Captain America has been an icon of American pop culture since 1941, when he was introduced in Captain America Comics #1 from then Timely Comics. It was Joe Simon who came up with the character and Jack Kirby’s brilliant artwork that brought him to life. Before taking part in The Avengers adventures in the 1960s, Cap was an acclaimed fighter of the Axis powers throughout World War II and Russia into the 1950s.
Captain America would eventually take on the mantle of the leader in the avenging supergroup in the Marvel Comics Universe, going on hundreds of adventures and becoming part of some of the most iconic storylines in comic book history. Even develop his own moral philosophy acclaimed by many.
Update January 13, 2023: This article has been updated with more details about each of the actors who will play Captain America, as well as new details about the character’s future appearances in Captain America: New World Order and Lightning strikes.
There have been screen versions of Cap going back almost as far back as the character itself, with the first dating back to 1944. Before Captain America could live up to his real potential on the big screen, two other versions of the character debuted in 1979 and 1990. It was however, the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008 and the subsequent surge in popularity of superhero movies brought us our most recent portrayals of Captain America. Each actor has added something new and different to the classic character, but which one is the best Star Spangled Man With the Plan?
6/6 Reb Brown
The 1979 made-for-TV movie simply titled Captain Americais an extremely loose adaptation of the character. Reb Brown plays the titular character of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. In this adaptation, Rogers is the son of a 1940s war hero who was nicknamed “Captain America” in WWII. This version of Steve Rogers moves away from his military background and instead makes him an artist living out of the back of his conversion van, who receives a serum after being critically injured that gives him the super strength of the traditional Captain America.
Brown’s performance as Cap in this version is adequate for the time period it came out, as is Richard Donner’s outside Superman, superhero movies either didn’t exist or strayed incredibly far from the source material. In terms of Marvel adaptations in the 1970s, it certainly wasn’t anywhere near the great superhero shows of the 20th century like The Incredible Hulk or The awesome Spider-Man, but closer to the made for TV Doctor Strange movie. Brown reprized his role in a sequel released the same year titled Captain America II: Die too early.
5/6 Matt Salinger
- Columbia TriStar Home Video
Much of what has been said about Reb Brown can also be said about Matt Salinger‘s portrayal of Captain America in the 1990 version of the same name. However, where Salinger surpasses Brown is in the fact that this film is closer to the comedic roots of Steve Rogers’ Captain America, although not much more. This includes a much more accurate backstory and the appearance of Cap’s nemesis Red Skull.
While the movie is a slight improvement over the 1979 made-for-TV movie, Captain America was another early example besides Howard the Duckyears 1989 The punisherand Roger Corman from 1994 Fantastic four from filmmakers who don’t quite know how to adapt the Marvel Comics character. This is encapsulated in this movie when Captain America steals someone’s car and leaves it on the side of the road, as this isn’t the ideal hero Marvel Comics fans are familiar with.
4/6 Dick Purcell
The 1944 film series and the first film version of the character is steeped in all kinds of film history. Produced and released by Republic Pictures, known for its serialized films, Captain America was the first theatrical release associated with a Marvel character. It was also the most expensive series ever produced by Republic Pictures.
Divided into 15 chapters, this version starred Dick Purcell as the titular hero. Dick Purcell doesn’t play the Steve Rogers version of the character, instead Captain America is a man named Grant Gardner who is now introduced as a district attorney. Purcell puts in as good a performance for a 1940s series as you’ll ever see and given the history surrounding the film, that’s enough to earn him the 4th spot on this list. Unfortunately, the performance may have cost Purcell his life as just weeks after filming was completed, the actor collapsed in a Los Angeles dressing room with some suspecting that playing Captain America put too much strain on the heart of the actor explained.
3/6 Wyatt Russell
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Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduced us to not one, but two new Captain Americas. The first and the darkest of the two is Wyatt Russell as John Walker who is given the mantle of Captain America by the United States government. This version of Captain America really takes Cap to the darkest iteration fans have ever seen. After auditioning for the first movie, Captain America: the first avenger, prior to Chris Evans casting, Russell always wondered what it would be like to play Cap, and finally he got his chance.
At the beginning of the Disney+ series it is mentioned that Steve Rogers is gone, where you might ask? Well, that’s not really the issue and the last we saw of Steve was that he was an old man who passed the mantle on to his friend Sam Wilson. It is Sam, out of respect for Steve, who hands Cap’s shield over to the United States government to be displayed for all to see.
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However, despite Sam’s good intentions, the government has other plans in mind as they introduce Wyatt Russell’s character, John Walker, as the new Captain America shield and all. Walker is a veteran suffering from PTSD and while working as the new captain, Walker gets his hands on a vial of super soldier serum and decides to ingest it to improve his combat and strength. Walker, now saturated with the serum, proceeds to beat to death a man with the famous shield after his friends’ deaths at the hands of another person in what is one of the most gruesome death scenes in the MCU. The image of Walker standing over the man he killed, clutching a blood-soaked shield, is certainly a dark moment in the franchise, and an audience deeply reacted to it.
This is the event that leads to Walker being stripped of the Captain America moniker, but later being approached by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to become a U.S. Agent, who will play an important role in the upcoming Lightning strikes movie. Russell’s portrayal of John Walker is complex, a man who wants to do the right thing, but whose own personal insecurities stand in the way of his ability to actually deliver on the promise to be Captain America.
2/6 Anthony Makkie
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The newest actor to start the Stars and Stripes is Anthony Makkie in the role of Sam Wilson. Fans have come to know and love Mackie’s portrayal of Sam Wilson, aka The Falcon, as he battled alongside Cap and the other Avengers from 2014 in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Sam made himself known as a worthy Captain America from his earliest days, volunteering at the VA hospital and helping other vets deal with their traumas. Like Steve Rogers, he is a good man who wants to do the right thing.
Audiences first got a glimpse of Sam taking over the role of Steve Rogers in the latest installment of the Disney+ superhero series, Falcon and the Winter Soldier. With a slick new suit and shield courtesy of his running mate Bucky Barnes and some Vibranium from Wakanda, the small sample size we’re getting from Mackie as Captain America is enough to keep any fan excited as we head towards Captain America: New World Order. The Marvel Universe needs a Captain America, and Mackie’s Sam Wilson has taken on the role and will be ready to lead a new team of Avengers against the threat of Kang the Conqueror in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
1/6 Chris Evans
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Come on, was there ever any doubt about who would come in first place? Chris Evans took on the role of Steve Rogers in the 2011 film, Captain America: The First Avenger, and then starred in six additional films while having cameos in two others. This means Chris Evans appeared as Captain America in Marvel projects every year from 2011 to 2019.
While Evans had great movies before Captain America, it’s the role that has defined him for a generation. There isn’t a second while playing the character that fans aren’t totally convinced that Chris Evans is just isCaptain America, as he plays the role to perfection. Fans could take an eight-year journey with Chris Evans’ Captain America, leading up to his farewell in Avengers: endgame and subsequent passing of the role to Anthony Mackie.
Evans’ depiction of Captain America made the character more beloved than at any time in its entire history, known and appreciated around the world, even in countries that may not have the highest opinion of the actual America. When the character called for comedy and a light-hearted touch, Evans delivered. When it asked for seriousness, pain and heartbreak, he made us feel what the Cap felt. Simply put, we could see Chris Evans doing this all day.