It did not take long for viewers to latch onto Steve Rogers' Captain America. Rather than beginning with the hero already in motion, Captain America: The First Avenger makes the smart decision of allowing everyone's first impression of the Super Soldier to be as an ordinary guy wishing to join the army. He has yet to develop the muscles and height yet, instead portraying a far skinnier Steve Rogers, one who people's first thought would not be that he could be capable of saving the world. However, his personality is what wins people over. His determination to fight in the war not because of a wish to be in a war, but because he hates bullies and wants to fight against those causing harm.
In the following films, Steve Rogers develops as a person, but the core of who he is remains the same. It is part of what gets him in trouble in Captain America: Civil War, which leads to him being a fugitive. As the installments continue, Steve is thrown into the Avengers team and must figure out how this ragtag group brought together can be most effective. His connections to the past and desperation to return to a familiar time also help anchor him as an individual in a film of twists, turns, and action sequences.
8 Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) - 76%
For as much as Avengers: Age of Ultron may be all over the place, Steve Rogers' role spends a lot of time preparing for what is to come. Steve and Tony face plenty of hurdles in this movie, and the main reason seems far clearer when reaching Captain America: Civil War. Avengers: Age Of Ultron teases Steve's finale in the MCU, as he sees a vision of himself dancing with his first love, who had grown up and experienced an entire life without him.
7 Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - 80%
In this war period piece, Steve Rogers is fighting for his spot as a soldier in the war. While initially turned down, his spirit and personality allow the doctor to encourage Steve to be involved in the Super Soldier program. This movie sets up a lot of details from understanding Steve's perspective, the depths of his friendship with Bucky Barnes, and showing his willingness to make a large sacrifice. Captain America: The First Avenger is also the first glimpse into Hydra and the tensions between Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Captain America: The First Avenger allows the audience to get to know Steve as a person instead of as Captain America the hero. This way, this becomes a story about a person that audiences can root for, relate to, and stand behind, rather than an unattainable person whose strength and capabilities seem outside of something the average person could contemplate.
6 Avengers: Infinity War (2018) - 85%
Steve makes his grand return after being a fugitive, just in time to help save Wanda and Vision from being attacked by those after the Infinity Stone. For the most part, though, Steve's role involves some fun introductions and happily reuniting with Bucky. Otherwise, while Avengers: Infinity War was a massive success, it takes a while for Steve to finally make his first appearance, and nearly everything he does afterward is focused on fighting the battle against Thanos.
5 Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) - 90%
Steve finally finds out what happened to Bucky in what is considered to be the best Captain America movie by fans. SHIELD's fall, led by HYDRA, exists as an integral part of future MCU content. But, this film also pins Steve against his best friend when Bucky, as the Winter Soldier, can not remember his former life and is stuck in a world of murder. Captain America: The Winter Soldier highlights Steve's friendships with Natasha and Sam as they attempt to help Steve save Bucky.
4 Captain America: Civil War (2016) - 90%
At points, Captain America: Civil War feels more like an Avengers movie, even with Thor and Bruce missing. Captain America: Civil War grows out the tension between Steve and Tony as they find themselves on opposing sides of the Sokovia Accords in the aftermath of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Steve's friendships with Tony and Bucky are forced against each other when Tony discovers that the man Steve wants to protect is the same one who killed Tony's parents. While Steve ends the movie on the run, there is an underlying understanding left between him and Tony that if Tony ever needs him, Steve will answer.
3 The Avengers (2012) - 91%
For the first time, Steve is introduced to the other heroes making up the Avengers team, and his experience as a soldier has him arguing against others without his background. Steve's belief in following orders is countered by Tony's wish to know the truth about what Nick Fury and SHIELD are keeping from them. The Avengers are forced to figure out how to work together and save New York City from Loki's invasion. Seeing as this is the first movie to come after Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve is still dealing with the emotional fallout of realizing he had slept for seventy years and the post-traumatic stress of his sacrifice.
2 Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) - 92%
Spider-Man: Homecoming is Peter Parker's first solo outing as being an official member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the story mainly surrounds Peter and his relationship with Tony Stark, Steve Rogers still makes cameos throughout the movie. While he does not appear in person to team up with Peter, he does show up in PSA videos for moments such as Peter's gym class or detention.
1 Avengers: Endgame (2019) - 94%
Avengers: Endgame is a very emotional movie for Steve Rogers. He leads a group dealing with the grief of losing their loved ones five years after the Blip. He tries to keep hope alive while he is still suffering the aftermath. The time travel scheme, while giving everyone hope to reunite with those they've lost, also offers Steve another look at the life he never had and sorely missed. Part of trying to find a way back home means arriving at a time after Steve had gone into the ice, while Peggy was still closer to the age he had last left her.
Steve sorely missing being with Peggy eventually leads to his ultimate decision to remain in the past when he places back Thor's hammer and each of the stones. Rather than come right back, Steve stays in the past, growing old, and when he is next seen in the present as an older man, he hands off the shield to Sam, an official passing of the torch to the next Captain America. While Sam officially accepted the position in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam's first solo outing as the new Captain America will be in Captain America: Brave New World.