Captain America: The First Avenger

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The articles Marvel's The Avengers #Background , The Incredible Hulk (movie) # Origination , Iron Man (movie) # Origination , Thor (movie) # Origination and Captain America: The First Avenger overlap thematically. Help me to better differentiate or merge the articles (→  instructions ) . To do this, take part in the relevant redundancy discussion . Please remove this module only after the redundancy has been completely processed and do not forget to include the relevant entry on the redundancy discussion page{{ Done | 1 = ~~~~}}to mark. Flegmon ( discussion ) 10:48 p.m. , May 13, 2013 (CEST)
Movie
German title Captain America: The First Avenger
Original title Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain-america-title-logo.jpg
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2011
length 124 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
JMK 12
Rod
Director Joe Johnston
script Christopher Markus
Stephen McFeely
production Kevin Feige
Amir Madani
music Alan Silvestri
camera Shelly Johnson
cut Robert Dalva
Jeffrey Ford
occupation
synchronization
chronology

Successor  →
The Return of the First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger is a US action and science fiction - comic book adaptation from the year 2011 , based on the superheroes - cartoon character Captain America of Marvel Comics based. Directed by Joe Johnston and starring Chris Evans . Paramount Pictures was responsible for distribution in the USA and Germany . The official release of the film took place in the USA on July 22, 2011, in Germany on August 18. The film was released in both 2D and converted 3D .

Captain America: The First Avenger is the fifth film to be produced directly in self-financing by Marvel Studios , a production company owned by Marvel , and as such is part of a cohesive universe, the " Marvel Cinematic Universe ".

The reviews in Germany were mixed. At the box office, Captain America: The First Avenger grossed over $ 371 million worldwide and had a budget of $ 140 million. The film won a Scream Award and a Visual Effects Society Award.

action

In 1942, during the Second World War , soldiers from the organization " Hydra ", the science division of the Third Reich , invade the Norwegian city of Tønsberg . In a monastery, Johann Schmidt, Hydra's commander, finds a mysterious, cube-shaped artifact that he calls the " Tesseract ". The scientist Arnim Zola succeeds in taming the energies of the cube and using it as a source for novel energy weapons.

In 1943 in New York City the patriotic but feeble Steve Rogers fell again through the drafting of the US Army . In order to give the disappointed Steve other thoughts, his friend "Bucky" invites him to an exhibition. When Steve tried again to volunteer for the army there, he caught the attention of the scientist Abraham Erskine, who had emigrated from Germany. He was impressed by Steve's persistence and enabled him to join the army. In fact, Erskine is looking for a volunteer for a secret experiment that will increase a soldier's physical abilities many times over. While Steve is training with other recruits at Camp Lehigh, despite his physical weaknesses, his courage and inventiveness impressed not only Erskine, but also his superiors, Colonel Chester Phillips and the British agent Peggy Carter, and thus finally qualified as a test subject. Steve learns from Erskine that he had carried out a similar experiment on Johann Schmidt before he fled Germany, but that as a result, he not only received increased physical abilities, but also changed his appearance, as the serum enhances the entire being of a person .

The experiment, led by Erskine and scientist Howard Stark in a secret laboratory in Brooklyn , turns Rogers into a tall, muscular super-soldier. As soon as the attempt is completed, a Hydra agent smuggled into the audience shoots Erskine. When the spy runs away, Steve unceremoniously takes up the chase. Thanks to his increased physical abilities, he succeeds in arresting Erskine's murderer, but he commits suicide with the help of a cyanide poison capsule. After the last sample of Erskine's serum was lost when the assassin was arrested, there is no longer any hope of raising a whole army of super soldiers. Since Steve is the only super soldier, the army does not use him on the war front, but instead uses him as a costumed " Captain America " as an advertising mascot for war bonds .

Leading actor Chris Evans at San Diego Comic-Con International 2010.

In the meantime, Hitler's emissary confronted Johann Schmidt, known as " Red Skull ", because he had not developed any new weapons for the National Socialists for over a year . Schmidt then presents them with Zola's energy weapons and kills the Nazis with them. He then renounced Hitler to pursue his own world domination plans with Hydra.

Finally, in November 1943, a propaganda appearance led Steve as “Captain America” to just behind the front in Italy. However, when a large part of the regiment, to which his friend Bucky belongs, has not returned from an operation against Hydra, he single-handedly penetrates a Hydra factory with the help of Peggy Carter and Howard Stark and frees numerous captured Allied soldiers , including one Bucky. This leads to the first encounter between Steve and Schmidt, where it turns out that the latter not only has increased physical strength just like Steve, but that he has hidden his real face under a mask up to this point. Due to the imperfection of Erskine's serum at the time, his face actually resembles a red skull. After Schmidt activates the base's self-destruct mechanism, he and Zola flee. Steve and Bucky also flee with the liberated soldiers and return to the Allied camp.

Steve, who is said to be awarded a medal for his work, wants to continue fighting Hydra instead. With a uniform based on his stage costume and a shield developed by Howard Stark made of a rare, almost indestructible metal called vibranium, he led numerous soldiers as Captain America together with Bucky and some of the other soldiers he had freed successful missions against Hydra. However, during one of these operations that lead to the capture of Arnim Zola, Bucky crashes. In return, the captured Zola finally reveals Schmidt's plans to the Allies.

Steve then gains access to Schmidt's hidden underground base ( aircraft cavern ) in the Alps . Although he is captured, this was actually just a diversionary maneuver to allow the rest of the soldiers to penetrate the base. Schmidt then fled in an innovative flying wing - bomber named "Valkyrie". Schmidt intends to drop four manned cruise missiles with explosives over several major US cities. Steve gets on board before departure and attacks Schmidt. The fight damages the engine of the aircraft, which the Tesseract itself supplies with energy. When Schmidt then touches the cube, it dissolves his body and then melts through the floor of the aircraft. To prevent the plane from crashing into inhabited areas, Steve crashes the "Valkyrie" in the Arctic Circle after saying goodbye to Peggy over the radio. Howard Stark then organized a search, but he only managed to secure the tesseract.

Seven decades later, Steve wakes up in a 1940s-style hospital room. However, he immediately realizes that something is wrong because he is listening to the radio broadcast of a baseball game that he was present at the stadium himself. Despite attempts by some security guards to stop him, he escapes the building and finds himself in Times Square in 2011. Shortly thereafter, Nick Fury, head of the SHIELD secret service, greets him, who explains that Steve had spent a good 70 years in cold sleep .

In the post-credit scene , Steve tries to get used to a strange world when Fury approaches him on a mission. The scene leads to a preview of the film Marvel's The Avengers .

Important figures

Johann Schmidt, alias “Red Skull”, embodied by Hugo Weaving , hides his disfigured exterior under a mask that is based on his original face.
Hayley Atwell plays Peggy Carter.
Tommy Lee Jones plays Colonel Phillips.
Stanley Tucci plays the scientist Abraham Erskine, who fled Germany.

Captain America / Steven G. "Steve" Rogers ( Chris Evans ) was originally a frail young man from Brooklyn , New York City in 1943 , whose greatest desire is to join the US Army and fight in World War II . Because of his physical infirmity, he was repeatedly rejected, but he caught the attention of a scientist named Abraham Erskine, who finally enabled Steve to join the army. After Steve has shown himself to be of character with integrity in Erskine's eyes, he is selected as a test subject for a secret project in which the physical abilities of an ordinary person are to be increased many times over. The project is a success, and little, frail Steve Rogers becomes a tall, muscular man whose metabolism is four times faster than that of the average person . Since Steve remains the only "super soldier" due to the murder of Erskine by a spy, he is not sent to the war front, but instead is used as the costumed "Captain America" ​​as the United Service Organizations' advertising mascot for war bonds . When his friend Bucky becomes a prisoner of war, Steve breaks into a factory owned by the organization "Hydra" and frees the prisoners. He then carries out several missions against Hydra as Captain America in a uniform that is modeled on his stage costume and with a shield made of a rare, almost indestructible (fictional) metal called vibranium. After Bucky apparently died on one of these missions, Steve finally infiltrated Hydras headquarters to finally hunt down the organization's leader, the "Red Skull". Aboard a new flying wing - Bombers called "Valkyrie" finally leads to a fight, and after the Red Skull is apparently died, Steve brings the aircraft at the northern Arctic Circle to crash to prevent the bomber crashes into the settled area. The plane was not recovered until 70 years later, and Steve, who had spent all these years in cryostasis, found himself in a world that was alien to him.

The Red Skull / Johann Schmidt ( Hugo Weaving ) was once a close confidante of Adolf Hitler , who heads the organization "Hydra", the science division of the Third Reich . Schmidt volunteered to take part in an experiment by the scientist Abraham Erskine to improve his physical abilities. As a side effect, however, Schmidt's face was disfigured, so that from then on it resembled a red skull. In 1942 he finally tracks down a mysterious, cube-shaped artifact, the "Tesseract", in the Norwegian town of Tønsberg . Schmidt and his follower, the scientist Arnim Zola, succeed in taming the energies of the cube and using it as an energy source for new energy weapons developed by Zola. Thereupon Schmidt breaks away from Hitler in order to pursue his own world domination plans together with Hydra. Steve Rogers alias Captain America, who has similar increased physical strength as Schmidt, stands in his way and destroys several Hydra factories together with some comrades. In order to crush the USA , Schmidt uses the tesseract cube as a source of energy for a new type of flying wing bomber called "Walküre" and intends to drop flying, manned bombs over several major cities in the USA. However, Captain America manages to penetrate the interior of the bomber and damage the aircraft's engine during a fight with Schmidt. When Schmidt then touches the cube with his hands, it dissolves his body. The name "Red Skull" (German: "Red Skull") is used only once in the film by Hitler's envoy, whom Schmidt kills shortly afterwards.

Peggy Carter ( Hayley Atwell ) is a British agent who belongs to the Allied Strategic Scientific Reserve and who, together with Colonel Phillips, is training the recruits at Camp Lehigh. She made the acquaintance of Steve Rogers and, despite his physical weaknesses, took a liking to the brave young man. After Erskine's experiment turns Steve into a muscular man, Steve, Peggy, and industrialist Howard Stark form a love triangle . Due to the ongoing fight against the Hydra organization, Steve never gets to invite Peggy to dance, and when Steve finally crashes the "Valkyrie", the plane of the Red Skull, in the Arctic Circle, he makes an appointment over the radio with Peggy, although both know that Steve most likely will not survive the crash.

Howard Stark ( Dominic Cooper ) is a brilliant inventor and the founder and director of Stark Industries. With his inventions he supports the allies during the war, especially in the fight against the organization Hydra, and investigates their seized technology. Just like Steve Rogers, Stark is interested in Peggy Carter. When Steve, with Peggy's help, tries to single-handedly break into a Hydra base to free captured Allied soldiers, Stark volunteers as a pilot. He later developed the uniform that Steve wore as the superhero Captain America. In addition, he provides Steve with a protective shield he has developed, which consists of the rare, almost indestructible (fictitious) metal vibranium. After Steve crashed the Red Skull's plane, the “Valkyrie”, in the Arctic Circle, Stark organized the search for Steve, but in the end he only found the “Tesseract” cube. The portrayal of the role of Howard Stark in the film is based on Howard Hughes . In the films Iron Man and Iron Man 2 Howard was originally introduced as the late father of Tony Stark, who later became the superhero Iron Man, but he was played by other actors in both films.

James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes ( Sebastian Stan ) is Steve Roger's best friend, who, unlike him, is accepted into the US Army without any problems. In 1943 he was captured during an operation against Hydra and used by the scientist Arnim Zola as a test subject for experiments. After Steve, who has since become Captain America, freed Bucky, Bucky joins his friend and takes part in several missions against Hydra at his side. When trying to capture Arnim Zola, however, he falls from a train into the depths and is apparently killed. However, according to director Joe Johnston , the fact that Zola carried out experiments on him should explicitly allow Bucky to survive and thus return in a later film. Actor Sebastian Stan actually committed to up to six films in advance.

Colonel Chester Phillips ( Tommy Lee Jones ) is in the service of the Strategic Scientific Reserve and instructs the recruits at Camp Lehigh. While he named recruit Gilmore Hodge as the most promising candidate for the Dr. Considering Abraham Erskine's planned experiment, Erskine thinks Hodge is a bully and favors the feeble Steve Rogers instead. Although Phillips initially has a disparaging opinion of Rogers, Rogers passes every test and thus qualifies as a subject for the experiment. Since Erskine is murdered by a Hydra spy after the successful implementation of the experiment, Phillips continues to refuse to use Rogers at the front, and then makes fun of his role as the propaganda mascot "Captain America". It was only when Steve single-handedly freed captured Allied soldiers from the power of Hydra that Phillips changed his mind and from then on supported him in every possible way.

Dr. Arnim Zola ( Toby Jones ) is a German scientist in the service of Hydra who develops numerous weapons for Johann Schmidt. When the latter renounced Adolf Hitler in order to pursue his own world domination plans, Zola only reluctantly joins him. Unlike the rest of the Hydra agents, who are ready to die for their beliefs, Zola clings to his life and eventually lets himself be captured by Captain America and his comrades. In exchange for his transfer to Switzerland , he finally reveals Schmidt's plans and whereabouts to the Allies. He is also a staunch vegetarian .

Dr. Abraham Erskine ( Stanley Tucci ) was originally a German scientist who was forced by Johann Schmidt to test a serum he had developed on him, which is supposed to increase the physical abilities of the test subject. After Schmidt's face was disfigured as a side effect of the experiment, Erskine fled to the USA and made his knowledge available to the Strategic Scientific Reserve. While searching for a suitable candidate to test an improved version of his serum, Erskine becomes aware of the feeble patriot Steve Rogers, who repeatedly tries unsuccessfully to volunteer for the army. Although Colonel Phillips, the head of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, prefers the recruit Gilmore Hodge, Erskine regards him as a bully and instead favors Steve Rogers, who in his eyes has a person of moral integrity. After Steve qualifies, the experiment actually gives him heightened physical abilities, but a Hydras spy who was in the audience of the experiment shoots Erskine. As he dies, Erskine reminds Steve Rogers that he should always remain true to his being.

Among the soldiers Steve Rogers freed from the power of Hydra are Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan ( Neal McDonough ), whose signature is a bowler hat , the Japanese American Jim Morita ( Kenneth Choi ), the African American Gabe Jones ( Derek Luke ) (grandfather of Triplett Jones from Agents of SHIELD ), the British James Montgomery Falsworth ( JJ Feild ) and the French Jacques Dernier (Bruno Ricci). The five then take part in numerous missions by Captain America against Hydra.

production

Emergence

Director Joe Johnston at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International .
David Bradley can be seen briefly at the beginning of the film as a Norwegian who is shot by Johann Schmidt.
The exterior shots of the scene, which takes place in Tønsberg , Norway , were actually shot in Culross in Fife , Scotland .
For filming a road in was English Manchester in the New York district of Brooklyn transformed 1940s.
An establishing shot of London's King Charles Street was shot on location and then digitally transformed into London in the 1940s.
The film's last regular scene, set in contemporary Times Square , was filmed on location three months before the film officially opened.
Alan Silvestri composed the film music .

After the 1990 film adaptation of Captain America was only released as a direct-to-video film with a long delay in the USA , Marvel negotiated with producers Mark Gordon and Gary Levinsohn in 1997 about a remake of the Captain America comics. The script was supposed to be written by Larry Wilson and Leslie Bohem, but the project was ultimately not realized. In the wake of the success of the Marvel film X-Men from 2000, the Marvel offshoot Marvel Films planned again a Captain America film together with the film studio Artisan Entertainment, which was later taken over by Lions Gate Entertainment , but the project was delayed by a legal dispute between Marvel and Joe Simon , one of the creators of Captain America, regarding the copyright to the character, which was only settled in September 2003.

Shortly thereafter, Marvel decided to dare a new strategy for future comic adaptations: Due to retrospectively disadvantageous contracts that had been concluded in the 1990s, Marvel had only been able to post low license income for film adaptations of its own comics. Future film adaptations should therefore enable Marvel to gain a greater share of the profits by expanding the publisher's own Marvel Studios , which until then had only acted as licensor, to an actual film production company , while Paramount Pictures should take over the distribution. Marvel took out a $ 525 million loan from Merrill Lynch to fund this venture . Marvel also wanted to keep more creative control over the film adaptations in this way and ensure that the actions and representations of the characters did not differ too much from the comic books. One of the basic ideas behind the new approach was that all films that would be produced by Marvel Studios should play similarly to the comic books in a cohesive universe, which should enable crossovers and appearances of the same characters in different films. Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, gave this universe the name "Marvel Cinematic Universe" .g

During the production of Iron Man , one of the first films to be produced directly by Marvel Studios, one of the next projects planned was a film adaptation of Captain America. As a scriptwriter, David Self was planned, and the possible release date was 2009. The writers Guild of America's strike from November 2007 to February 2008 delayed the project again, but Marvel reached a preliminary agreement with the WGA in January 2008 about the To be able to continue work on the Captain America film. In May 2008, the film was announced for May 6, 2011 under the working title The First Avenger: Captain America . The budget for the film was an estimated $ 140 million. Joe Johnston was confirmed as director in November 2008, followed a few days later by screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. The script was later revised by Joss Whedon , director of Marvel's The Avengers , to ensure that Steve Rogers' personality was portrayed consistently in both films. In March 2009, the official start of the film was postponed from May 6 to July 22, 2011.

Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, cites the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark , set in 1936, as the inspiration for the film . In Captain America: The First Avenger there is an allusion to the former film when Johann Schmidt notes after the discovery of the tesseract cube that Hitler was digging "in the desert for worthless things" (in the original "trinkets", a reference to the ark of the covenant , which plays a central role in Raiders of the Lost Ark ). An important point for Marvel was the international perception of the title hero, who with his name and costume represents the USA like hardly any other superhero. For this reason, the human aspect of the character of Steve Rogers should be emphasized. Feige also hoped that Barack Obama's election as President of the USA would improve its image.

In March 2010 the engagement of Chris Evans and Hugo Weaving for the roles of Steve Rogers / Captain America and Johann Schmidt / Red Skull was officially confirmed. Evans had initially turned down the role because Marvel wanted him to sign a contract for nine films. It was only after the demand had been reduced to six films that Evans finally agreed, after some hesitation. In April of that year, Sebastian Stan , who had previously also been considered for the title role, was announced as starring in Bucky Barnes. That same month, Hayley Atwell was confirmed as Peggy Carter. In order to physically prepare for his role, Chris Evans underwent intense strength training lasting several months.

For the fantasy vehicles, the German car and film designer Daniel Simon was commissioned ( lead vehicle design ), who also designed the Light Cycles for Tron: Legacy . The technology shown in the film is based on vehicles and aircraft that actually existed at the time of the plot or at least was planned. Schmidt's car is a cross between two Mercedes-Benz models, a 540 K and a G4 , while the Roots compressor was taken over from the Bentley “Blower” . The plane with which Schmidt flees from the explosion of the Hydra factory is meanwhile a "power wing ", a development by Focke-Wulf , which in reality never got beyond the concept phase. The Hydra tanks are based on land cruisers such as the P-1000 "Ratte", which was also never realized . Schmidt's plane, which crashes Captain America at the end of the film, is based on the flying wing concept that the German Horten brothers implemented in many different models before and during the Second World War. However, these planes never came close to the size of the model depicted in the film. Such aircraft were not ready for series production and operational until later, the best-known representatives are the Northrop YB-35 and the Northrop B-2 .

In an earlier version of the film, Arnim Zola and Johann Schmidt were supposed to test a firearm developed by Zola in their first scene together, which turns out to be much more powerful than they expected. In the finished film, they rather try to tame the energies of the cube in the scene. The three Nazis Roeder, Hutter and Schneider, who were murdered by Schmidt before he renounced Adolf Hitler , were named after Klaus Röder , Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider from the German band Kraftwerk .

Most of the film was shot in the UK . Although it was originally planned to shoot Captain America: The First Avenger at Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach, California , it was ultimately decided to relocate production to London instead , as the film would mostly be set in Europe. The first scene that was filmed was the first scene in the actual film plot in which Johann Schmidt found the "Tesserakt" cube in a monastery in Tønsberg, Norway . The interior view of the monastery was set up as a backdrop in the studio, while the exterior shots were later filmed in Culross in Fife , Scotland . The Hydra tank and Schmidt's car that can be seen in that scene were created entirely on the computer. The original costume design for the Norwegian played by David Bradley looked very similar to the role played by the same actor as Argus Filch from the Harry Potter films, which is why its appearance was revised for the finished film.

The alley where Steve Rogers is beaten up at the beginning of the film is actually in the grounds of London's Pinewood Studios . The building across the street has been digitally added above the first floor. Some of the scenes that take place at Camp Lehigh were filmed in Black Park, which borders the Pinewood Studios. The scene in which the recruits attempt to climb a flagpole, however, was written afterwards in the film and filmed in Santa Clarita , California . To this end, Damon Driver, who originally only played an extra role as instructor Sergeant Duffy when filming in Great Britain , was brought to California for re-shooting . Also in Santa Clarita, on the site of a former tank factory, was filmed the scene in which Steve tries to gain access to the Hydra base at the end of the film. The mountains in the background have been digitally added again. The military camp in Italy was meanwhile set up in Bourne Wood in Lincolnshire , England , whereby the scene in which Steve leaves to rescue Bucky was written afterwards into the film and was shot in the hills above the Hollywood Freeway. For the interior of the barracks at Camp Lehigh, where Steve Rogers and Abraham Erskine talk the night before the experiment, the setting of the recruiting office where Steve is at the beginning of the film has been redesigned. A disused factory from the 1940s in Longcross, England, which is now part of Longcross Studios and was used both as a backdrop for the laboratory in which Howard Stark Kruger's mini-submarine was examined, and for the Allied headquarters in London , was also used several times was used. The interior of the Hydra tank, which Dum Dum Dugan and Gabe Jones bring under their control, was also built as a backdrop at Longcross Studios. For the Hydra factory, meanwhile, an abandoned munitions factory in was Welsh Aldershot used. For the interior view of the factory, the lower part of the factory interior was built as a backdrop and the upper part was then digitally added. The setting for the prison inside the factory was again built on the site of a former military base in Caerwent , Welsh .

The establishing shot of King Charles Street in London, where the Allied headquarters are located, was shot on location. The scene at the end of the film, showing how the population reacts to the end of World War II, was also filmed in London, in this case in Trafalgar Square . In the streets of New York district of Brooklyn it was, however, in reality largely to one long block in Manchester , England , which was redesigned again and again for various scenes. Some shots of the car chase between Steve Rogers and Heinz Kruger were also filmed in Liverpool and on the premises of Universal Studios in North Hollywood, Los Angeles . The Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty , which can be seen in the background during some scenes, were later digitally added. The underwater scenes were shot in a water tank at Pinewood Studios, with Kruger's mini submarine added as a computer effect. Actor Chris Evans played many of the safer stunt scenes himself because, according to director Joe Johnston, he has a very distinctive way of moving that is difficult to imitate by doubles .

For the exhibition, which Steve and Bucky visit at the beginning of the film, almost the entire background has been digitally added and the people in the background have been recorded separately. The scene in which Steve and Bucky jump on the train Zola is on was also shot in the studio, and the background of the Austrian Alps was added as a green screen effect. The metal container in which Steve is treated with "Vitastrails" during Erskine's experiment, however, was not a computer effect , but a prop that could actually be raised and lowered. The opening scene of the film, in which SHIELD agents discover the wreck of the "Valkyrie" in the Arctic Circle , was shot in the studio. The midnight sun visible on the horizon was a lamp that was mounted on a camera truck. After the scene was completed, the setting for Howard Stark's presentation of his flying car was set up in the same studio. A wrecked car was restored for the car as well as for all of the stunt vehicles used in the film. The backdrop that was used for the interior of the "Valkyrie" was mounted on a cardanic suspension for the battle scene at the end of the film in order to simulate the movements of the aircraft. The same setting was used for the opening scene of the film, in which the SHIELD agents investigate the interior of the plane wreck. Since both scenes were shot alternately, the setting for shooting the opening scene had to be frozen and then cleared of the ice again to shoot the rest of the fight scene. The corridors in Schmidt's Hydra base were built as a backdrop in Shepperton Studios , which has been part of Pinewood Studios since 2001 , and redesigned for different settings to represent other sections of the base. The cinema in which Steve can be seen at the beginning of the film, as well as all the stages on which he appears as "Captain America" during his propaganda tour, was in fact the London Hackney Empire theater, which is constantly being redesigned was to represent a cinema hall as well as stages in different cities. The bar in London where Steve recruits the soldiers he freed for his campaign against Hydra is actually a closed bar called Crocker's Folly in the Maida Vale area of ​​London, used exclusively for filming. The film's last regular scene, in which Steve finds himself in contemporary Times Square , was filmed on location three months before the film officially opened.

Since the film was to be released in 3D , director Joe Johnston shot a day with 3D cameras on a trial basis, but ultimately found this to be a "nightmare". Instead, the film was shot in conventional 2D and subsequently converted to 3D from Stereo D during post-production .

Various props made of metal, fiberglass-reinforced plastic and rubber were used for Captain America's shield . In some scenes it was added as a pure computer effect. A total of around 1,600 computer effects were used in the film. The greatest individual achievement was achieved by the British studio Double Negative with around 630 computer effects, including vehicles and planes, tanks and the train in which Arnim Zola was captured. In addition, Double Negative took over effects for the scene in which John Smith the tesseract cube finds also the interior of the Hydra-factory, various effects in Schmidt's office, the hangar and the flying wing - bomber . London-based studio The Senate, meanwhile, was responsible for the scenes set in New York City to completely transform the background into 1940s New York and bare feet from the skin-colored boots that Chris Evans wore while filming the chase . Santa Monica's Luma Pictures reworked the background for the chase portion that takes place in New York Harbor, while Method Studios' California division reworked the scene in which Steve Rogers parachuted out of Howard Stark's plane and the sequence at the beginning of the credits, which were based on actual WWII propaganda posters and designed by Rok! t Studio. The flashback that can be seen when Abraham Erskine reports to Steve Rogers about Johann Schmidt came from the German studio Trixter, while the Australian studio Fuel VFX took on the underwater scenes including Heinz Kruger's mini-submarine and Howard Stark's bathysphere , the Hydra base in the Swiss Alps, the motorcycles, the Hydra tanks and the Radio City Music Hall , the establishing shot of New York City at the beginning of the film and the digital background of a destroyed Hydra factory came from Whiskytree from San Rafael , California , Look Effects was Responsible for Howard Stark's floating car, Captain America's shield and various battle scenes, the Berlin studio Rise FX for the scenes in which the hydra weapons powered by the energy of the tesseract cube shoot soldiers to pieces, and Evil Eye Pictures from San Francisco for the digital backgrounds of the Brooklyn drive and Steve Rogers' hospital room at the end of the film.

One of the toughest computer effects was getting Steve Rogers to do before Erskine's experiment turned him into a tall, muscular man. Actor Chris Evans played most of the scenes himself and was then digitally shrunk by the Santa Monica special effects studio Lola Visual Effects. For this, the entire environment around him, including the other actors, had to be adapted. A double named Leander Deeny was used for some scenes, and Evans' head was then digitally mounted on his body. Deeny himself is briefly seen in the film as a bartender in the London bar. Lola was also responsible for removing Hugo Weaving's nose as "Red Skull", with the preliminary work for the appearance of the "Red Skull" being done by the British studio Framestore.

The score is by Alan Silvestri . Captain America: The First Avenger is his first collaboration with director Joe Johnston. For the scene in which Schmidt has a portrait painted of himself, Joe E. Rand, who is responsible for the music editing, combined two pieces composed by Richard Wagner , “ Funeral march "From the opera Götterdämmerung and" A sword my father promised me "from the opera Die Walküre . The song "The Star-Spangled Man", which can be heard as Captain America during Steve's propaganda appearances, was in turn composed by Alan Menken and the text was written by David Zippel .

Reference to the template

The Captain Americas shield used for the film, here at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011, is based directly on the comic model.
Richard Armitage's role as spy and assassin Heinz Kruger was initially nameless in the comics and was only named in a later retelling.
The Nazi scientist Arnim Zola, embodied in the film by Toby Jones , can usually be seen in the comics in an android body .
"Dum Dum" Dugan, embodied by Neal McDonough , is based closely on the comic book.
In contrast to the comic book , the SHIELD director Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson , is not seen in the film as a young soldier at the time of World War II .
Stan Lee (left, with lead actor Chris Evans), whose early works included stories for Captain America's original comic strip, has a cameo as in almost all Marvel films .

The story of the creation of Captain America largely corresponds to the comic book, including the antique shop, which serves as a camouflage for the army's secret laboratory, but the “shopkeeper” in the comic was an agent in the disguise of an old woman. Also the training camp "Camp Lehigh", the instructor Sergeant Duffy embodied in the film by Damon Driver and the "Vita-Rays" (in the original "Vita-Rays"), which should accelerate cell growth after the infusion of the serum, were already at Captain Named America's first comic book appearance. Unlike in the film, Steve Rogers had a secret identity in the comics and was immediately used as Captain America on the war front without appearing as a propaganda mascot beforehand. The biggest change concerns the circumstances of Steve's involuntary cold sleep: The comic series was originally discontinued a few years after the end of the war due to falling sales. In the 1950s, a few more issues appeared in which Captain America fought against communists instead of the Nazis . In the 1960s, Captain America was discovered by the Avengers in Antarctica . Thanks to the serum in his blood, to which he owed his strength, the cold had not killed him, but merely put him into cryostasis so that he could be resuscitated without any problems. A flashback revealed that Baron Zemo, another of Captain America's opponents specially invented for this story, had launched a "flying bomb" similar to the manned bombs in the film. Before the sabotaged bomb exploded over Antarctica, Captain America fell into the sea. His comic book appearances after the end of the war were retrospectively reinterpreted to the effect that after Steve Rogers' disappearance the US government had given substitutes the costume Captain America, while the communist hunter was later declared a con man. Over the years, Steve's cold sleep has been lengthened again and again and his awakening has been shifted to the “modern” times. Steve Rogers' personality as a pragmatist with moral integrity is based on his portrayal in comics since the 1970s. The idea of ​​the secret service SHIELD find and revive him, however, is based on the comic series The Ultimate , which takes place in the " Ultimate Universe ", but Steve Rogers is portrayed there as a conservative reactionary .

The costume that Steve wears during his propaganda appearances as "Captain America" ​​is based on his classic costume from the comics. According to director Joe Johnston , this was the only way to fit this costume into the movie. The uniform that Steve later wears during his missions against Hydra, however, goes back to the version from the "Ultimate Universe". When he first appeared in a comic, Steve also wore the triangular sign that is used in the film for his propaganda appearances. The much better known Rundschild was already used since its second comic appearance, because the comic publisher Timely (the predecessor publisher Marvels ) wanted to avoid legal difficulties with the publisher MLJ, the predecessor of Archie Comics , whose superhero "The Shield", his first appearance a few months before Captain America, wore a costume that looked very much like the original Captain America's shield. In later decades it was retrospectively revealed that the round shield was made of a unique alloy of iron and the fictional metal vibranium, which is able to absorb any shocks and vibrations. The comic book Captain America Comics No. 1, which appeared in the real world as early as 1941 and contained the first comic book appearance of Captain America, can be seen in the film as a fictionalized processing of its genesis. The cover of the magazine shows Captain America killing Adolf Hitler, which is also part of his stage show in the film.

Unlike in the film, “Bucky” Barnes was not a friend of the same age as Steve Rogers in the comics, but a teenage orphan who was viewed as a “mascot” by the recruits at Camp Lehigh. When he found out about Captain America's secret identity by chance, he named him his costumed junior partner Bucky. After Steve Rogers was discovered by the Avengers in Antarctica in a 1960s story, a flashback revealed that Bucky apparently died in the explosion of the flying bomb that had thrown Captain America into the sea. In the comics, unlike in the film, Captain America was only able to react to Bucky's death after he woke up from cold sleep. It was not until decades later that it was retrospectively revealed that Bucky had survived the explosion but suffered from amnesia and had been trained in the Soviet Union to become an assassin named "Winter Soldier". After the assassination of Steve Rogers, he temporarily wore the Captain America costume himself.

The first Red Skull to appear in the comics was an American industrialist named George Maxon who worked as a spy for the Nazis. As a "Red Skull" he only wore a mask. Subsequent appearances of the Red Skull completely ignored his identity as "George Maxon", and when Captain America was brought back for a few issues by Marvel's predecessor Atlas Comics in the 1950s, the Red Skull was now a communist. Later stories from the 1960s and early 1970s retrospectively revealed that Maxon was merely a stooge of the “real” Red Skull and that the communist was an impostor. The “real” Red Skull was once a hateful bellhop whom Adolf Hitler had made his protégé . He too wore a mask as the Red Skull and, like Captain America, spent several decades in a death-like state after the end of the war , so that his aging process was slowed down. His original name, Johann Schmidt, on the other hand, was only revealed in a story from the 1980s (erroneously spelled “Shmidt” at the time). After his death, Schmidt's consciousness was transferred to a new body, which was a clone of Steve Rogers. Since the blood of the clone body also contained the serum to which Steve owed his powers, Schmidt has since become physically equal to his archenemy. However, since he accidentally inhaled his own poison gas, which he used to transform the faces of his victims into images of his red skull mask, his face has been disfigured and, like in the film, actually resembles a red skull. The idea of ​​giving the Red Skull the same powers as Captain America and a disfigured face from the start is based instead on the 1990 direct-to-video film Captain America , although the Red Skull was not a German there, but a Italian named Tadzio de Santis.

Margaret "Peggy" Carter was introduced into the comics in a 1960s story as part of a flashback as a member of the French Resistance . However, Captain America never found out her name and thought she was dead after a grenade explosion. Only a story from the 1970s revealed that she was Peggy Carter, the older sister of Captain America's then girlfriend Sharon Carter. In later decades, Peggy was renamed Sharon's aunt and worked as a telephone operator for the Avengers.

Hydra was first introduced in the comics in stories from the 1960s, where it was a criminal organization that sought world domination through terrorism and infiltration of government organizations . Hydra was originally headed by a businessman named Arthur Brown, but only a few issues later it was revealed that the organization's real leader and founder was a Nazi criminal named Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. The phrase “If you cut off a head, two new ones grow back”, which goes back to the monster Hydra from Greek mythology and relates to the number of members in Hydra, is also the motto of the organization in the comics. Unlike in the movie, the Red Skull was never the leader of Hydra in the comics.

Arnim Zola wasn't introduced to the comics until the 1970s and was a Nazi war criminal there who had transferred his consciousness into an android body with a screen in the chest showing Zola's face. In the film, among the documents that Zola secures before his escape from the Hydra factory, there are plans for the android body from the comics. Zola only has to do with Hydra in the comics insofar as he was an ally of Baron Strucker during World War II.

Howard Stark was the late father Tony Starks in the comics, just as he was in the Iron Man films. Unlike in the film, he was not involved in the creation of Captain America in the comics, but only encountered him in a story from 1990 as part of a flashback that took place at the time of the Second World War.

The comic model of Colonel Phillips appeared for the first time in a reinterpretation of the story of the origin of Captain America from the 1960s. On the other hand, he received the surname “Phillips” in a further reinterpretation from the early 1990s, which also introduced the figure of the recruit Cameron Hodge. The first name "Chester", on the other hand, was only established in a story from the late 1990s. Unlike in the film, Phillips had the rank of general in the comics, and from the beginning he advocated Steve Rogers' selection for Erskine's experiment.

The scientist who developed the serum that gave Steve Rogers his powers was called "Professor Reinstein" in the comics for a long time. It was only in a reinterpretation of the story of the origin of Captain America from the 1980s that this was changed to a code name and his real name was established as "Abraham Erskine". Just like in the movie, he was murdered by a Nazi spy in the comics. The name of his murderer was given for the first time in a story from the late 1960s as "Heinz Kruger". The film credits this as the name of the role played by Richard Armitage . The cover identity called "Frederick Clemson", which Kruger uses to gain access to the laboratory in which Erskine conducts his experiment, was only named in a further reinterpretation from the 1980s.

The "tesseract cube" is based on the "cosmic cube", which in the comics has no connection to Asgard from the Thor comics, but was created by the criminal organization AIM and was able to represent reality according to the wishes of the person who holds the cube in his hands. Over the years, more cubes were created, and the Red Skull seized one of the cubes several times with the intention of sculpting the world as it imagined.

Nick Fury was originally introduced in the comics in the 1960s as a soldier who fought in World War II with a group of soldiers subordinate to him, the Howling Commandos , and who also met Captain America and his junior partner Bucky. Members of the Howling Commandos also included "Dum Dum" Dugan and Gabe Jones. The latter, like its film counterpart, represented an anachronism , since African-Americans did not serve in joint units with white soldiers until 1944 and the complete desegregation of the American military did not take place until 1948. Jim Morita was in the comics a member of the "Nisei Squadron", which consisted of Japanese Americans , while Jacques Dernier was a member of the French Resistance. Both met Fury and his people several times during the war and worked with them. James Montgomery Falsworth was only introduced in the 1970s as the superhero "Union Jack", a kind of British counterpart to Captain America. The name "Howling Commandos" was used in the script of the film, but is not mentioned in the film itself. Meanwhile, director Joe Johnston referred to the troupe in interviews as "Invaders", which led comic fans to speculate that the superhero team of the same name, of which Captain America was a member in the comics, appears in the film. A few years after his first comic book appearance as head of the SHIELD secret service, Fury was transported back into the modern era. "Dum Dum" Dugan and Gabe Jones also held high positions at SHIELD under Fury. In a story from the 1970s, it was retrospectively explained that Fury's aging process was slowed down by the use of a special agent called "Infinity Formula", which should explain Why, as a World War II veteran, he seemed barely aged on the outside. In contrast to the film version, the Nick Fury of the "classic" Marvel universe is a white man. The portrayal of Fury in the film is based instead on an alternative version of the character from the comics of the "Ultimate Universe", whose appearance is based on Samuel L. Jackson . This had given Marvel permission for it at the time. Meanwhile, Dugan's appearance in the film is based directly on the classic comic model.

The "Strategic Scientific Reserve" (originally "Strategic Scientific Reserve") and the character of Senator Brandt were specially invented for the film.

At the exhibition that Captain America and Bucky visit at the beginning of the film, a human figure can be seen in a glass container. According to the label, this is a "synthetic man" (in the original: "Synthetic Man"), who was led by a certain "Dr. Phineas Horton ”is presented. This alludes to one of the first superheroes of the Marvel predecessor publisher Timely, the first human torch (in the original: "Human Torch"). In the comics, Professor Phineas Horton created an android that he presented in a glass container at a press conference. However, when he introduced oxygen into the tank, the android ignited and became known as the human torch. He later learned to control his flames and assumed a secret human identity called "Jim Hammond". In Captain America's first comic book appearance, the human torch was still referred to as a fictional comic figure, since the crossover of two superheroes was not an established concept at the time. The Torch and Captain America later met, however, and in stories from the 1970s they were even retrospectively declared members of the "Invaders," a team of superheroes active during World War II. The red suit that the "synthetic human" wears in the film is based on the fireproof costume Hammond wears in the comics.

Long-time Marvel comic book writer Stan Lee , whose first works included stories for the 1941 series Captain America Comics , has, as in almost all Marvel films, a cameo and plays a general who is in the audience of an award ceremony, to which Steve Rogers does not appear.

synchronization

The German synchronization of the film was done by Berliner Synchron AG. The dialogue book was written by Kim Hasper , who also directed the dialogue .

role Actor / original speaker Voice actor
Steve Rogers / Captain America Chris Evans Dennis Schmidt-Foss
Agent Peggy Carter Hayley Atwell Berenice Weichert
Johann Schmidt / Red Skull Hugo Weaving Hans-Jürgen Wolf
Sergeant Bucky Barnes Sebastian Stan Björn Schalla
Colonel Chester Phillips Tommy Lee Jones Ronald Nitschke
Howard Stark Dominic Cooper Timmo Niesner
Heinz Kruger Richard Armitage Sascha Rotermund
Dr. Abraham Erskine Stanley Tucci Lutz Mackensy
Nick Fury Samuel L. Jackson Engelbert von Nordhausen
Dr. Arnim Zola Toby Jones Lutz Schnell
Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan Neal McDonough Johannes Berenz
Gabe Jones Derek Luke Marcel Collé
Jim Morita Kenneth Choi Gerald Schaale
Senator Brandt Michael Brandon Jan Spitzer
Private Lorraine Natalie Dormer Giuliana Jakobeit
Doctor at the muster Simon Kunz Erich Rauker

marketing

Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios , Director Joe Johnston, and Cast Chris Evans and Hugo Weaving at San Diego Comic-Con International 2010.

The marketing campaign for Captain America: The First Avenger included a special appearance by director Joe Johnston , actors Chris Evans and Hugo Weaving, and Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios , at San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2010 Commercial during the February 2011 Super Bowl , an appearance by USO dancers in the costumes used in the film during Captain America's propaganda tour, aboard the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City Harbor in May 2011 , as well as an advertising campaign as part of the American Independence Day celebration on July 4, 2011 hosted by the Chicago White Sox . Paramount was able to partner with motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson as well as the ice cream parlor chain Baskin-Robbins and the fast food chain Dunkin 'Donuts , the both belong to Dunkin 'Brands, win. In the film, Steve Rogers drives a Harley-Davidson WLA "Liberator", in return Harley-Davidson organized a competition called "HD Free the World", which was supposed to enable a member of the American armed forces and a civilian to each have a custom-made Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 to win. Meanwhile, Dunkin 'Donuts and Baskin-Robbins held a competition to find “super soldiers,” active soldiers or veterans whose service had a significant impact on the community. In addition, both chains offered competitions on their websites and special “Captain America” menus in their restaurants.

In the German version of the first trailer, Tommy Lee Jones and Richard Armitage are dubbed by Jürgen Kluckert and Kim Hasper instead of Ronald Nitschke and Sascha Rotermund .

As early as February 2011, Marvel published an eight-part digital comic entitled Captain America: First Vengeance on the publisher's website and for the Marvel app , written by Fred Van Lente and drawn by alternating artists, which in each part describes the history of a different character from the Film tells. An anthology containing all eight parts was published in July 2011. A German publication of the first four parts has been announced by Panini Verlag as part of the anthology Captain America & Thor: First Revenge for April 17, 2012.

The video game adaptations for the film were published by Sega in the USA on July 19, and in Germany on July 15, 2011 under the title Captain America: Super Soldier and were for the PlayStation 3 , the Nintendo Wii , the Nintendo DS and the Xbox 360 available. A version for Nintendo 3DS was also released in the US on October 25th, and in Germany on October 21st, 2011. The Wii version was developed by High Voltage Software, the DS version by Griptonite Games and all other versions by Next Level games. Meanwhile, a mobile game called Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty was released by Marvel in July 2011.

A novel adaptation of the film plot for younger readers written by Elizabeth Rudnick was published by the Marvel subsidiary Marvel Press on June 21, 2011.

The toy manufacturer Hasbro released toy figures of various figures from the film as well as other figures known from the comics, vehicles for the figures and Captain America's shield as role-playing accessories.

The soundtrack with the film music composed by Alan Silvestri was released in the USA on July 19, and in Germany on August 19, 2011.

reception

Financial success

Box office earnings [million]
territory U.S$ € CHF
world world 370.6 310.4 334.4
Production costs 140 117.3 126.3
United StatesUnited States United States Canada
CanadaCanada  		176.7 148 159.4
GermanyGermany Germany 4.9 4.1 4.4
AustriaAustria Austria 0.7 0.6 0.6
SwitzerlandSwitzerland Switzerland Not available
(Access date: February 1, 2015)
The world premiere of Captain America: The First Avenger took place at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood .

Captain America: The First Avenger celebrated its world premiere on July 19, 2011 in Hollywood . The official film release in the USA took place on July 22, 2011 with around 7100 copies in 3715 cinemas, and within one day the film took in around 25.8 million US dollars, which is slightly ahead of Thor with 25.5 million in direct comparison lay. On the weekend launch, the film grossed $ 65.1 million, falling slightly behind Thor at 65.7 million over the same period. On the following Monday, Captain America: The First Avenger took in another 7.75 million, bringing the total revenue at that time to 72.8 million US dollars. Outside the United States, the film had only shown in Italy up to that point , where it had earned the equivalent of 2.9 million US dollars. After ten days, Captain America: The First Avenger had raised 117.4 million US dollars in the USA, and the film had since shown in 30 other countries around the world, where it had raised a total of 49.6 million US dollars, 54.4 Millions including Italy. In the US, Captain America: The First Avenger had raised a total of 143.2 million US dollars after 17 days. Within 16 weeks, the film raised a total of 176.65 million US dollars in the USA, making it twelfth among the most successful films of 2011 in the USA. The total worldwide box office is over $ 368.60 million, which is more than two and a half times the budget of $ 140 million. Therefore occupies Captain America: The First Avenger place 17 of the world's most successful films of 2011.

In Germany, Captain America: The First Avenger was initially shown in 456 cinemas on August 18, 2011. Within four days, 126,617 viewers saw the film, and the income for the opening weekend was the equivalent of 1.9 million US dollars, less than half of what Thor had grossed in the same period. After one week, the number of visitors was 197,196, and after just two weeks in a total of 466 cinemas, Captain America: The First Avenger was able to record a total of 339,835 visitors, making the film 94th among the most successful films of the year in Germany. The total box office income in Germany is just over 4.87 million US dollars.

Reviews

The reviews in Germany were mixed.

David Kleingers from Spiegel Online was satisfied and described Captain America: The First Avenger as a “no-frills B-Movie ”. The film tells "with a lot of enthusiasm and a highly contagious enthusiasm for straight-line, old-school suspense cinema", the story of the origins of the title hero, which compared to the original comic version by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby has been "gently adapted to the later renaissance of the character in the 1960s" . In addition, the script varies "individual characters, locations and storylines, which is very beneficial to the dramaturgy." Nevertheless, the film "does not lose sight of the essential quality of the captain [...]: The experience of personal vulnerability made Steve Rogers a self-sacrificing protector the weak. This comforting idea of ​​Simon and Kirby, which arose out of the righteous anger in the face of the Nazi atrocities in Europe, remains valid. ”Overall, Captain America: The First Avenger is a“ self-confident and clever B-movie, which is an absolute compliment here The film is “driven by the will to entertain, appears fresh and unpretentious and never offends the intelligence of its audience.” The “right ratio of speed, wit and pathos makes the appearance of the comic icon, who is pleasantly human a pleasure ”.

Robert Cherkowski von Filmstarts criticized the fact that the film used the Second World War as a setting, but almost completely ignored National Socialism : “But even this war, which with the Nazis actually has to offer the unmistakable enemy of popcorn for everyone, is still being depoliticized and depoliticized worn in fantasy realms, when instead of ordinary brown shirts the occult monster brigades of HYDRA are presented as the real danger. [...] Apparently they didn't want to spoil the hero playground of a world war with something as serious as National Socialism. So Johnston accomplishes the rare feat of setting his film in the Second World War, but not showing a single swastika. "Although there are approaches to satire ," unfortunately they ignite far too rarely. The half-hearted attempts to meet the hair-raising story with humor are little more than fig leaves, to hide the shallowness of the whole undertaking as well as possible behind a portion of self-irony. [...] What remains is a thoroughly sterile and tame affair that ultimately offers neither positive nor negative areas of friction, but indulges in mediocrity wherever it can. "Chris Evans' role as Steve Rogers is a" not unsympathetic one, but still a completely interchangeable hero off the rack, whose motivation should hardly elicit more than a shrug on the part of the audience. ”In addition, Evans, as the slender Steve Rogers shrunk by computer effect, offers a“ strangely wooden performance […] that also works later hardly improves ”. Cherkowski was not particularly impressed by the secondary characters either: “As soon as they disappear from the picture, they are forgotten.” Overall, he believed that he recognized a “demonstrative disinterest in the characters” in the film. Only Tommy Lee Jones had “laughs on his side” in his scenes as Colonel Phillips. Unfortunately, too few. ”As a conclusion, Cherkowski concluded:“ 'Captain America' is not really bad - just terribly banal, toothless and dreary. ”

Jan Füchtjohann from the Süddeutsche Zeitung liked the approach of the film, but not so much the implementation. He believed that in Captain America: The First Avenger he recognized the fulfillment of the “secret wishes” of the “powerless and weak” typical of superheroes , which in addition to “a lot of morality” also contained “a little fantasy of revenge and great power”. While "life in the early 21st century [...] has so far represented one big depression" and the USA waged "rather confusing wars", the film offers a "morally clear opponent: a guy who is worse than the Nazis ". On the other hand, Füchtjohann believed he discovered an “omission” in the film compared to the original comic, which Captain America woke up from its cold sleep in 1964 and witnessed the struggle of African Americans for their civil rights , the Vietnam War and the Watergate affair : “In ever new stories the former national hero shows himself as a broken figure who suffers from himself and her country. ”In the film, on the other hand,“ all doubts, all conflicts are faded out, instead there is a conservative return to the time when America was still good and the captain entered was a shining hero. ”On closer inspection, however, the“ dark years ”remained intact:“ Because the super soldier who hates bullys slept for seventy years. The message is clear: America was also a bully during this time - compassion and conscience fell asleep. So the attempt to glue all the breaks fails. Just the desire to do so makes this film mediocre at best. Because in the last few years it only got really interesting when the dark sides of the superhero were also explored. "Overall, comic superheroes do not provide a uniform picture:" An author designed them 70 years ago, another theirs History continued and rewritten ”. The film tries to “put this ambivalence into order: into a bourgeois existence before that (Steve Rogers), a superhero afterwards (Captain America) and a super villain against it (Red Skull). But this order belongs in a mythically transfigured past. "

The criticism of the Focus was also mixed: “Anyone who likes [comic films] and gets involved in great pathos, slippery facades and escalating material battles, is in good hands with 'Captain America'.” The title hero's fight for “Freedom, Peace and the good, ”director Joe Johnston“ staged so exaggerated, so full of pathos and infinitely flawless that you can only find it funny. ”The screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely would have done well“ with the exception of a short final sequence in the story to leave the past. Otherwise they would have had to critically question the unconditional patriotism of the superhero. Even the serious tones, such as the loss of his friend Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and the still young love for Peggy, remain sideline. The only thing that matters is victory over evil - for the fatherland. And so 'Captain America' is simply good cinema entertainment as long as you understand the 123 minutes as an irony of heroism and blind patriotism. "

Awards

Captain America: The First Avenger has been nominated for a total of eleven Scream Awards . In October 2011, however, only main actor Chris Evans was awarded in the category “best superhero”.

The Visual Effects Society nominated the film in two categories for a Visual Effects Society Award. It won in the category “Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Film ”. In February 2012, Casey Allen, Trent Claus, Brian Hajek and Cliff Welsh from Lola Visual Effects were honored for the implementation of the slender Steve Rogers at the beginning of the film.

Publishing on DVD and Blu-ray Disc

In the United States, Captain America: The First Avenger was released on October 25, 2011 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc . The DVD version is only available as a single-disc version with a small amount of bonus material, while the Blu-ray version contains a second disc with the DVD version including digital copy and more extensive bonus material, including the short film “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer ”, which deals with the experiences of SHIELD agent Phil Coulson, played by Clark Gregg , between Iron Man 2 and Thor (or the scene after the credits of Iron Man 2 ). In addition to the regular Blu-ray and DVD versions, a “Limited 3D Edition” also contains a Blu-ray 3D version of the film as a third disc . In the first week of release, the DVD version sold 701,193 copies, for revenues of over $ 12.12 million. Around 1.54 million copies of the Blu-ray version were sold in the same period, which corresponds to revenues of over 40 million US dollars. The Blu-ray version thus accounted for 68 percent of the film's sales. In the second week, another 231,634 copies of the DVD version were sold, which corresponds to additional revenue of over $ 4.16 million in total revenues of over $ 16.29 million. Approximately 333,000 additional copies of the Blu-ray version were sold during the same period, representing additional revenues of approximately $ 8.32 million and total revenues of over $ 48.40 million. The current sales figures for the DVD version (as of March 31, 2012) are over 1.6 million copies and revenues of over 28.4 million US dollars. Current sales figures for the Blu-ray version, however, are not available.

In Germany, Captain America: The First Avenger was released on December 19, 2011. Just like in the USA, the film is available as a single DVD version, as a Blu-ray version including DVD version and digital copy as a second disc and as a limited 3D version -Edition including Blu-ray 3D version available as a third disc. The short film "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer" was given the German title "Something Funny Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer". Sales figures for Germany are not available.

Captain America as part of the "Marvel Cinematic Universe"

Dominic Cooper is Howard Stark's third actor after Gerard Sanders from Iron Man and John Slattery from Iron Man 2 .

Just like the previously released films Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010) and Thor (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger is part of a larger, cohesive universe called the Marvel Cinematic Universe ".

Howard Stark, played by Dominic Cooper in Captain America: The First Avenger , was originally introduced in Iron Man as the late father of the title character, Tony Stark, later Iron Man. At the beginning of the film, Howard can be seen in several photos showing him in his later years, and was played by Gerard Sanders. Also in Iron Man , an unfinished prototype of Captain America's shield can be seen in a scene in the background. This is an Easter egg that was placed in the film by the animators from Industrial Light & Magic .

In The Incredible Hulk , General Ross reveals to soldier Emil Blonsky that the project Bruce Banner worked on for Ross, which eventually led to the transformation of Banners into the Hulk, was a remake of the project that Captain America owes his powers to. Ross still has samples of the serum developed on his behalf and has it administered to Blonsky, who then develops powers similar to Captain America. In the originally planned opening scene, which is missing in the final cut of the film, but is included in the bonus material of the DVD and Blu-ray versions, Bruce Banner goes to the Arctic to commit suicide. Before he succeeds, however, he transforms into the Hulk who smashes a glacier . A person frozen in the ice can be seen very briefly, who is supposed to be Captain America.

In Iron Man 2 , Howard Stark can be seen in film footage that dates back to 1974 within the film store, but is now played by John Slattery . Nick Fury also makes another appearance and reveals to Tony that Howard was a founding member of SHIELD. Among his father's records that Tony received from Fury is the comic book Captain America Comics # 1, which featured in Captain America: The First Avenger . In addition, the unfinished Captain America's shield can be seen again in Iron Man 2 , but this time as an actual prop . One of the locations of the film is also the "Stark Expo", which takes place in Flushing Meadows Park in the New York borough of Queens . In Captain America: The First Avenger , the 1943 park is the location of the exhibition where Howard Stark presents his flying car and Steve Rogers meets Erskine. Strictly speaking, this is an anachronism , since the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Park shown in the film was actually built for the 1964 World's Fair . Following Stark's presentation, an instrumental version of the song "Make Way for Tomorrow Today" composed by Richard Sherman can be heard in the background , which is the theme music for the 1974 Stark Expo in Iron Man 2 .

At the beginning of Thor , an attack by the frost giants from the Jotunheim ice world on the people of the earth can be seen, which took place in Tønsberg , Norway in 965 AD . At the beginning of Captain America: The First Avenger , Johann Schmidt found the “Tesseract Cube” there in 1942, hidden in a wall relief of the world tree Yggdrasil . When Schmidt touches the cube with his hands at the end of the film, a system of galactic nebulae can be seen around him, which corresponds to the portrayal of Yggdrasil in Thor . Schmidt also describes the cube as a "jewel in Odin's treasury". Both Odin and the Treasury can be seen in Thor , and in a post-credits scene, Nick Fury presents the tesseract cube to scientist Erik Selvig.

In the end credits of Captain America: The First Avenger , the message "Captain America will return in the following The Avengers " (German: "Captain America is in The Avengers return"). The film Marvel's The Avengers , which came out in theaters in 2012, brings together the main characters of all previous films in the “Marvel Cinematic Universe”, including Chris Evans as Captain America / Steve Rogers, in a joint team for the first time. Samuel L. Jackson can also be seen again in his role as Nick Fury.

The sequel to Captain America with the German title The Return of the First Avenger came to the cinema on March 27, 2014. Filming began in April 2013, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo . A third part followed in 2016 with The First Avenger: Civil War .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Release certificate for Captain America: The First Avenger . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , July 2011 (PDF; test number: 128 660 K).
  2. ↑ Age rating for Captain America: The First Avenger . Youth Media Commission .
  3. ^ Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 25, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Jada Yuan: Dominic Cooper on Captain America and What His Mom Will Think of His New Movie About Uday Hussein. Vulture.com, Jan. 31, 2011; Retrieved March 22, 2012.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Audio commentary by director Joe Johnston , cinematographer Shelly Johnson, and film editor Jeffrey Ford and bonus material from the DVD and Blu-ray release of Captain America: The First Avenger .
  6. ↑ a b Mike Bruno: 'Captain America': Sebastian Stan cast as Bucky Barnes . Entertainment Weekly , April 2, 2010; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  7. ↑ Michael Fleming: A Mania For Marvel . Variety on April 13, 1997; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  8. ↑ Michael Fleming: Artisan deal a real Marvel . Variety on May 15, 2000; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  9. ↑ Meredith Amdur: Marvel sees big stock gains . ( Memento of November 18, 2012 on the Internet Archive ) Variety , October 9, 2003; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  10. ^ Sharon Waxman: Marvel Wants to Flex Its Own Heroic Muscles as a Moviemaker . New York Times , June 18, 2007; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  11. ^ Edward Douglas: Exclusive: An In-Depth Iron Man Talk with Jon Favreau . SuperHeroHype.com, April 28, 2008; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  12. ↑ Marvel Decade: Kevin Feige . Marvel.com, December 30, 2009; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  13. ↑ a b Captain America is Coming . IGN June 14, 2007; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  14. ↑ Dave McNary: Lionsgate signs as WGA talks go on . ( Memento of October 25, 2012 on the Internet Archive ), Variety , January 24, 2008; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  15. ↑ Edward Douglas: Marvel Studios Sets Four More Release Dates! . SuperHeroHype.com, May 5, 2008; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  16. ↑ a b c Captain America: The First Avenger at Box Office Mojo; accessed March 30, 2012.
  17. ↑ Joe Johnston to Direct 'Captain America'! Comingsoon.net November 10, 2008; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  18. ↑ Michael Fleming: Markus, McFeely to write 'Captain' .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Variety , Nov. 18, 2008; Retrieved March 27, 2012.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.variety.com  
  19. ↑ Eric Eisenberg: Exclusive Interview: Captain America Writers Christopher Markus And Stephen McFeely . Cinemablend.com, July 26, 2011; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  20. ↑ Chris Hewitt: Thor, Cap & Avengers Get New Dates . Empire March 12, 2009; Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  21. ↑ Alex Billington: Profile on Marvel Studios with Big Updates from Kevin Feige . firstshowing.net, June 7, 2009; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  22. ↑ Benjamin Svetkey: Barack Obama: Celebrity In Chief . Entertainment Weekly , Nov. 21, 2008; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  23. ↑ Marc Graser: Chris Evans to play 'Captain America' . Variety , March 22, 2010; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  24. ↑ a b Frank Lovece: Red, white and true blue 'Captain America' . Newsday, July 15, 2011; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  25. ↑ Captain America Movie: Peggy Carter Cast . Marvel.com, April 14, 2010; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  26. ↑ This designer drives a film . Spiegel Online , September 3, 2012; Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  27. ^ Film Vehicle Design: Captain America. In: DanielSimon.com. Retrieved September 16, 2019 .
  28. ↑ Erin McCarthy: Captain America: The Gonzo Engineering Behind Red Skull's Monster Car . Popular Mechanics , July 22, 2011; Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  29. ↑ Hydra Schmidt Coupé. In: DanielSimon.com. Retrieved September 16, 2019 .
  30. ↑ Captain America: Hydra Parasite. In: DanielSimon.com. Retrieved September 16, 2019 .
  31. ↑ a b c Trevor Hogg: Raising the Shield: The Making of Captain America: The First Avenger ( July 29, 2011 memento on WebCite ) CGSociety.org, July 27, 2011; Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  32. ↑ Captain America: Hydra Tank. In: DanielSimon.com. Retrieved September 16, 2019 .
  33. ↑ Captain America: Hydra Flying Wing. In: DanielSimon.com. Retrieved September 16, 2019 .
  34. ↑ Richard Verrier: On Location: 'Captain America' will be filmed in ... London . Los Angeles Times , May 19, 2010; Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  35. ^ Culross location photos . Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  36. ↑ Captain America - * exclusive * More new Aldershot location photos. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on November 16, 2011 ; Retrieved October 26, 2016 .
  37. ↑ Article. South Wales Argus ; Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  38. ↑ Captain America Scene Filmed in Trafalgar Square . SuperHeroHype.com, Aug 23, 2010; Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  39. ↑ Brendan Bettinger, 'Captain America: The First Avenger' Films in Times Square with Chris Evans and Samuel L. Jackson . Collider.com, April 24, 2011; Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  40. ↑ Geoff Boucher: It's official: 'Thor' and 'Captain America' will be 3-D films . Los Angeles Times , July 14, 2010; Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  41. ↑ Captain America: The First Avenger. Retrieved October 26, 2016 .
  42. ↑ Ian Failes: 'Captain America': super soldier effects . fxguide.com, August 9, 2011; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  43. ↑ Marvel Entertainment 'Captain America'. (No longer available online.) Method Studios, archived from the original on October 26, 2016 ; Retrieved October 26, 2016 .
  44. ↑ Lola Landekic: Captain America: The First Avenger . Art of the Title, Aug. 30, 2011; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  45. ↑ Captain America: The First Avenger. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on October 26, 2016 ; Retrieved October 26, 2016 .
  46. ↑ Debra Kaufman: Behind the Lens: Captain America: The First Avenger . Creative COW Magazine, 2011; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  47. ↑ Vincent Frei: Captain America: Max Ivins - VFX Supervisor - Look Effects . The Art of VFX, October 25, 2011; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  48. ↑ Florian Gellinger: Captain America: The First Avenger . Rise FX, July 22, 2011; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  49. ↑ Captain America: The First Avenger . Evil Eye Pictures; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  50. ↑ a b Mike Seymour: Case Study: How to make a Captain America wimp . fxguide.com, July 25, 2011; Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  51. ↑ Captain America: The First Avenger . Frame store; Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  52. ↑ Brian Cronin: Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed # 58 . Comic Book Resources, July 4, 2006; Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  53. ↑ Kamal Larsuel, Interview with Samuel L. Jackson, August 2005 Interview. ( May 5, 2008 memento on the Internet Archive ) Samuel L. Jackson's Official Site; Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  54. ↑ Captain America - The First Avenger in the German dubbing index ; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  55. ^ Matt Goldberg: Captain America: The First Avenger Comic-Con Panel; Early Footage of Chris Evans in Costume, Hugo Weaving, and a Lot More! . Collider.com, July 24, 2010; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  56. ↑ Pamela McClintock: EXCLUSIVE: Studios Set Super Bowl Ads; 'Pirates', 'Transformers', 'Captain America' . The Hollywood Reporter , Jan. 19, 2011; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  57. ↑ Marc Strom: Cap's USO Girls Salute the USS Intrepid . Marvel.com, May 31, 2011; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  58. ↑ White Sox Host Independence Day Celebration . MLB .com, July 1, 2011; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  59. ↑ Captain America Helps HD Free the World . Motorcycle-USA.com, July 8, 2011; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  60. Jump up ↑ Dunkin 'Donuts and Baskin-Robbins Launch National Search for Americas Super-Soldiers. In: Dunkin 'Donuts. June 27, 2011, accessed October 26, 2016 .
  61. ↑ Captain America Hits Dunkin 'Donuts & Baskin-Robbins . SuperHeroHype.com, June 23, 2011; Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  62. ↑ Captain America . Official website; accessed on March 31, 2012.
  63. ↑ Advance notice for the anthology Captain America & Thor: First Vengeance . Panini Publishing House ; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  64. ↑ Overall box office record for Captain America: The First Avenger at BoxOfficeMojo.com, accessed on February 1, 2015.
  65. ↑ International box office of Captain America: The First Avenger at BoxOfficeMojo.com (English), accessed on February 1, 2015.
  66. ↑ Peter Gonzaga: World Premiere of 'Captain America: The First Avenger' . Examiner.com, July 21, 2011; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  67. ↑ Brandon Gray: Friday Report: 'Captain America' Leads, 'Harry Potter' Bleeds . Box Office Mojo, on July 23, 2011; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  68. ↑ Brandon Gray: Weekend Report: 'Captain America' Rockets to the Top, 'Potter's Bubble Bursts . Box Office Mojo on July 25, 2011; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  69. ↑ Ray Subers: 'Captain' Stays Strong on Monday . Box Office Mojo on July 26, 2011; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  70. ↑ Ray Suber: Around-the-World Roundup: 'Potter' Still Magic Overseas . Box Office Mojo on July 26, 2011; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  71. ↑ Brandon Gray: Weekend Report: 'Cowboys' Out-Draws 'Smurfs' in Near Photo Finish . Box Office Mojo on Aug 1, 2011; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  72. ↑ Ray Subers: Around-the-World Roundup: 'Potter' Beats 'Transformers' to $ 1 Billion . Box Office Mojo on Aug 2, 2011; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  73. ↑ Brandon Gray: Weekend Report: Hail the Conquering 'Apes' . Box Office Mojo, on Aug. 8, 2011; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  74. ↑ 2011 Domestic Grosses . Box office mojo; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  75. ↑ 2011 Worldwide Great . Box office mojo; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  76. ↑ Analysis Germany Weekend 33 from August 18 to 21, 2011. Inside Kino; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  77. ↑ Ray Suber: Around-the-World Roundup: 'Smurfs' Holds Off 'Apes' to repeat on Top . Box Office Mojo, Aug 23, 2011; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  78. ↑ The most successful films in Germany 2011 . Inside cinema; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  79. ↑ Captain America: The First Avenger - International Box Office Results . Box office mojo; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  80. ↑ David Kleingers: On, on to the merry Nazi hunt . Spiegel Online , August 17, 2011; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  81. ↑ Robert Cherkowski: The film starts criticism for Captain America - The First Avenger . Movie starts ; accessed on March 31, 2012.
  82. ↑ Jan Füchtjohann: Superhero for nerds . Süddeutsche Zeitung , August 17, 2011; Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  83. ^ Nazi hunters with toothpaste smiles . Focus .de, August 18, 2011; accessed on March 31, 2012.
  84. ↑ Rebecca Ford: Scream Awards Winners: 'Harry Potter' Takes Home Top Honor, Most Awards . The Hollywood Reporter , October 16, 2011; accessed on March 31, 2012.
  85. ↑ 10th Annual VES Awards. (No longer available online.) Visual Effects Society, archived from the original on March 8, 2012 ; Retrieved October 26, 2016 .
  86. ↑ a b c Captain America: The First Avenger - DVD Sales . The Numbers; accessed on March 31, 2012.
  87. ↑ CSStrowbridge: Blu-ray Sales: Capping Off a Great Run . The Numbers, November 10, 2011; accessed on March 31, 2012.
  88. ↑ CSStrowbridge: Blu-ray Sales: The Checkered Flag Goes to Cars Too . The Numbers, November 16, 2011; accessed on March 31, 2012.
  89. ↑ a b Audio commentary by director Jon Favreau and bonus material from the DVD and Blu-ray releases of Iron Man 2 .
  90. ↑ Peter Sciretta: Captain America Found in The Incredible Hulk Deleted Scene . Slashfilm.com, October 11, 2008; Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  91. ↑ moviepilot.de
Marvel Cinematic Universe
cinemamovies
Phase 1

Iron Man (2008) • The Incredible Hulk (2008) • Iron Man 2 (2010) • Thor (2011) • Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) • Marvel's The Avengers (2012)

Phase 2

Iron Man 3 (2013) • Thor - The Dark Kingdom (2013) • The Return of the First Avenger (2014) • Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) • Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) • Ant-Man (2015)

Phase 3

The First Avenger: Civil War (2016) • Doctor Strange (2016) • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) • Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) • Thor: Decision Day (2017) • Black Panther (2018) • Avengers: Infinity War (2018) • Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) • Captain Marvel (2019) • Avengers: Endgame (2019) • Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Phase 4

Black Widow (2020) • The Eternals (2021) • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) • Untitled Spider-Man Far From Home sequel (2021) • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Short films

Marvel One-Shots (2011-2014)

Series
ABC

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD (2013-2020, episode list ) • Marvel's Agent Carter (2015-2016) • Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: Slingshot (2016) • Marvel's Inhumans (2017)

Netflix

Marvel's Daredevil (2015–2018, episode list ) • Marvel's Jessica Jones (2015–2019) • Marvel's Luke Cage (2016–2018) • Marvel's Iron Fist (2017–2018) • Marvel's The Defenders (2017) • Marvel's The Punisher (2017– 2019)

Hulu

Marvel's Runaways (2017-2019, episode listing )

Freeform

Marvel's Cloak & Dagger (2018-2019)

Disney +

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2020) • WandaVision (2020) • Loki (2021) • What If…? (2021) • Hawkeye (2021) • Ms. Marvel (2021)