There’s something special about the events that unfold in Captain America: Civil War. And that’s the simple fact that no one is completely in the right throughout the entire film. One of the issues with the Civil War comic was the appearance that Steve Rogers appeared to be, for the most part, right in the overall argument of whether or not superheroes should be required to register with the government and reveal their identities.
But Captain America: Civil War is not so black and white. Not one character makes good choices throughout the film on a consistent level. And Steve Rogers is no exception. He makes plenty of mistakes throughout the film, to the point where giving him a “Top 6 Moments” list feels wrong. Which is really saying something considering he’s the title character. None the less, here are some of his best moments throughout Captain America: Civil War.
6. Bucky and Cap’s Reunion
It’s a moment we’ve been waiting for since Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And it delivers. A sense of urgency is established right away which allows for the two to have a brief but poignant reunion. It establishes Steve’s attempt to end things peacefully both as a preference to his childhood friend but also due to the amount of carnage the Avengers have been creating lately. And it also points out that Steve truly was the only one who had any chance of creating as little bloodshed as possible in the capture of Bucky.
But more importantly, it’s an establishment of their friendship and reiterates the idea that Captain America is not just a symbol of America but also the war veteran we all know and love.
5. He Goes Rogue to Stop the Villain
Captain America always seems to be his best when he is resilient towards his fight for what he believes is the right thing to do. As Civil War demonstrated, that also at times becomes his worst quality. While he proves to be selfish in the beginning as he tries to desperately save Bucky, when the tables turn and it’s discovered there’s more than meets the eye, we really see Captain America in all his glory. When no one believes him and there’s no time to wait for government clearance, Captain America rises to the challenge.
As the big battle is about to commence, Captain America isn’t afraid to lead the charge into battle. And it’s just as awesome as we anticipated it to be.
4. His Interactions with Spider-Man
With only one battle to really highlight Spider-Man’s moments, we sure get a lot of great ones. And one of the better ones is his interaction with Captain America. He doesn’t treat Spider-Man like a child, he treats him with the respect as though he is a young soldier. Most likely because he sees a lot of his eagerness and youth in Spider-Man. In the little dialogue that they have together, Captain America is able to form the beginning of a bond with the young Peter Parker. And this is also all while they are fighting. It’s exactly the kind of charm we expect from Captain America.
3. He Rescues His Fellow Avengers
Seeing the Avengers who fought for Captain America at the Raft prison definitely strikes a cord when you realize just how broken the Avengers as a group have become. So when Steve Rogers appears at the very end of the film to bust them out, it’s definitely a satisfying moment. And, it also highlights one of Steve’s greater qualities: he doesn’t leave a man behind even if it seems there’s not much that can be done in the situation. Not only is it clear he is breaking them out of jail, he’s also forming his own team. Which is just as equally badass.
2. He Abandons His Shield
While some of us were expecting an ending closer to the Civil War comic, what we ended up getting was, to a degree, better. If every character is at fault as the film demonstrates, then Steve Rogers leaving his shield behind is a poignant moment to what the comic attempts to get across. For this version of the Civil War story, things were personal for Steve. His judgement was clouded at times. And, because of that, he knows he cannot be the Captain America the world needs. He cannot be the symbol America wants him to be.
This falls in line with the events of Winter Soldier. America, and consequently, the world, have become something foreign to Captain America. It chooses to go down a path Steve does not believe in. And, because of this, he can no longer fight under the Captain America symbol.
At least, until Infinity War comes. Then maybe things will be different.
1. He Apologizes to Tony in the End
As mentioned in the beginning of this article, one of the difficulties with coming up with a list that highlights Steve Rogers’ “best moments” in the film is the simple fact all the characters’ good moments do not outweigh their bad ones. If Steve Rogers has any salvation in this film for the mistakes he makes, it’s the final moment when he writes to Tony. Not only does he write to Tony, he apologizes for the mistakes he’s made. And that says a lot about Steve Rogers.
But there’s more to that. Steve leaves a burn phone: a peace offering. An offer to help if help is ever needed. He has left behind his shield by this point, it is no longer his duty to help. And yet, he still offers it. If there is any sign of hope in this movie, it is this moment when Steve swallows his pride, something Tony couldn’t seem to do until the last act of the film, and offer his help not as Captain America but as a friend.
What do you think are some of Captain America’s best moments in Civil War? Does he redeem himself by the end of the film? Share your thoughts on Twitter!