*This is part one of a series analyzing conservative principles and modern America, as depicted in Marvel’s Captain America franchise. These articles are written in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the character’s first publication in March, 1941. This series will contain full spoilers for all three movies, as well as for any other relevant Marvel films.
In order to celebrate the greatness of our country, Captain America: The First Avenger1 presents an idealistic view of America and the American patriot. Although it was originally released in 2011, the film’s values of patriotism and liberty are just as important today as they were ten years ago. The film is not concerned with criticizing the United States, but rather is concerned with praising the incredible principles our country was built upon, as well as the people who exemplify these principles. The film promotes values of patriotism, liberty, and equality, which have defined the United States since its conception. And the movie’s main character, Steve Rogers, embraces these principles as he becomes Captain America.
Steve Rogers is a young man from Brooklyn who is unable to serve, despite his repeated attempts to enlist, because of physical hindrances (namely, asthma). This framing provides important insight regarding Steve’s character: more than anything else, he wants to serve his country. In Steve’s first line of the film—the first moment the audience sees the man who will become Captain America—another man enlisting says, “Boy, lotta guys getting killed over there. Kinda makes you think twice about enlisting, huh?” Steve responds succinctly. “Nope,” he says. This one line establishes Steve as a patriot who wants to serve his country, and is willing to put up a fight, in order to do so.
In a later scene in a movie theater, Steve confronts a man, after hearing him complain about advertisements to back the war effort. The man overreacts and beats Steve up, but Steve iconically responds with poise. “I can do this all day,” he says, in reference to the fact that he will never sit back and let evil be done. Steve has principles, and he stands his ground for them against all odds—just like generations of great Americans before him.
Steve has principles, and he stands his ground for them against all odds—just like generations of great Americans before him.
After Steve is rejected by the military multiple times, a scientist working for the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) chooses Steve to be the man to obtain the super-soldier serum. The scientist chooses Steve, precisely because he is imbued with such patriotism. Other SSR members oppose Steve’s nomination for the serum, because they want to pick a stereotypically big, strong soldier, in contrast to Steve’s lackluster physique. However, the scientist ultimately gets his way. And Steve is chosen because he is a fundamentally good man who loves his country.
Prior to giving Steve the serum, the scientist implores him not to lose his goodness. The serum makes Steve physically much stronger, but the scientist tries to ensure that the newfound strength doesn’t cloud Steve’s judgment or morality. Instead, the scientist encourages Steve to continue to embrace his patriotism and morality. This encouragement acts as a larger reflection of American ideals, during World War II. The United States was not going to run from the fight for justice against the Axis powers, and the American people stood up as patriots who were ready and able to fight. However, it was important that the brutality of war not change the United States any more than it had to; we needed to come out of the war with the same ideals that we entered it with.
Steve takes the super-soldier serum, becomes Captain America, and is forced to parade around the country in order to get people to support the war effort. After learning that his best friend Bucky Barnes was captured and may be dead, Steve decides to go on a rogue mission to save him. He ends up saving around 150 men in addition to Bucky, thus fully establishing himself as “Captain America.” During the rogue mission, Steve even briefly faces off against the Red Skull, a deranged Nazi scientist and the film’s primary antagonist. Steve’s act of defiance is a further reflection of his patriotism, as no American soldier is left behind.
Following these events, Captain America begins to fight in the war with a team composed of POW’s whom he rescued, known as the Howling Commandos. From there, they continue fighting Nazis, while searching for the Red Skull. Towards the end of the film, Captain America and Red Skull face off as Red Skull attempts to bomb American cities. Steve is able to defeat Red Skull, but makes the decision to crash his plane into ice, to presumably sacrifice himself in order to save American lives. He makes this sacrifice without hesitation, and “dies” an American hero. This brings Steve’s story to its natural conclusion: the young man who wanted to serve but could not became the hero who sacrificed himself for the greater good.
This brings Steve’s story to its natural conclusion: the young man who wanted to serve but could not became the hero who sacrificed himself for the greater good.
The film is perfectly summarized by something Steve says to Bucky before he becomes Captain America: “There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them.” Captain America is a man who fights Nazis and stands up for the United States, while being willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save American lives. He believes in the ideals of his country, and he endangers himself, in order to protect them. While he does survive the crash and is revived 70 years later, he did not know that this would be the case; and he was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his country without a moment’s hesitation.
In presenting the story of Steve Rogers, The First Avenger shows that it has unbridled optimism and patriotism, which is too often lost in modern times. The film is not about the United States’ legitimate flaws, such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s internment of hundreds of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II, nor does it apologize for them. Instead, the film praises what makes the United States great: our patriotism, our love of freedom, and our government that was founded on the principles of the Declaration of Independence, in which everyone is created equal. Captain America is an idealistic extrapolation of the principles of America.
American ideals are further reflected by the movie’s other main characters. Peggy Carter is the embodiment of a strong, capable woman, but the film doesn’t feel the need to tell the viewer that she is a strong; instead of engaging in overused platitudes, the film actually shows Peggy’s moral strength. (Peggy later received her own series, which is fantastic in its own right.) The Howling Commandos include an African-American and an Asian-American, even though segregation was a pervasive problem in the United States during World War II. Despite this, these characters are not treated differently than the rest, and their race is never mentioned because their immutable characteristics do not matter. In presenting the integrated squad, the screenwriters do not necessarily show things as they were in the 1940s. Instead, they show how things should be based on American ideals—which we have moved closer and closer to with the passage of time.
In presenting the integrated squad, the screenwriters do not necessarily show things as they were in the 1940s. Instead, they show how things should be based on American ideals—which we have moved closer and closer to with the passage of time.
The film even fights back against modern anti-American ideals, as at one point in the film, Red Skull says to Captain America, “I have seen the future, Captain. There are no flags”—thus reflecting a prominent globalist sentiment. However, Cap plainly responds, “Not my future,” pushing back at those who want to see the United States fall.
At its core, Captain America: The First Avenger acts as an idealistic, pro-America film. Captain America acts as a tangible example of the hard work that has led generations to flourish in the United States. More than that, he is a patriot who we should all aspire to be like. In brief, the film is a powerful political statement because it is not a reflection of what is or what was, but rather what should be, and what we need to continue to strive for as a country.
1Johnston, Joe, director. Captain America: the First Avenger. Paramount, 2011.
*The views expressed in this article solely represent the views of the author, not the views of the Chicago Thinker.
Would it be possible to elaborate on one section of this article?
(the paragraph beginning with “the film” and ending with “States fall” – I can’t paste it in due to spam limit)
In this, what “prominent globalist sentiment” is the Red Skull “reflecting”? It was my impression that globalism was the increased interaction between countries, not (I’m guessing) the destruction of the concept of a nation-state. Further, could you elaborate on how Cap’s desire for (again, guessing) the continuation of the nation-state framework, as represented by his desire for flags in the future, is “pushing back against those who want to see the United States fall”? It seems odd to me how you are singling out the United States as the target here, as neither the Red Skull nor the Cap reference any specific nations – and how you seem to be insinuating that (guessing) not wanting the current form of nation-states is targeted at the US in particular. Hope that this isn’t too much trouble!
Bruh, why you gotta ruin my childhood? Just leave Cap A alone. It’s absurd to suggest CA praises “the principles of the Declaration of Independence.” Saying the US was “not going to run from the fight for justice against the Axis” is a little rich considering US inaction during the 30’s while the Axis expanded their territory and US involvement only after Pearl Harbor. Wars are fought for complex geopolitical reasons, not for “justice.” The integrated squad does not “show how things should be based on American ideals,” it is a revisionist attempt to make the film more comfortable for audiences.
Your Peggy Carter point is clearly a dig at Captain Marvel, a movie that irritated fans because rather than offering a subtle theme of female empowerment, it allowed the political message to corrupt the storyline. Ironically, you are similarly twisting this film to serve your agenda. Was this inspired by Shapiro’s video about Hollywood movies being secretly conservative?
In this specific case, I’m not talking about country to country interaction. I’m talking about it as a larger view of the world based less on or without nation-states. I like the definition from definitions.net, as “the attitude or policy of placing the interests of the entire world above those of individual nations.” In this case, Red Skull is theoretically prescribing a larger future where the Nazis win and take over the world, to an extent eliminating any nations because they would become the sole nation. Under modern globalism, organizations like the UN would be valued over individual nations and along with a general idea of a world government. This can also very broadly be seen in left-wing immigration currently and neo-conservatism’s interventionist foreign policy. Captain America pushes back against that because he promotes the values of America and wants to ensure that the United States is able to stay free and doesn’t fall to globalism. Hope this helps!
I seriously question if Red Skull is looking out for the “interests” of all people rather than the interest of their so-called “master race.” In truth his ideology is closer to colonialism than globalism and free trade. Also, how can you portray a movie about a superhero that represents America and steps in to save the day abroad as critical of “interventionist foreign policy.” Given that Marvel heroes are consistently portrayed intervening in various countries to save the day, and that humanity often has to unify to face existential threats, I would say the Marvel franchise as a whole is more reflective of a pro-interventionist and pro-globalism perspective than anything else. The Nazi comparison just doesn’t make sense here, almost like it’s annoying when people compare everything to Nazis…
I agree with you about Red Skull. He is a Nazi and is solely looking out for that goal. However, his line alluded to broadly globalist ideas, so I thought it was interesting to include. The sole comparison with Nazis is because of the subject matter of the film. I in no way want to associate globalists with Nazis, and I am truly sorry should it have come across like that.
As far as your other point, I don’t think you’re wrong. There is absolutely an element of that in Marvel films. I plan on discussing this idea in the third article for this series on Civil War, which deals far more directly with that idea.
I’m a great fan of genius Jack “the King” Kirby.
Captain America is my least favorite Kirby creation. 1941 Captain American – CA is extremely crude, anti German propaganda – Germans are depicted in the most unbelievable war propaganda ways, same as Japanese being depicted as slanted eyed huge teeth sadistic insects or reptiles.
The whole Captain America idea is 100% pro steroid – a sick & underweight Brooklyn guy is rejected for armed service & agrees to get injected with super science (steroids) 2B super strong, fast – the ideal solider – that’s steroid propaganda. CA has the ridiculous young teenage boy side kick “Bucky” – steroid Captain America & teen boy side kick “Bucky” are dropped behind NAZI Germany enemy lines in flaming gay tight costumes to battle evil NAZIs. This is completely unbelievable.
Jack Kirby is THE BEST. Captain America was Kirby’s worst.