, he still tries to choose well and then make the best of it.
Reason number 5: A favorite line.
And I know some may disagree with this one, but I really appreciated his comment in the first Avengers movie when he replies to a comment from Romanov. She tells him that he may want to sit this one out and let Iron Man handle Thor and Loki. She says, “They’re practically gods.” Cap replies, “There’s only one God, ma’am. And I’m pretty sure He doesn’t dress like that.” No other comments have been made regarding God and belief in Him, except in the most vague ways, but I was really pleased that the writers chose to include that comment. It’s a reminder that Steve grew up in a era where believing in God was pretty much a given, and though he woke up 70 years later, his beliefs are still ingrained in him.
Note: Another of my favorite lines is: "If you get hurt, hurt 'em back. If you get killed . . . walk it off."
Reason number 6: He’s a good friend.
In the first movie, even when he believes his friend is dead, he refuses to completely give up hope and goes after him. Even while rescuing the other men from being lab rats for Hydra, he still asks after the friend he was told was dead. Then, in The Winter Soldier, he refuses to kill his best friend,. Even when it means he’ll probably die, he flat out denies the opportunity to save himself. He still remembers when Buckey was there for him and he remembers him as the friend he was, rather than the assassin he was brainwashed to be. I’m really curious to see how this continues to play out in the new movie.
The rest of my thoughts (which are rather lengthy, just so you know):
Honestly, there isn’t much I don’t like about Cap, except the occasional cursing, but hey, this is Hollywood. Even the greatest superhero is going to let it slip once in a while, even after admonishing “someone” with “Language!” earlier in the film. I’m going to be honest, Steve is definitely one of my favorite superheroes, though I do like all of the Avengers to some degree. My other favorite is Bruce Banner. Not so much the Hulk side of it, as the character of Banner. He has some great lines in the films and I just really like him.
As a reader/writer, I also really enjoy watching the character of Captain America grow and change throughout the films. He starts out the first movie seeming to be little more than a boy, but by the end, he’s a man, in more ways than just his stature. He matures throughout the story, a by-product of war, I’m sure. He becomes a leader, stands up for what he believes is right, and manages to “save the day,” even though it means making the hard choice. Then in Avengers, he’s still figuring out everything. People, technology, the world after he wakes up 70 years later in a place that no longer feels like home. He’s a little off kilter, but that doesn’t mean he’ll sit anything out. The Winter Soldier explores his return to life further and felt a little darker to me than the first movie. There’s a lot of action in it, then his emotions with Buckey and just the entire thing, as he works to find his place in a world that doesn’t seem to really need him any longer. Then in Avengers: Age of Ultron, we see his biggest fear. Which after watching the movie 10 times (not even fudging that number), I’m pretty sure is not having a home. He feels he doesn’t belong. At some point, he’s called a “relic” (and I have no idea which movie that was in). But there’s this brokenness that seems to lurk just below the surface and is something else I’m really anxious to see come into play in Civil War.
When the Captain America comics were first created, WWII was going on and the writers wanted to give the people hope in some small way. So they created the “all American” superhero. The guy who punches Hitler in the face and protects the innocent. They created this guy who stands up in the face of evil and doesn’t back down from a fight. I think the writers in Hollywood have maybe made him a little more human and a little less perfect, which is probably another reason I love his character. He doesn’t come across as self-righteous, despite being such a “good” character. And I think the world could use a little more hope and kindness and goodness.
So, this didn’t end up as much of the fangirling post I was kind of intending it to be, except for top reason. That was totally fangirling. (maybe I’ll do one for Thor at some point - Chris Hemsworth is nice to look at, too. *mischievous smile*) But hopefully that’s okay, anyway.
Now, you're turn: What do you like/dislike about Cap? Is there anything I forgot to include that you‘d like me to add? Who is your favorite superhero? And are you going to go see Civil War when it hits theaters (in 14 days!)?
P.S. When I was looking for a picture of Chris Evans to use, I found this one and couldn't resist not sharing. So here's your grin! picture!
For legal reasons, I have to state that I own no rights to any of the photos used in this post. I found them via Google. No infringement is intended.
Sarah, I think we could be good friends! I completely agree with your opinion of Captain America. Fun post!
ReplyDeleteI have some catching up to do in the Avenger movies but I will definitely read your Thor post!