10 Captain America Marvel Comics Moments The MCU Recreated To Great Effect

Captain America is one of Marvel’s oldest superheroes, meaning there are a lot of comic book moments the MCU has to choose from. Though the MCU likes to make its own unique stories, it does sometimes adapt certain parts of comic books almost one-for-one in this new context. These Captain America movie moments are usually done organically, so they are effective scenes even for those who don’t recognize them. Marvel has proven they know which Captain America comic book moments will resonate with audiences.

Some of the Captain America movie moments adapted for the MCU are almost identical to the comic book panels or covers they originally come from. Others take an iconic moment and make it fit into a specific movie. That way, Marvel isn’t stuck telling a comic book story over again, but they can still use the big moment from it. Marvel has done this with multiple heroes, like when Spider-Man lifts a collapsed building off himself. This is part of what makes the MCU so appealing to comic book fans.

10 Captain America and Iron Man Clash In Civil War

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Perhaps one of the easiest to recognize comic book adaptations in the MCU is the moment when Captain America deflects Iron Man’s repulsor beams with his shield. This Moment in the MCU is almost an identical recreation of Steve McNiven’s cover art for the final Civil War issue. Though there were plenty of things different between Civil War the comic and Captain America: Civil War, this image is still the perfect way to boil down the two sides.

The image depicts Captain America, stubborn and unmoving. Much like the speech Sharon Carter delivers in the film, which Cap himself gives in the comics, Cap has planted himself like a tree against Iron Man’s attack on his values. Though the fight at this point of the movie has become more personal than ideological for Iron Man, the image itself still does a good job capturing the entire conflict.

9 Captain America Discovers The Winter Soldier’s Identity

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

An old saying among comic book fans was “nobody stays dead except Bucky, Jason Todd, and Uncle Ben.” That changed in Captain America #8 by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, Mike Perkins, and Frank D’Armata. In the issue, it was revealed that Bucky is still alive, and operating as the Winter Soldier. When Cap initially confronts Bucky, he replies, “Who the hell is Bucky?” This line was lifted directly for the MCU version of the character.

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, this moment was recreated during Steve and Bucky’s fight following the car chase on the highway. Bucky’s mask in the MCU version covers more of his face, so viewers might not have known it was him if they weren’t familiar with the comics. Though Bucky was only gone from the MCU for three years, as opposed to more than 40 in the comics, his return was still a huge moment for Steve and audiences alike.

8 John Walker Captain America Kills A Supervillain

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

John Walker took over for Steve Rogers as Captain America both in Marvel Comics and the MCU. Both incarnations of the character also had a much hotter temper than Steve. In Captain America #338 by Mark Gruenwald, Kieron Dwyer, Tom Morgan, and Gregory Wright, John Walker loses control when fighting the villain Professor Power. Walker ends up beating him to death with his bare hands.

In an MCU scene very reminiscent of the comics, Walker also loses control of his temper during a fight. If possible, Walker comes off even worse in the show because it isn’t a known supervillain that he kills, but a person displaced from his home due to the Blip. Walker kills the Flag Smasher member for the death of his partner, even though it was Karli Morgenthau who actually killed Battlestar. This scene leaves Captain America’s shield stained with blood, a powerful symbol for what Walker did to the name of Captain America.

7 Captain America Is Discovered In The Ice

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2012)

Captain America being frozen in ice wasn’t initially Marvel’s plan for the character. This retcon took place in Avengers #4 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The Avengers find Captain America frozen, and manage to free him from the ice. Though the Avengers weren’t around yet in the MCU when Cap was discovered, the unfreezing scene happens similarly in the MCU.

In The Avengers, the MCU gave a brief glimpse at Steve on ice being unfrozen. Similar to the art in the original comic, Steve is shown lying on his back as he is thawed out of the block of ice. It was a nice little nod to the original comics saving this scene for The Avengers, since it was an Avengers comic where Steve was initially unfrozen.

6 Captain America Punches Hitler

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

One of the most iconic Captain America images is Captain America punching Hitler in the face. This image comes from Captain America Comics #1 by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby all the way back in 1941. The image helped serve as support for World War II at the time, which was partially why Captain America was invented in the first place.

Captain America: The First Avenger gets a little meta with Cap’s history as war propaganda. Instead of punching the actual Hitler in the MCU, Captain America punches a man dressed as Hitler as part of a USO show he does. This was a fun way to include the iconic image from the first Captain America movie without having to actually include Adolf Hitler as a character in the movie.

5 Steve Rogers’ Transformation Into Captain America

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Captain America: The First Avenger came very close to a one-to-one adaptation of Steve Rogers’ initial transformation into Captain America. Both take place in a lab under the observation of US Army officials, and both versions of the story end up with a spy shooting the creator of the super soldier serum. Though the MCU adds some additional equipment to the procedure, namely the large silver capsule that Steve goes in, the scene is very similar.

This was a big moment in Marvel Comics, because Captain America #59 by Bill Finger and Jack Binder was the first time Captain America’s origin was shown. The MCU added some gravitas to the scene by giving Steve Rogers a personal relationship with the serum’s inventor, and by using the capsule as a way to reveal Captain America’s new body. This helped recapture some of the wonder readers felt when first learning about how Captain America came to be.

4 Captain America Wakes Up In Modern Day

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

In the MCU, when Captain America wakes up in modern times, he is originally put in a fake room meant to resemble the 1940s. This scene from the end of Captain America: The First Avenger isn’t similar at all to Captain America’s original comic book revival. In fact, it doesn’t come from a Captain America comic at all, but one that shares strong similarities to Cap’s story.

Twelve #1 by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston tells the story of 12 heroes from the 1940s who are unfrozen in the 21st century. The comic shows a character called The Phantom Detective waking up in a room made to look like he’s still in the ’40s with a nurse coming in to check on him. This is almost identical to the scene where Steve Rogers wakes up in the MCU. Lifting this great idea from a similar comic allowed the MCU to show how SHIELD tried to handle Steve’s return to the world without sending him into shock.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Captain America has lifted Thor’s Hammer in multiple issues of Marvel Comics, but one very similar moment came in Thor #390 by Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, and Brett Breeding. Captain America is fighting a group of villains called the Demons of Death when they begin to overwhelm him. In a last ditch effort, Cap reaches for Mjölnir as the enemies pile on top of him. Using the hammer, Captain America busts out of the dog pile and turns the tide of battle in his favor.

Captain America lifting Thor’s hammer in Avengers: Endgame remains one of the most exciting moments in all the MCU. Not only was it the payoff to a years-old tease from Avengers: Age of Ultron, it was also during a time of great need. Thanos seemed to be gaining an edge on the Avengers in their fight, and Captain America lifting Mjölnir was a turning point for the heroes. This mirrors the circumstances of Thor #390, adapting them to fit into the Infinity Saga.

2 Captain America Fights Spider-Man In Civil War

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

In both the live action and comic book versions of Marvel’s Civil War, Captain America has a one-on-one fight with Spider-Man. In the original comic, the two know each other and have a much deeper conversation. This is actually where Cap gives his tree speech that was given by Sharon Carter in Captain America: Civil War. While the fight in the movie didn’t carry as much weight, it was still fun to see the heroes go toe-to-toe.

Both versions show that Captain America and Spider-Man have a pretty solid rapport, despite being on opposite sides. In the MCU version, this takes the form of bonding over being from New York, and Cap complimenting Peter’s strong will. Though it would have been nice to see more interactions between these characters in the MCU, it was still good to get some version of their Civil War fight.

1 Captain America Tells The Avengers To Assemble

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Captain America has used the phrase “Avengers assemble!” in countless comic books. Though this is a catchphrase of his in the comics, the movies always held off on having him say it. They teased the phrase at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, but cut to black before he finished. This built up a lot of anticipation around when he would finally get to say his iconic line.

Instead of using “Avengers assemble!” too often in the MCU, Marvel wisely held off until the most impactful moment for Captain America to say the line. When gearing up for the final battle in Avengers: Endgame, Cap finally gets to say the line in its entirety, sending chills down the backs of comic book and MCU fans alike. Using the line to kick off the final battle of the Infinity Saga, and Captain America‘s final fight in the MCU, was an excellent send-off for the character.

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