The majority of the MCU fans agree that Captain America: The Winter Soldier is Captain America‘s best solo movie. After Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers portrayed the MCU’s Steve Rogers as the country’s very own patriotic, ardent superhero, Marvel fans weren’t particularly excited for his next independent film, The Winter Soldier, which vowed to look back to ’70s political spine chillers. But surprisingly, the Russo brothers did such an incredible job on this movie that they secured a job directing Marvel movies right up to Avengers: Endgame.
Cap unexpectedly became one of the most mainstream superheroes on the planet and his resulting big-screen adventures excited fans significantly more than they recently did. Yet, The Winter Soldier is still, by a long shot, his most noteworthy independent film. Here we have compiled 10 reasons why Captain America: The Winter Soldier is Captain America’s best solo movie.
1) The Winter Soldier Is Cap’s Best Villain
Although, in the comic books, Captain America’s arch nemesis is Red Skull but in the movies, his greatest enemy is the Winter Soldier. Each great supervillain has an individual bond with the hero, and there’s no connection closer to home than being childhood best friend. The twist here is that Bucky, who Cap thought had been dead for years, has been brainwashed, so he doesn’t know the person he’s trying to kill is his childhood best friend.
Cap’s primary weapon on a battlefield is his Vibranium shield, which can be countered by Bucky’s bionic arm, making him the perfect physical match.
2) It’s Just Dark Enough
Like most blockbuster sequels, from The Dark Knight to The Empire Strikes Back, The Winter Soldier is a lot more obscure in tone than its predecessor. The Russo brothers found the perfect balance making the film just dark enough. A lot of movies like Man of Steel and Fant4stic, can get hindered in their dull tone and gotten too dark to ever be a straightforward variation of their source material.
3) Cap Is Surrounded By Supporting Characters
Cap has one of the best supporting casts, introduced in The Winter Soldier. After all Cap’s friends died or aged exponentially in The First Avenger, he made new friends in the present day in the sequel.
In addition to his S.H.I.E.L.D. accomplices Natasha Romanoff and Nick Fury, Steve developed a solid companionship with fellow veteran Sam Wilson.
4) The Russos Utilized Cap’s Powers For Incredible Action Sequences
Captain America: The First Avenger director Joe Johnston used Cap’s super strength for common fight scenes, but the Russo brothers utilized the most out of Cap’s Powers to deliver incredible action scenes. From fighting an elevator full of agents to jumping out of a plane without a parachute to taking down a Hydra jet with just his shield and motorcycle, The Winter Soldier is chock full of spectacular Cap action.
5) It Doesn’t Overuse Bathos
One of the primary issues with the MCU is its overuse of bathos, in other words, undermining dramatic moments with humor. However, that issue isn’t common in The Winter Soldier. The dramatic moments are allowed to stay dramatic without worrying that audiences will be too cool to care about the characters, and it works perfectly.
6) Cap’s Black-And-White View Of The World Is Challenged
Captain America has a very basic black-and-white worldview. He knows good when he sees it and he knows bad when he sees it and he believes that it is the duty of the good to fight the bad. Ideally, his belief sounds good.
However, in The Winter Soldier, Cap’s simplistic worldview is challenged and he’s forced to confront the ugly cost of his personal liberties.
7) The Twist-Heavy Storytelling Keeps The Narrative Engaging
At regular intervals, Captain America: The Winter Soldier blows away crowds with a significant unexpected twist, from Nick Fury faking his death to S.H.I.E.L.D. being a front for Hydra for as far back as 70 years to the professional killer chasing Steve Rogers being a brainwashed Bucky.
In many superhero blockbusters, the audience follows the movie from set piece to set piece. The Winter Soldier’s twist-heavy storytelling keeps the plot surprisingly engaging.
8) It Successfully Harks Back To ‘70s Political Thrillers
MCU is often criticized for using the same concept and releasing the same movie over and over again. To overcome this criticism, the studio has tried to make each movie fit into its own genre construct.
In the hands of the Russo brothers (and genre staple Robert Redford), Captain America: The Winter Soldier successfully harks back to the political thrillers of the ‘70s.
9) The Final Line Leaves The Movie On A Spectacular Note
The final line of The Winter Soldier ends the movie on a beautiful note. Steve is about to embark on his search for Bucky and tells Sam that he doesn’t have to come. In a second that never neglects to raise a grin, Sam answers, “I know. When do we start?”
All of Cap’s solo movies have the perfect endings, from the “I had a date” line in The First Avenger to Steve breaking his friends out of the Raft in Civil War alone.
10) Steve Rogers Gets A Perfect Character Arc
The film with the most complete independent arc for Steve is, unmistakably, The Winter Soldier, which centers around his troubles adjusting to life in the 21st century. Through his selling out by S.H.I.E.L.D. furthermore, in his kinships with Sam, Nat, and Fury, Steve figures out how to confide in his own impulses.
Steve Rogers’ eight-year MCU character arc saw him being frozen in World War II, struggling to adjust to the modern world, and hanging up his shield, and retiring to his own time to spend his life with Peggy Carter after saving the universe from its most despicable adversary.
Source: ScreenRant
