The Captain America series is the best in the MCU, and there’s really no competition. It’s the most consistent, both in terms of narrative and character arcs and an overall sense of purpose for its titular hero (Chris Evans) and the MCU overall. Indeed, while Thor and Iron Man’s trilogies made considerable efforts to progress their central characters’ journeys, the Cap series actually had severe repercussions on the MCU and in characters beyond the Star-Spangled Man, including Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), and even Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) himself.
One of the key aspects that made Cap’s saga so entertaining was the incredible action sequences it features. The movies did a wonderful job of making Captain America seem like a mighty warrior capable of going toe-to-toe with the MCU’s most dangerous villains. From taking down an enemy plane with just his shield to stopping a helicopter with his bare hands, the series successfully made Cap seem like a proper threat that no one would want to go against. The release of Captain America: Brave New World continues the story of Captain America, albeit with a new man, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), wielding the shield. However, the film promises to live up to the Steve Rogers trilogy in terms of action, spectacle, and overall thrills. This list will rank every Captain America movie based on the action; the number of setpieces will be considered alongside the quality of the execution and how vital they are to the film’s plot.
3
‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ (2011)
Directed by Joe Johnston
As an introduction to the titular character, Joe Johnston‘s Captain America: The First Avenger is quite good. The film does its best to set up Cap’s character arc, introducing him as a noble and righteous man who wants to serve and protect justice more than anything. It also introduces Peggy Carter (Halye Atwell), Cap’s main romantic interest, and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), his best friend and arguably the most meaningful person in his life. The movie is set in World War II, meaning much of its action takes on a militaristic approach and is limited by both its time and place and the lack of other superheroes.
Captain America: The First Avenger is a great superhero movie that is content with fitting nicely in the genre’s confinements. It does little to push the envelope, sticking to the classic formula of a hero’s origin story, and that translates into the action setpieces. It has a few memorable sequences, largely in the second act once Rogers has taken the super soldier serum, but none are particularly memorable. Evans is still finding his footing as Cap, but he does a good job embodying the hero’s peak condition, especially because the setpieces are basic enough to let him shine. The standouts are probably Cap’s rescuing of Bucky Barnes and Barnes’ apparent death aboard a moving train. As a whole, Captain America: The First Avenger is a solid hero origin story and a great starting point for Cap’s story. However, as an action movie, it leaves a lot to be desired, settling for delivering only the necessary ingredients to qualify for the genre.
2
‘Captain America: Civil War’ (2016)
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo
The third and final movie in the Steve Rogers trilogy, 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, is the most over-the-top and grandest in scale. Indeed, it’s more of an Avengers movie rather than a Cap adventure, featuring a large ensemble of heroes in conflict due to the restrictive nature of the newly introduced Sokovia Accords. Downey Jr.’s Iron Man acts as an antagonist, while Stan’s Bucky Barnes plays the largest role of his MCU tenure up to that point. Meanwhile, Daniel Brühl steals every scene as Baron Zemo, the actual bad guy of the movie and one of the MCU’s best villains by a mile.
True to its status as an unofficial Avengers movie, Captain America: Civil War goes big in terms of action. It has several standout sequences, including the now-iconic airport battle where Cap and Iron Man’s teams fight each other in a brilliant display of superpowers and heroics. However, the film’s best battle sequences go back to the grittier approach the Russo Brothers introduced in their first Cap movie. The opening sequence in Laos, Bucky’s escape from the Counterterrorism Center, and the two-on-one fight between Cap, Bucky, and Iron Man are the best showcases of the trademark style that became the Cap trilogy’s calling card. Captain America: Civil War is bigger, better, and bolder than pretty much any other movie in Phase 3, but that doesn’t make it the best in the Cap trilogy, at least not in terms of action. It sits comfortably in the middle, offering plenty of spectacle but sacrificing some of the more intimate stakes.
1
‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ (2014)
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo
Of course, Captain America: The Winter Soldier ranks as the best film in the series, action-wise. In fact, one can make a strong case for why it’s the best movie in the MCU overall, and the action is a large reason why. The film sees Steve Rogers discovering a plot within SHIELD and going on the run to stop it. Joined by Black Widow and Falcon, Steve must get to the bottom of the conspiracy while avoiding the mysterious Winter Soldier, who turns out to be his former best friend, Bucky Barnes, who was presumed dead during World War II.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier broke new ground in the MCU by featuring a gritty, one-on-one approach to fighting that hadn’t really been seen in the franchise up to that point. The fights are as visceral as the MCU ever allowed them to be, with Cap kicking and punching his way out of even the toughest situations. Evans’ physicality is on full display here, especially during the more intense sequences where he fights in confined spaces. A highlight of the film is the now-iconic elevator fight, where Cap battles several enemies in a brilliant display of action choreography. The film has many other incredible sequences, including Cap’s escape from SHIELD, the opening sequence where he infiltrates an enemy ship, the highway battle against SHIELD and the Winter Soldier, and the climax aboard the helicarriers. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the MCU at its best and most exhilarating, and it remains the standard in terms of action, with few subsequent movies matching it, if any.
