One of Marvel’s hidden superheroes that was in plain sight over the years, safe if you read “Avengers”, was Captain America. He was popular enough, but his runs weren’t exactly runaway successes like Spider-Man, and the X-Men. Even in the Golden Age, he was eclipsed by Human Torch. But one thing Marvel did right nowadays, was bring him and his story to the forefront, in a way that makes one feels good, and with respect to veterans. I read Brubacker’s run, and it was actually really good.
I really enjoyed the movie that was made, and I had an appreciation for the sacrifice veterans make for not just the United States, but across the globe. However, I do think we could have been given far more in a Captain America movie, and movie franchise. Personally, I think it was too soon for a Winter Soldier, or Civil War movie, as there were other storylines they could have explored, such as when the “Secret Empire”, a subsidiary of HYDRA, who impersonated a high ranking government official, and because of the way that “Number One” died, it shocked Steve into giving up the mantle of Captain America to become “Nomad”, and then coming back to reclaim the mantle at a later date alongside US Agent, that would actually make a good sequel movie, which would set up Cap to question his loyalties to the people, the dream, or the government.
But that aside, let’s focus on the first movie, and how I would correct it. First, I would take a page out of X-Men’s first movie’s book, and start in childhood, in the 1930s, in the era of the Great Depression. For the personal story, I would stay closer to the classical story, with Steve and his father, Joseph Rogers, probably playing outside, probably tossing a baseball at each other, then coming in to see his mother, Sarah Rogers, and enjoy some time with her, probably going to draw something on some paper. I would want us to get emotionally attached to Steve’s mother and father, as they are part of that history, and I’d want to show Steve’s escape being art. He was an artist originally, and he loved that, and there was an important element to it. I would also set it up that it was a connection to his mother, and she was the one who supported the art.
In the original comics, Joseph died of a heart attack in the mid 1920s, and he was a veteran from World War 1. Him and his wife Sarah were born and raised in Ireland, so I would actually have Steve with a bit of an Irish accent, although not as strong as his parents.
Their traditions would affect Steve quite a bit. However, I would deviate from that storyline, and opt for an alternative history of Joseph, and that he didn’t just become an alcoholic, but he simply ditched and left. He was abusive towards Steve and Sarah, and he couldn’t take things, was ashamed of himself, and just vanished. It’s also interesting that he lost his job and couldn’t get work, so I think Joseph losing his job, and being rejected a few times, and reaching for the bottle would be what he would go for.
In the original comics, Sarah survived several years after the death of her husband, and took on extra work to be able to feed and clothe Steve, and raise him properly. However, I would also take liberties, and say that she fell extremely sick, particularly after one argument between her and Joseph, and after he smacks her, she becomes far too weak to argue when she wakes up in her bed, with a doctor looking after her. Joseph would be inconsolable, and he would be for her forgiveness, with regret. Steve, of course would have some mounting anger, but when Joseph opts to go pray to church for her health, he would get sidelined by his personal vice.
Steve on the other hand would listen to a line she actually said in the comics, that is actually pretty forgotten. “A strong heart will take you further than any physical strength. A strong heart means you never quit.” I think this could embody Steve’s story throughout the movie, and the sequels, which will give him emotional depth, and show what kind of adversity he will have later in life, and how to strengthen his heart, both in the War, and in the present day.
I would then have it that when Joseph returns, Sarah has passed away, which would cause heartache between father and son. There would be awkward silence, as Steve would be upset at his father, emotionally exhausted, and sad. He would reach for a pencil and start sketching, and choking up emotionally. His father who would normally be quite critical of Steve’s art, and who would want Steve to man up, actually doesn’t get on Steve’s case about it. He wouldn’t know what to say.
In the room would be the neighbouring couple, who would be good friends of both Joseph and Sarah, that would try to support, despite the awkwardness. Joseph would then approach Steve and give him a manly man speech, down to earth lecture, about how he needs to figure out what’s important, and that he’s sorry for what happened. This would be returned with a glare from Steve, who might blame his father, regardless if we think Joseph is genuinely or not responsible for the death of Sarah, which in a youth Steve’s age, it wouldn’t be surprising if he did blame his father.
There would be a six month time skip, where we see that Joseph and Steve moved into their neighbour’s house, and Joseph is having a tough time getting a job. The Irish still were discriminated against in this day and age across North America, so jeers and insults thrown Joseph’s way, and with a reputation of having beaten his wife, and other things, he would have trouble getting a job, and would only return home with a bottle of alcohol, and drinking away.
When he’d get home, he’d tell Steve to focus on education gruffly, but later during the day, a drunken altercation happens where he smacks Steve, then the neighbour’s wife, which causes the neighbour to restrain him, and telling him to step out, and that he will no longer strike his wife, and Steve again. As Joseph goes to leave, Steve will try to get the last word, telling his father that he’d be better off disappearing, something that gets him scolded by the neighbour’s wife, but this sobers up Joseph, as he steps out of the house, and is no longer seen ever again. This would leave an emotional impact on Steve in the long term, but we’d need to try to deal with this part in 10-15 minutes, which it can be done. This would help us establish who Steve is, and what drives him to try to overcome his challenges.
As this Steve would go draw out of anger, we would then shift over as the radio that sets it up that the US has joined the war, and with the news about Pearl Harbour, Steve would be drawing about war bond cartoons that he’d submit to the newspaper, which would be declined, but after walking out of the newspaper company building, (I would have it be called the “Daily Bugle”. A nod to Spiderman, but it was also founded in 1897 in universe.) he would then look at a recruitment station, and he would get in line, and then we would change the scene to the folder being slapped on a desk, with the word “Declined. 4-F” on it. The recruiter would say “Declined. Again.” There would be a conversation and plea from Steve, who is then dragged out, because the recruiter recognized Steve, as Steve went to every office in New York city, (and some in New Jersey as well.) to try and enlist, but the same answer happened.
The one thing I’d do, is instead of Peggy Carter approaching Steve, which makes it that Steve only became Captain America to bone her, I’d go classic with General Chester Phillips to approach him, and strike up a conversation with Steve, and offer him an alternative, being the one in charge of Operation Rebirth.
This is when he’d bond with General Phillips and Doctor Abraham Erkstine, in which at some point, Sarah’s line comes up, from Erkstine himself, which would give Steve enough emotional fortitude to go through with the experiment. After a montage with the tests, we would then phase to the experiment itself, as Erkstine starts the procedure, and as it ends, that is when the Nazi agent sabotages the equipment and kills Erkstine.
The chase scene would occur in a similar way in the movie, and with the car door being used as a shield, it would lead to General Phillips issuing the original kite shaped shield to Steve. This would lead to his official TV introduction in costume, and as it phases to a grey and grainy picture on the TV screen, we would see Steve watching it from a base, with General Phillips giving him orders to go across the ocean, then we would be on the boat with Steve sketching again.
This would be around the time we would meet Bucky for the first time, who complains about being assigned to Captain America as a “teenaged sidekick”, unaware of who Steve is, as he is being transported in secret. He reveals that he is closer to 17 or 18 years old, and it ends up being a debate/argument about patriotism.
Bucky would rebuff and mock Steve, only for later, when Steve’s identity is made known to him, Bucky’s a little embarrassed by the argument. During his short stay in England, This is when Peggy first shows up. It is hard to figure things out, as to what is modern and what is classical in the comics, so a part of me might take things from both. We know that she was a spy for the US, and a special agent, and Steve and her would come across each other. Steve would start dating her after a mission together, and this is when she meets Bucky, who does become attracted to her, causing a difficult love triangle. Bucky won’t act on his feelings out of fraternal respect for Steve, much to Steve being unaware of Bucky’s feelings for Peggy.
There would be some war missions, and I’d introduce the classical Nick Fury, (You know, the cool one. You don’t mess with the Hoff.) and becomes friends with them, as Fury sometimes would relay orders from Phillips. Fury would measure up Steve, and figure out how he could calculate Steve’s capabilities. (I wouldn’t introduce Logan due to potential issues in regards to the X-Men franchise rights that may not belong to the same studio as Marvel.) The primary battle I’d use for Steve would be D-Day, as he gets off the boats, and fights hard to get through the limits.
He may hear a British and American high ranking officer (Not Phillips) arguing about how several other colony units broke through further than the Americans, and how they disparage them, Steve would correct them, and tell them that they are allies and to be respected, and that they do their nations proud, and should be rewarded, not screwed over politically. At some point, he would conduct, alongside Bucky, a mission where he performed spectacularly, similar to the point where he would save a large number of troops and take weapons and prisoners back to base, only for Patton to be the General that would greet Steve, and would approve of Steve, and we see the hero that Steve would respect.
At some point, I would want Steve and Peggy to break things off due to an argument, which would involve what Steve might see as “needless risks”, and her commenting that it’s part of her job, after her cover puts many at risk. There would also be a point where Steve enters Paris, and goes to see the Louvre, as Captain America, and is moved by the art that he sees there. This is when we see Steve getting to know the French people who are pleased with his arrival, and that they’ve heard about his kindness to the French people, and he would thank them for how much they’ve helped the US, and that he thinks that they are brave for fighting the battle, even when they’ve lost.
This is again when Steve is corrected, when the French say that Dunkirk may have been lost, and the government may have surrendered, but France hasn’t truly lost, or surrendered, and that their willpower and patriotism will NOT allow any to stomp on their nation, and that they bring up the same sentiments as Steve when it comes to willpower. (Remember, Steve loves art, and is actually a francophile in the comics, even in the classical Captain America, and even in the Avengers comics. He is also fluent in French.)
The primary villain wouldn’t just be the Red Skull, but I would also say that Heinrich Zemo, Baron Zemo the 12th would be the primary villain of the story. The Red Skull was overplayed in the movies, and I think there’s another role for him.
(Perhaps fuse his infiltration as an American Senator with the storyline of the Secret Empire, with Red Skull either being in collusion with Number One, or being Number One himself.)
It would be during the mission where Steve and Bucky performed their great save that the Kite shaped Shield would be damaged, and it would be right before the final battle that Steve would be given the famous, round shield he is known for, being told that it is far sturdier than the previous one. In the meantime, Bucky, now being an adult, starts dating Peggy, (Broke the bro code right there.) and wakes up in bed with her at some point.
This is right before a decisive battle, which leads to the storyline where Zemo launches a missile aimed for the states, and Bucky seemingly dies, taking the missile down, in a similar way Steve does. This is when Steve’s temper gets the best of him, and he nearly pummels Zemo to death, only to be stopped by Fury, reminding him to mind his temper. By now, Steve would have controlled a portion of his accent, but here, he would be speaking with the irish accent he may have picked up from his parents. They go to take Zemo in, only for Zemo to escape, Steve now exploding on Fury, who tells him that Steve couldn’t kill in the way he was going to, reminding him of what he stands for.
This is when the Red Skull enters the picture, and Steve has to work to take him down. Steve would then meet Peggy again, who is devastated by the loss of Bucky, and the two commiserate. Steve would try to resume their friendship, but Peggy would agree to be friends, but it would be the last time they speak.
This next mission is when Steve goes on a mission with Fury, and would be going after a secret doomsday led by the Red Skull this time, in a storyline that leads to Steve being in suspended animation similar to how it was done in the “Spiderman animated series.”
Steve would fight Red Skull, and Johan Schmidt would be irritated that of all heroes, it was Captain America that would show up, hoping to have another powerful hero, like Namor or Human Torch (Which would not be mentioned by name. It would be like “the Atlantean or the Fire manipulator” or something like that.) But a fight starts up, with Steve getting caught in the Doomsday trap, and a turn of events, Steve and Red Skull end up being put in suspended animation, with Fury being the only one left alive, and he would look at the shield that was thrown in the melee. He would salute in respect, and would take the shield, and the special keys to the device in order to prevent it being revealed to anyone.
Next would depend on the length to date. If it’s too long, then I could probably do like the Marvel movie, and this would be the perfect setup for a movie set in the modern day, starting with him waking up, to see someone like Fury, or his wife De LaFontaine, explaining the situation to him.This would then lead to the modern age, when Steve is released, thanks to someone like Fury because they have need of Captain America in the modern day, but they don’t know where Red Skull is, and that he escaped.
However, I’ll continue how I’d do it in the modern day for next time, as there would be a whole lot more to the modern day, and we’ve established Steve’s background and history in the war. This will lead us into the modern day.
Some interesting choices! I like the idea of Bucky not knowing who Cap is initially.
Nice job.
A few Howling Commando movies would be cool even if Cap was not in all of them. A character study between Sargent Rock and Cap would be interesting. A Realist vs Idealist hero. Maybe when I'm done with my stuff.