Set during the darkest days of World War II, Steve Rogers is a scrawny but determined man who is repeatedly rejected for military service due to his frail health. However, his unwavering courage catches the eye of a scientist who recruits him for a secret government experiment that transforms him into the ultimate super-soldier. Now a beacon of hope known as Captain America, he must lead the fight against the Red Skull and his ruthless organization, HYDRA, before they unleash a weapon capable of dominating the globe.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
July 22, 2011 |
Running time |
124 minutes |
Genre |
Action Adventure Sci-Fi |
Budget |
$140,000,000 |
Box Office |
$370,569,774 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
Joe Johnston |
Produced by |
Kevin Feige |
Written by |
Christopher Markus Stephen McFeely |
Music by |
Alan Silvestri |
Cinematography |
Shelly Johnson |
Edited by |
Jeffrey Ford Robert Dalva |
Production Co. |
Marvel Studios |
Distributed by |
Paramount Pictures |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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Movie Collection |
Movie Order: #01 in Captain America Collection
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The Plot
Discovery in the Ice
In the present day, an expedition team battles the biting winds of the Arctic Circle, following a signal that leads them to a stunning discovery: the frozen, buried wreckage of a colossal, wing-shaped aircraft. The researchers cut their way into the vessel, navigating its dark, rime-covered corridors. While investigating the interior, two members of the team stumble upon a block of ice encasing a circular object. Clearing away the frost, they reveal a red, white, and blue motif—a shield that has been lost to history for decades.
The Jewel of Odin’s Treasure Room
In March 1942, the shadow of war falls upon Tønsberg, Norway. Hydra forces, a ruthless deep-science division of the Nazi regime led by Johann Schmidt, invade a quiet village to raid an ancient stone church. Schmidt is hunting for a mysterious cosmic artifact known as the Tesseract, a jewel of Odin's treasury rumored to possess untold power. He finds a decoy in a crypt but quickly deduces the location of the true artifact hidden within a wooden carving of Yggdrasil, the World Tree.
Upon securing the glowing blue cube, Schmidt demonstrates his ruthlessness. He orders the execution of the Church Keeper who guarded the artifact, and then commands his tanks to open fire on the village, slaughtering everyone in Tønsberg to cover his tracks and ensure no witnesses remain.
The Little Guy from Brooklyn
In June 1943, the world is at war, and Steve Rogers is desperate to join the fight. However, the frail, asthmatic native of Brooklyn is rejected for military duty yet again due to his laundry list of health issues and poor physical appearance. Despite multiple attempts at different enlistment offices under false addresses, he is deemed 4F—unfit for service.
While attending the Stark Expo with his best friend, Sergeant James "Bucky" Barnes, Rogers attempts to enlist one more time. He overhears Rogers telling Barnes that he doesn't want to kill anyone, but simply doesn't like bullies and wants to do his part. This conversation catches the ear of Dr. Abraham Erskine, a German expatriate working for the U.S. government. Impressed by Rogers' spirit, Erskine clears him for enlistment as a candidate for Project Rebirth, a "super-soldier" experiment conducted by the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) under the supervision of Erskine, Colonel Chester Phillips, and British agent Peggy Carter.
The Right Man, Not the Perfect Soldier
During basic training at Camp Lehigh, Colonel Phillips is unimpressed by Rogers' small stature, favoring the brute strength of other candidates like Gilmore Hodge. Erskine, however, maintains that Rogers is the right person for the procedure. Phillips eventually relents after witnessing a test of character: when a dummy grenade is thrown into the training circle, the other soldiers scatter, but Rogers dives on top of it to save his platoon, displaying an act of self-sacrificing bravery.
The night before the treatment, Erskine visits Rogers and shares a crucial secret. He reveals that Johann Schmidt underwent an imperfect version of the procedure years prior. Because the serum amplifies everything inside the subject, Schmidt’s inner ambition and obsession with becoming a "superior man" caused horrific side effects. Erskine reassures Rogers that he was chosen not for his strength, but because he is an inherently good man. Because Rogers has been weak his whole life, Erskine believes he will not lose respect for the power he is about to gain.
Meanwhile, in Europe, Schmidt and his scientist, Arnim Zola, successfully harness the volatile energies of the Tesseract using specialized machinery. They intend to use this infinite power to fuel Zola’s advanced weaponry. Having discovered Erskine’s location in America, Schmidt dispatches an assassin to eliminate the only man who can replicate the serum.
Birth of a Super Soldier
In a secret facility in Brooklyn, Erskine subjects Rogers to the experimental treatment. Rogers is strapped into a special chamber, injected with the blue Super Soldier Serum, and bombarded with "vita-rays." As the power levels reach critical mass, Rogers screams in agony, but demands the doctors not stop the procedure. When the chamber opens, the frail man is gone; Rogers emerges significantly taller, with a heavily muscled, perfected physique.
The celebration is short-lived. From the observation booth, Heinz Kruger, a Hydra sleeper agent, detonates a bomb and shoots Erskine, killing him instantly. Kruger steals the last vial of the Super-Soldier Serum and flees the facility. Rogers, ignoring orders to wait, gives chase. Utilizing his newfound speed and power, he chases Kruger’s taxi through the streets of New York on foot, eventually running the car down.
Kruger attempts to escape in a sleek, one-man submarine, but Rogers dives into the water, punches through the glass, and drags the assassin back to the dock. During the struggle, the vial of serum is smashed. Before he can be interrogated, Kruger bites down on a cyanide pill, shouting "Hail Hydra" as he dies.
The Star-Spangled Man with a Plan
With Erskine dead and the formula lost, the SSR is ordered to pivot to active combat against Hydra. However, Colonel Phillips refuses to take Rogers, seeing him as a lab experiment rather than a soldier. He decides to leave Rogers behind to be studied by scientists hoping to rediscover the formula.
Senator Brandt offers Rogers an alternative: tour the nation as a mascot for the USO to sell war bonds. Rogers accepts, donning a colorful costume and the persona of "Captain America." He performs in scripted stage shows, punches a fake Hitler, and becomes a media sensation, starring in film strips and comic books. While the public rallies behind him, Rogers grows increasingly weary. He is a symbol of strength, yet he is paraded around like a "chorus girl," denied the chance to contribute directly to the war effort alongside the men he inspires.
Hail Hydra
Deep in the Alps, Schmidt invites three Nazi officers to his facility to showcase his new Tesseract-powered weaponry. When the officers realize that Schmidt intends to target Berlin and that he considers Hydra superior to the Reich, they object. Schmidt responds by vaporizing them with his new energy cannons. He declares his secession from the Third Reich, stating that Hydra has outgrown Adolf Hitler's shadow. With the Tesseract providing unlimited energy for vehicles and weapons, Hydra becomes a terrifying third faction in the war, threatening to conquer the world entirely.
Behind Enemy Lines
In November 1943, Rogers is touring in Italy near the front lines. He encounters cynical servicemen who jeer him, and he soon learns that the 107th Infantry—Bucky Barnes' unit—was decimated in a battle against Hydra. Most of the men were captured or killed. Despite Phillips’ insistence that a rescue mission is futile, Rogers refuses to believe Bucky is dead. He goes AWOL, enlisting the help of Peggy Carter and Howard Stark to fly him behind enemy lines.
Rogers infiltrates Hydra’s main munitions factory alone. He locates the prisoner holding area and frees the Allied soldiers, including Dum Dum Dugan and Gabe Jones, inciting a massive riot. As the facility descends into chaos, Rogers pushes further into the complex and finds Barnes strapped to an isolation table, battered and being experimented on by Zola. Rogers frees him, and they attempt to escape the collapsing base.
The Red Skull
Seeing his factory compromised, Schmidt initiates the self-destruct sequence to bury his secrets and prepares to evacuate. As the facility explodes around them, Schmidt confronts Rogers and Barnes on a high catwalk suspended over the inferno. Schmidt mocks Rogers, noting their similarities as products of the serum, but claims that he has risen above humanity.
To prove his point, Schmidt peels away his human mask, revealing the side effect of his transformation: a grotesque, red, skull-like face. Now fully embracing the moniker "the Red Skull," he escapes with Zola. Rogers and Barnes narrowly evade the flames, regrouping with the liberated soldiers. They march back to the Allied base, where Rogers—now carrying the weapons and scars of battle—earns the salute and respect of Colonel Phillips.
The Howling Commandos
Now recognized as a tactical asset, Rogers is given a promotion and the freedom to operate as Captain America on the front lines. He recruits a handpicked squad of elite fighters: Bucky Barnes, Dum Dum Dugan, Gabe Jones, Jim Morita, James Montgomery Falsworth, and Jacques Dernier. Together, they form the Howling Commandos. Howard Stark outfits Rogers with advanced tactical gear and a unique, circular shield made of Vibranium—a rare metal that is completely vibration-absorbent and stronger than steel.
For the next two years, Rogers and his team wage a relentless offensive against Hydra. They sabotage supply lines, destroy facilities, and dismantle Schmidt’s operations piece by piece, driving the Red Skull to increasing frustration.
Tragedy on the Rails
In early 1945, the team launches a high-stakes assault on a Hydra train carrying Arnim Zola through the snowy mountains. Rogers and Barnes zip-line onto the moving train and engage heavily armored Hydra troopers. During the firefight, the side of the train is blown open. Rogers and Barnes are pinned down, and in the ensuing chaos, Barnes is blasted backward and left hanging from a broken handrail over a sheer drop.
Rogers desperately tries to reach him, but the rail snaps. Bucky Barnes falls hundreds of feet into the icy canyon below, presumably to his death. Gabe Jones manages to capture Zola, but the victory is hollow. Rogers is devastated by the loss of his best friend. In his grief, he is comforted by Peggy Carter, who convinces him to turn his sorrow into the motivation needed to end Hydra once and for all.
Assault on the Valkyrie
Using information extracted from the captured Zola, the SSR locates Hydra's final stronghold in the Alps. Schmidt plans to launch the Valkyrie, a massive bomber aircraft designed to drop Tesseract-powered bombs on major American cities, starting with New York. Rogers leads a desperate, full-scale frontal assault to draw Hydra's fire, allowing the Commandos to infiltrate the base.
Schmidt takes off in the Valkyrie before the battle is won. With the help of Colonel Phillips and Peggy Carter driving a reinforced roadster, Rogers manages to leap onto the landing gear of the colossal plane as it ascends. He fights his way into the fuselage, dismantling the parasite fighters and confronting the Red Skull in the cockpit.
The Price of Freedom
During the brutal final brawl, the containment machine holding the Tesseract is damaged. Schmidt, desperate to salvage his power, physically grabs the Tesseract. The artifact reacts violently to his touch, opening a portal into deep space. A beam of cosmic light envelops Schmidt, and he is sucked into the wormhole, vanishing instantly. The Tesseract melts through the floor of the plane and falls into the Atlantic Ocean below.
Rogers takes the controls, but the Valkyrie is moving too fast and is loaded with weapons of mass destruction. He realizes there is no safe way to land the plane without risking detonation. He makes the heartbreaking choice to crash the aircraft into the Arctic ice shelf. Over the radio, he says a tearful goodbye to Peggy Carter. They make a promise to meet for a date at the Stork Club to go dancing, a promise both know he cannot keep. The line goes dead as the plane crashes into the ice, burying Captain America in the frozen wasteland.
A Man Out of Time
Some time later, Howard Stark recovers the Tesseract from the ocean floor while searching for Rogers. However, despite his efforts, he is unable to locate the wreckage of the Valkyrie or Rogers' body. The world mourns its hero.
Decades later, Steve Rogers awakens in a 1940s-style hospital room. He hears a radio broadcast of a baseball game he distinctly remembers attending. Realizing something is wrong, he smashes his way out of the room, revealing it to be a set within a modern facility. He flees the building, running out into the blinding lights and towering screens of present-day Times Square. He is surrounded by unfamiliar technology and vehicles, utterly bewildered.
Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., arrives and calmly informs Rogers that he has been "asleep" in the ice for nearly 70 years. As the reality of his situation sets in, Rogers looks around with a profound sense of loss. When asked if he is okay, he simply replies, "I had a date."
A year later, Fury approaches Rogers again, this time with a mission that has worldwide ramifications, setting the stage for a new era of heroes.
