Captain America (film)

Captain America is a 2006 superhero film set in the Marvel Media Franchise, the third film in the universe. The film stars Chris Evans, Morena Baccarin, Tobey Maguire, Luke Grimes, Sean Patrick Flanery, Annabelle Wallis, Daniel Davis, Mark Wahlberg, and William Sadler and was released worldwide on October 13, 2006. The film ran 116 minutes and grossed $462.2 million on a $120 million budget.

Plot
In 1940, Adolf Hitler is met by Doctor Helmut Zemo and his associate Johann Schmidt about a secret project bubbling in Germany. Zemo reveals he intends to send several nuclear weapons across the United States to end the World War II. Hitler brings them on as the faces of the project, entitled Project: Red Skull. In 1942, 17-year-old Madison Joyce is taken away from her parents in a Nazi concentration camp. Madison is rescued by a team of U.S. operatives working for the S.S.R., a secret government organization. They try to rescue others but are attacked by Zemo. Madison is brought to the United States, where she begins to train to become a S.S.R. agent. Steve Rogers is a weak, slow young man living in Brooklyn. Steve signs up to join the military to aid in the defeat of the Axis. However, Steve is denied a spot due to his many physical problems. Defected German scientist Abraham Erskine convinces S.S.R. founder and U.S. General Chester Phillips to use Rogers as a guinea pig in a project trying to create a super-soldier.

Steve is brought on and meets S.S.R. agent Peggy Carter, soldier Bucky Barnes, Joyce, Erskine, and Phillips. Steve undergoes the experiment and turns out successful. Steve is now overwhelmingly strong and fast, in addition to a more muscular body. Steve agrees to be the face of the Allies as "Captain America", with Peggy, Bucky, Joyce, and several others on his team. Erskine is assassinated by Germany spy, Heinz Kruger. In Germany, Zemo reveals to Schmidt that once he builds and sends the nuclear weapons across the U.S. and other Allied countries, Zemo intends to take over the Azis and rule the world with Schmidt at his side, wanting to create Hydra, a united goverment agency. Arnim Zola, a supporter of Zemo's and a fellow scientist, also intends to work in Hydra. Steve assembles the Howling Commandos, including Bucky, Madison, Dum Dum Dugan, Gabe Jones, James Montgomery Falsworth, and Brian Braddock.

The Howling Commandos, led by Rogers, go on many rescue and battle missions for a consecutive two years until in 1944 when Germany has finished the Red Skull Project, allowing Zemo to take command of where and when the missiles are released. Schmidt tries to rat Zemo out to Hitler, forcing Zemo to attempt to kill Schmidt by shoving his face in a reactor core, however, it only burns off the skin on his face, showing only a red skull, allowing Schmidt to take the name, "Red Skull". Schmidt and Zemo fight until the latter takes his version of the super-soldier serum which enhances his strength, speed, and allows him not to age, or at least age very slowly. Zemo nearly kills Red Skull, however he survives his fall and is arrested by the Allies. The Commandos infiltrate the Nazi's main base and fight Zemo, who escapes with Zola on an escape ship. Steve and Bucky follow him onto the ship, while the rest of the Commandos retreat, upsetting Peggy who fell in love with Steve.

Steve and Bucky fight Zola, knocking him off of the jet, although he is later found by Peggy and arrested 1. Zemo manages to seemingly kill Bucky by shooting him through the shoulder and knocking him off. Steve avenges Bucky by stopping Zemo from using the jet to release the nukes upon the U.S. However, the jet has run out of fuel and Steve cannot fly back, forcing him to crash it into the Atlantic, whilst saying a tearful goodbye with Peggy over the audio box. Steve crashes the jet near an ice cap. Peggy is upset incredibly over Steve and Bucky's deaths but is promoted to a Chief Officer in the S.S.R. The Commandos return and pay tribute to Steve. Meanwhile, in 2006, 62 years later, Steve awakens in Times Square, New York City to find Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. revealing how long he has been asleep. Steve then asks where Peggy is.

In a mid-credits scene, Bucky is found by Zemo and Red Skull, having founded Hydra after the war ended. They return Bucky to Germany where a full base of agents awaits. In a post-credits scene, an almost-ninety Peggy lies in bed, staring at a picture of Steve. Steve walks in and finds her, still waiting and they embrace.

1 In a tie-in comic Zola is found by Peggy and returned to the U.S. in a cell.

Cast

 * Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America
 * Morena Baccarin as Peggy Carter
 * Tobey Maguire as Baron Zemo
 * Luke Grimes as Bucky Barnes
 * Sean Patrick Flanery as Arnim Zola
 * Annabelle Wallis as Madison Joyce
 * Daniel Davis as Abraham Erskine
 * Mark Wahlberg as Red Skull
 * William Sadler as Chester Phillips

Production
Captain America was officially put into development in 2003, after revealing it would take place in the same universe as the films based on Iron Man and Spider-Man, which both were currently in development. Chris Evans was cast as Steve Rogers in April 2005, after a script was completed and Joe Johnston was hired as director. Filming was then scheduled to begin on December 12, 2005. Morena Baccarin, Tobey Maguire, Luke Grimes, and William Sadler were cast in June as Peggy Carter, Baron Zemo, Bucky Barnes, and Chester Phillips. Sean Patrick Flanery and Mark Wahlberg were cast in July as Arnim Zola and Red Skull, while in September, Annabelle Wallis and Daniel Davis were cast as Madison Joyce and Abraham Erskine, rounding out the main cast. Filming began on December 11, one day earlier than expected, and was scheduled to finish on April 15, though after delays because of weather, filming ended on May 17, a month later than expected. The film was originally scheduled to premiere on August 31, however after the delays and Spider-Man's release date being pushed back to July 28, Captain America was pushed back to October 13, 2006.

Box office
Captain America grossed $462,216,280 worldwide, $218,133,298 in foreign areas and $244,082,982 in the United States.

Critical reception
Captain America was met with positive reviews. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 74% approval rating with an average rating of 6.9/10 based on 197 reviews. The site's consensus reads "Captain America offers visual treats that more than compensate for its somewhat thinly written story, adding up to a satisfying diversion for eager viewers." Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 73 out of 100 based on 39 reviews.