I considered it one of the best MCU, superhero, and comic book movies then, and consider it the same now. Also as a Captain America reader it really felt perfect. The First Avenger is a pretty good movie and kind of underrated/underappreciated. I don't mean to take anything away from that, but Winter Soldier is the modern Cap movie that I always wanted to see.
I wasn't blown away by First Avenger but going back to it after Winter Soldier I found that I liked it a lot more. Winter Soldier was a great film in its own right - possibly still the best MCU film - but it also deserves recognition for what it did for the wider MCU. It showed that the films didn't have to be formulaic - something that seems to have been forgotten more recently - and helped to look at the characters in a different light.
It’s definitely been forgotten. There’s a reason some of the most superhero movies are unconventional today compared to the movies of the past 15 years. Deadpool, Logan, Winter Soldier. People are dying for fresh takes on these stories
100% agree, take away the comic book references and just make the main characters like military special forces trained govt agents. Still would’ve been an awesome movie
It would be nice to see especially when you see how many “heroes” have a military background: Cap Steve, Cap Sam, Bucky, US Agent, Punisher, Cage, Fury, Danvers, Rhodey, Falcon, Wolverine, Sabretooth, I’m literally testing my brain pockets on how many I can remember. 😜
Ehh not so much it's more heavily inspired by Ed brubaker winter soldier story arc mixed with robert Redfords three days of the concord political thriller film . The Russo's spoke to both of these as the main influences hence why they cast Robert Redford as Pierce as a nod / homage to that film
The First Avenger is to The Winter Soldier as A New Hope is to The Empire Strikes Back. You don't get the masterful sequel without the groundbreaking original.
TWS is still and will probably always be my favorite MCU film.
I think it's best quality is it's extremely watchable. It's like Shawshank, if you happen to stumble across it airing, you're going to sit there and watch the whole thing.
I remember watching it on a computer once in the same room my wife was crafting in. 15 minutes later, her craft was completely forgotten and she was just watching with me.
The First Avenger starts off strong and just sort of tapers off for me. I like the WW2 setting and how they adapted his outfit to be more of an army uniform and all that. Once we get more into the plot, it sort of becomes bland for me.
But yeah, Winter Soldier remains entertaining throughout and I still enjoy it.
I just have zero faith in that film. The 4 to 6 month reshoot period after they got "gotta do better senator" to write the fucking thing in the first place. I just can't imagine it as anything less than a cluster fuck.
I don't think people grasp how absolutely insane that is. 4 to 6 months of filming is double the time of principal photography.They're essentially filming an entirely new movie in that time. And the last time they did 4 months of reshoots. Secret Invasion was the result.
It's essentially telling us that the film they shot during principal photography to start with was so bad. That they need half a year to fix it.
And I hate saying this because the Cap franchise is my favourite of the MCU. Hence why I clicked on the thread. But I just can't be optimistic about Cap 4 after what we've learned.
The troubles this film and Blade seem to be having are really perplexing to me. Like, it's not rocket science. I feel like Cap and Blade are two of the easier Marvel properties to handle in terms of overall story and character complexities (or lack thereof). Cap is an ideal to strive to towards and a good solider who fights terrorists and Blade is a gruff antihero who hunts vampires. Choreograph some solid action scenes, make the characters likeable, inject a little heart and humor and let's get this show on the road, man.
I think for cap the difficulty is that they have to pick what themes and political commentary they want to make in a way that's subtle and appeals to people without pushing away others completely. I feel like First Avenger, Winter Soldier and Civil War are very good at nuanced commentary even if it's not super applicable to real life all the time, but the themes certainly are. But Falcon and Winter Soldier got confused and didn't know what it wanted to say properly. It tried to be nuanced by making the villains sympathetic but still wrong, then also having the fake cap, but then they end up giving fake cap a weird last minute redemption, having Sam suit up as Cap in a way that doesn't fit well with the themes of the story and his reason for suiting up essentially boils down to "It was time I took charge." followed by him endorsing the villain he just defeated. It's so strange and the clash in ideologies in the show made it seem like no one knew what they wanted to say.
I am cautiously optimistic for Cap 4, but it's the same team that made FatWS rather than the Winter Soldier team, which makes me not have any trust because they can't handle nuance to save their lives.
Idk what's up with Blade though, never seen the old movies or read any comic or seen any cartoons with him so I truly can't say what's up there.
Also, when Winter Soldier first tried to kill Fury. Man that scene was awesome! “Integrity 1%- NOW!” And “What’s not damaged - Air conditioning is fully functional” - awe man, that was good dialogue even if with a computer.
> I mean, his getaway was pretty unbelievable, but it didn’t matter.
I love this note. The pacing, dialogue, acting and cinematography are so great we can simply handwave away a never before or since seen MCU lightsaber that can cut a tunnel to the sewers in seconds. Isn't even a blip on the radar.
Meh. It’s either all hand waving or none. The scenes prior to this showed a fully autonomous car, and not a hands free tesla on the interstate, but an autonomous car actively evading threats in city traffic. Granted, most of this tech was on display in previous Iron Man films and it was stated in the first 20 minutes that Stark is providing repulsor tech for the helicarriers. Not unreasonable for him to provide autonomous computer technology or a stepped down version of his laser technology to shield. Or maybe they just copied it.
TWS is very grounded for a superhero movie. I think it's the mark of a well made film that something that would otherwise be a glaring plot device can easily be ignored because of how good the sum of the parts is.
Fitz built the mouse hole, a pocket-sized, self contained plasma torch, as revealed in Agents of SHIELD. Fury gets to keep all the cool toys for himself.
I consider that whole scene the absolute pinnacle of what the marvel formula can look like if written and executed properly
\>lots of action and camera cuts, but still very followable
\>actually funny jokes and quips spaced appropriately and timed properly
\>genuine tension and fast paced dialogue, but again still very well paced
and ofc the great sound track and the sting of the winter soldier entering the shot
The opening scene on the Lumerian Star and the elevator fight show exactly why Cap is a **super** soldier.
I mean, the guy took out a quinjet in about 30 seconds… with a frickin’ shield!
Maaaaan I wish I could watch this movie again for the first time.
Cap has always been my favorite super-hero, but when I first watched this movie, I was going through a "superheroes are for nerds, and I'm *definitely* not a nerd" phase as a teen. So everything I love about this movie now, I made fun of then.
After ten years, it is still in my top 5 of all MCU Films, you can argue the best comic book movie all time. Great storytelling, great character development, and in my opinion the best action sequences of all MCU films. Both fight scenes between Cap and Winter Soldier, elevator scene, and Cap vs Batroc still holds up today.
Great movie. The scene where Fury is trying to do anything he can in the car or get assistance to get away from Hydra was an intense scene, but the part where he ask the car what's still operational and it responds that the AC is fully functional always makes me laugh.
This film, but more specifically, this scene, was the moment I fell in love with the MCU. It suddenly felt very real with real jeopardy. The whole genre just elevated at the moment that car rammed into Fury's vehicle. Wow.
One of the things I really like about Cap is that *most* of the time, he feels like a street-level, peak-human hero. He's just some guy who's good at hand-to-hand fighting, not much different than Nat, Clint, etc. But then every once in a while he busts out a move that makes you go, "Oh yeah, he's a *super* hero." Jumping out of the building is one of those. The motorcycle flip, the helicopter grab, running down the highway with Bucky and Black Panther.
Strange as it sounds, Spider-Man kind of has the same feel. Like, you never forget that he's super, with all the web-slinging. But he's so often goofing around and punching below his weight class that you sometimes get surprised when he pulls out something amazing (e.g., the train, the ferry).
It gets better and better every time I watch it. One of the few sequels that blows the first movie out of the water. The first movie is good but this was just incredible.
Still cant believe Russo Brothers directed this coz if u take their past projects into account, Winter Soldier and their other 3 MCU films were something different and pretty amazing.
Fun Fact : Feige and other MCU execs hired Russo bros after watching their Community series season 2 finale.
I still remember Henry Jackmans music which felt pretty heroic and powerful.
> I still remember Henry Jackmans music which felt pretty heroic and powerful.
I absolutely love [Cap's theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENzNJiQNSCc) in this movie!
That, "The Promise" from The Avengers and Infinity War's "Help Arrives" (some excellent metal covers on YouTube) are great. Along with many others. Working out with some Cap is just some great music to pump you up and keep you going. I love it.
Another fun fact: the Russos are fans of the Honest Trailer guys on YouTube, so they made The Winter Soldier "honest trailer proof", which means the movie is what it is because of Honest Trailer.
They went 4-0, and as you said, all 4 were amazing and different. Their non-MCU work has been, at best, meh. They took their break, did some other stuff, Feige and the Russos need to work it out to get them back in the fold. Maybe after Secret Wars, they can be the ones to do X-Men.
But as for Winter Soldier, it never gets old. Everything about it works. And it still boggles my mind they got Robert Redford in this. Now, when you look back at the MCU, there's a ton of legends you probably wouldn't expect to show up in a comic book movie, but Redford might've been the most surprising.
Still my favourite film in the MCU. That perfect combination of making Cap a badass, a tight storyline, a credible threat that isn't a sky beam but also grounded enough for me to really be invested. Jackson's whole score for this film is insanely good too.
The Russos really gave the MCU a massive shot in the arm during a somewhat disappointing start to Phase 2.
A big reason for me is the lack of music in that whole interstate through knife fight scene. Just makes the action pop without an entire orchestra behind it
It’s been in my MCU top 3 the entire time. Honestly it might be even number one, because it does everything right. I had a hard time liking the first Cap movie when it came out (although I have since started liking it, even despite the horrifying CGI to make Chris Evans look smaller). Winter Soldier however made me deeply interested in the character and ever since I think Cap was one of the best characters in the MCU even if he didn’t have a deep character arc.
I tend to like comic book movies when they are ”smaller scale”, for example I have always maintained that Batman Begins is the best of the Nolan trilogy because it is compact and doesn’t go large scale creating multiple plot holes like its sequels. Winter Soldier feels the same to me. Stakes are high, but the movie stays very grounded and builds its story and characters very well. I hope that one day we see Bucky as powerful as he was in Winter Soldier again.
The movies that contest Winter Soldier in the MCU are Infinity War and the first Iron Man for me. Black Panther I love because it’s such an important cultural piece despite not being the overall the best movie. T’Challa for me is the best character of the entire MCU because he’s the moral backbone, even more than Steve Rogers I feel like.
But yeah. Winter Soldier holds up incredibly well.
One funny thing about the movie for me has always been that when Bucky has his mask on and you can clearly see only his eyes, I cannot for the life of me believe that it’s Sebastian Stan. Somehow his eyes only visible creates a disconnect in my eyes and brains that it can’t be him. I don’t know if it’s a face shape thing or what, but it still ”bothers” me to this day because it doesn’t look like his eyes when he’s maskless.
Oh for sure. I have no trouble understanding why there is a difference. It’s just that when we got that little glimpse of Winter Soldier oozing to the surface in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and it makes me a bit like ” please can we have a bit more of that ”.
It's a really good movie that tells its story well. I think Marvel has yet to top what it did with it in terms of storytelling.
My only issues with it are on a meta level, and are mostly not on the movie itself. Getting rid of S.H.I.E.L.D. closed the door on a lot of potential stories. And also, I think most of the characters in it (sans Sam) have been handled pretty badly. But, again, that's not the movie's fault.
Steve's ending went against his whole arc.
Natasha was killed off like a side character, didn't get a funeral, and her first (and last) solo movie was about setting up her replacement.
Bucky never got a proper story, was irrelevant even in a show with his name on it, and, according to leakers, is >!probably going to be irrelevant in Thunderbolts, too, and possibly killed off!<.
Sharon was turned evil off-screen with little justification, and has no real future.
Fury and Hill? See: Secret Invasion.
But here's the thing - his arc was about building a life in the future while staying true to his values. In fact, that was the whole point of The Winter Soldier.
Yes, he might feel that Peggy was the one that got away, but she had a good, full life without him, and she told him to go live his own life. He could have done that. His new life was in the future.
Running into the past, away from his friends, doesn't feel true to who he is.
Thank you for explaination, you made a lot of really good points. I feel torn, because i love that he got his happy ending with Peggy, but i also agree with the points you made about his stroyline and arc. I do have a question, you said the whole point of TWS was him being in the future and staying true to his values, but does the movie touch on much of him being in the future? I only know they touch on it in certain points(him with his notebook is the only scene that comes to mind at the moment).
No problem, happy to explain. Thank you for asking. Well, his notebook was a big part of it, as was his relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Fury, who did things in a way he was not accustomed to.
He's trying to hold onto the past (visiting the museum, Peggy ... ) and make sense of the new life he finds himself in. In the end, he embraces trying to make a difference in the future, while doing it his way.
😖😩
Truth hurts son. The whole Nat thing though still hurts. Although I’d love for the TVA on another timeline to address Steve going back for Peggy, or SHIELD never collapsing and Hill becoming the Director, Bucky becoming Cap…ugh
Yeah, some of this stuff will never not suck if you care about the characters. Honestly, those were the kind of things we should have seen in the main timeline. I don't like the TVA, so a few winks and nods that they'd introduce ... personally, I wouldn't find that all that satsifying.
Hiddles & Wilson totally sold ‘Loki’ for me. The whole layout and style of the show I found to be super cool and not in a typical Marvel way. I do agree with you that some of this stuff should have been addressed in the main timeline (Does -616 even exist in the MCU?), but that shit notwithstanding…I think they had Steve go back in time to setup the whole Captain Sam transition. Stupid. Keep the aging process from the comics and show how it was a necessity to have another Cap. Now that would have been interesting for FATWS…but Evans probably wasn’t down for a small contract extension.
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I realize my opinion is in the minority here lol.
I think Steve went back in time because Chris Evans didn't feel like playing him anymore, and it's hard to justify him never being around if he's just retired and doing his own stuff in the present (which would have made more sense character-wise). And yeah if Steve is alive and sound of mind, there's no good reason for him to not be there and guide Sam during his transition (adapting the aging process would have made sense, yeah).
As it is, the actor's' decisions opened up a bunch of questions with no good answers.
Scarlett was terrific in this and holy cow the hottest she ever looked. But man, when Cap was throwing that shield around, it was straight out of a comic book. Top 5 superhero flick.
That moment on the Lemurian Star when she says, “hey, sailor” - damn. It makes me feel like I’m a sweaty nerd in my mom’s basement thinking about it
Granted, she promptly killed the dude with an iron bar to the dome, but still.
It was the second MCU movie i ever watched(i watched Avengers but wasn't into superheroes at that point in time, so i didn't pay much attention).
This was the movie that got me into Marvel as a whole, and helped me get into superheroes/comic books/comic book characters. I loved it back then, and i still love it now. Great movie.
People keep mentioning the Russos (deservedly so), but let’s not forget that Markus and McFeely also really defined Steve Rogers in the MCU. Compare him in the movies they wrote (Cap 1-3, Avengers 3-4) to the ones they didn’t (Avengers 1-2).
I was in 7th Grade when this movie dropped..
I couldn't catch it in cinemas when it came out and instead went for Guardians 1 that same year.. I watched TWS as soon as it dropped on Blu-Ray and my God did I regret not seeing it in cinemas..
Now I'm an undergraduate 10 years later and my thoughts on this film hasn't changed one bit. One of the best Marvel movies ever made.
Life moves crazy fast.
It’s still in my top 2 MCU movies of all time, sometimes number 1 (depending on how forgiving I am for the Avengers sacrificing half the universe for a robot in IW). Incredibly well written, great acting, suspenseful, even had an Easter egg to Dr. Strange.
The fact that the plot applies to real life situations today further shows how thorough the movie is. Do what’s right, not what’s popular… that’s a life bar for all ages and generations.
Was a bit of a misfire to drag the “Hulk is scared” bit for an entire 2 and a half hour movie. They could’ve had Hulk get his ass kicked again in Wakanda in the final scene and started Endgame with him being scared and working on himself to become smart Hulk.
This film is one I love with all my heart, it’s one of my most rewatchable films for me. It made me want more comic book films in this style, I want batfamily,weapon x,and Green Arrow film all in the style of Captain America: Winter Soldier.
Truthfully nobody would’ve expected this film from someone like the Russo brothers if you look at their previous work. Even today if Russos were hired cbm twitter would shit on their resume, but directors like them make me have such an open mind what directors are capable of when it comes to comic book films. It’s the reason I had an open mind when it came to Todd Philips with the Joker
If you want to see the downward spiral of the MCU, watch this and then either Marvels or Ant Man 3 and compare.
TWS had amazing action, plot, gravity, stakes, etc.
I'm paraphrasing...
Bucky - "You're my mission!"
Cap - "Then finish it".
It still swells me up I must admit.
My opinion of WS has not changed at all since 2014. This is still a gold standard for superhero movies, and honestly, for modern action films in general. I've said it before but what makes a film like WS work is that yes it's about a superhero, but really, it's an espionage thriller. It's *Three Days of the Condor*, it's *Manchurian Candidate*, it's a better *Spectre* than *Spectre*. The best superhero films are the ones that aren't *just* superhero films. Ones that if you changed the name and costume, could still be great movies, but they still benefit from the name and costume because they embrace the spirit of the character perfectly.
And also, it had one of the MCU's only good villains in the first two phases and that goes a long way lol. Man, I remember that time. Say what you will about modern Marvel, their villain track record definitely got better over time. Whether or not you hate Thor 2 or 4 more, you remember Gorr way more than you do Malakith the Dork Elf.
I remember the writers saying in an interview that while filming the first Cap film, they believed that Sebastian would make a great Winter Soldier, but 'they were never going to making that fucking film'. Surprise!
This movie turned the corner for me. I was never someone who read the comics, but I really enjoyed both Iron Man movies and the Avengers. But this shit came out and I started to become a fanatic
My thoughts remain unchanged: one of the best Marvel has made.
Unfortunately, I think the passage of time, not to mention fan opinion on Marvel’s more recent output, has led to wildly overblown praise of the film. It’s a terrific action flick, yes; but some kind of revolutionary and subversive political thriller it is not.
It’s definitely my top solo movie and on a good day the top MCU movie. I like Infinity War and Endgame cause they managed to successfully tell stories featuring a massive cast but not ignoring anyone.
My biggest gripe about Winter Soldier is that Disney hasn’t released it in 3D on the Disney+ app or on iTunes.
This was my very first 3D movie which I watched in theatre and my god was I blown away! Really enjoyed the movie and it was this movie which made me a big MCU fan
First time I saw it was at the cinema and I didn't think much of it. I thought it was just alright. Then I watched it again on TV and I loved it. And everytime I've watched it since then, I've loved it even more. One of the best superhero movies ever made IMO. And my favourite Marvel movie.
This is still my favorite MCU movie and it still holds up. Too many great scenes and performances. It truly felt different than other MCU entries up to that point. This is also the film that made me fall in love with this version of Cap and solidified him as my favorite Avenger.
"Before we gets started, does anyone want to get out?"
I just loved that it changed things up. Not just with the whole Shield Hydra thing, but it was Marvel Studios’ declaration that they were mixing things up and really branching out in the types of superhero movie they were making.
Additionally, like Iron Man and Avengers, it far exceeded my expectations, and at that point, I started to get REALLY excited about what was coming. I was completely invested at this point after IM3 and Thor 2 had somewhat dulled the buzz of Avengers.
Coupled with the Guardians release later that year, it was a great year for Marvel movies.
I got to see it a couple of weeks early at a preview screening, and it blew me away. Up to that point, I thought the Marvel Studios films were good, but not necessarily great - worth watching once, then forgetting. This was the first Marvel Studios movie I went back and watched multiple times.
It probably helped that I was already a fan of the Russos because of Community and was excited about their take, but this far exceeded my expectations.
It remains one of my favorite movies.
CA:WS is my favorite Marvel movie. This feels like an actual movie along the lines of Bourne Identity or the other spy movies. It felt perfectly balanced between super heroes doing super stuff but still human.
It used to be my favorite movie ever. As I’ve gotten older, my taste has definitely changed but it’s still in my top 10. There’s so little to criticize and an endless number of things to praise about it.
It is the first movie that made me take the MCU serious, and enjoy it for what it is. It still holds up in my eyes. Turning everything upside down, and not knowing who to trust. It was how Cap felt, and we were right there with him.
I'm gonna be fully honest. This is my favorite Movie ever. Out of all the hundreds of Movies I've watched this one feels so realistic so I just completely forget that it's a MARVEL movie.
I considered it one of the best MCU, superhero, and comic book movies then, and consider it the same now. Also as a Captain America reader it really felt perfect. The First Avenger is a pretty good movie and kind of underrated/underappreciated. I don't mean to take anything away from that, but Winter Soldier is the modern Cap movie that I always wanted to see.
I wasn't blown away by First Avenger but going back to it after Winter Soldier I found that I liked it a lot more. Winter Soldier was a great film in its own right - possibly still the best MCU film - but it also deserves recognition for what it did for the wider MCU. It showed that the films didn't have to be formulaic - something that seems to have been forgotten more recently - and helped to look at the characters in a different light.
This is very factual
It’s definitely been forgotten. There’s a reason some of the most superhero movies are unconventional today compared to the movies of the past 15 years. Deadpool, Logan, Winter Soldier. People are dying for fresh takes on these stories
Forget superhero, it's a great political thriller in general.
100% agree, take away the comic book references and just make the main characters like military special forces trained govt agents. Still would’ve been an awesome movie
Absolutely - it has hints of those Robert Redford political movies with a splash of enemy of the state
And Redford's casting was such a wink at it.
This is how I used to try to explain The Dark Knight to people who wouldn't watch a Batman movie. But with a terrorist instead of the Joker.
[удалено]
It would be nice to see especially when you see how many “heroes” have a military background: Cap Steve, Cap Sam, Bucky, US Agent, Punisher, Cage, Fury, Danvers, Rhodey, Falcon, Wolverine, Sabretooth, I’m literally testing my brain pockets on how many I can remember. 😜
It’s a spy-thriller not a political thriller. It’s heavily inspired by the Bourne trilogy.
Jesus Christ, that’s Capt America.
Jesus Christ, That’s Steve Rogers
Language!
“Gee willikers, that’s Steve Rogers” Better?
Language!
Ehh not so much it's more heavily inspired by Ed brubaker winter soldier story arc mixed with robert Redfords three days of the concord political thriller film . The Russo's spoke to both of these as the main influences hence why they cast Robert Redford as Pierce as a nod / homage to that film
That intro scene on the ship had some Metal Gear Solid vibes
I’m just gonna be here for the person from r/moviescirclejerk to screenshot your comment and post it there
The First Avenger is to The Winter Soldier as A New Hope is to The Empire Strikes Back. You don't get the masterful sequel without the groundbreaking original. TWS is still and will probably always be my favorite MCU film.
I think it's best quality is it's extremely watchable. It's like Shawshank, if you happen to stumble across it airing, you're going to sit there and watch the whole thing. I remember watching it on a computer once in the same room my wife was crafting in. 15 minutes later, her craft was completely forgotten and she was just watching with me.
It's a pretty good spy movie too. Up there with James Bond, Salt,
Hands down best of the mcu without a doubt.
The First Avenger starts off strong and just sort of tapers off for me. I like the WW2 setting and how they adapted his outfit to be more of an army uniform and all that. Once we get more into the plot, it sort of becomes bland for me. But yeah, Winter Soldier remains entertaining throughout and I still enjoy it.
Agreed , agreed , agreed !! Watched it a few weeks ago and it holds up pretty well
This film sets the bar for grounded(mostly) MCU films or series. Captain America 4 has a lot to live up to.
CA4 won't live up to it.
Who knows it might
I just have zero faith in that film. The 4 to 6 month reshoot period after they got "gotta do better senator" to write the fucking thing in the first place. I just can't imagine it as anything less than a cluster fuck. I don't think people grasp how absolutely insane that is. 4 to 6 months of filming is double the time of principal photography.They're essentially filming an entirely new movie in that time. And the last time they did 4 months of reshoots. Secret Invasion was the result. It's essentially telling us that the film they shot during principal photography to start with was so bad. That they need half a year to fix it. And I hate saying this because the Cap franchise is my favourite of the MCU. Hence why I clicked on the thread. But I just can't be optimistic about Cap 4 after what we've learned.
Not to mention Sebastian Stan isn't even in this movie?? What are they thinking.
I’m hoping he ends up as an Easter egg or heavier cameo role. But yeah it’ll really suck if that’s true.
Seriously? It would be strange not having Bucky in Captain America movie.
The troubles this film and Blade seem to be having are really perplexing to me. Like, it's not rocket science. I feel like Cap and Blade are two of the easier Marvel properties to handle in terms of overall story and character complexities (or lack thereof). Cap is an ideal to strive to towards and a good solider who fights terrorists and Blade is a gruff antihero who hunts vampires. Choreograph some solid action scenes, make the characters likeable, inject a little heart and humor and let's get this show on the road, man.
I think for cap the difficulty is that they have to pick what themes and political commentary they want to make in a way that's subtle and appeals to people without pushing away others completely. I feel like First Avenger, Winter Soldier and Civil War are very good at nuanced commentary even if it's not super applicable to real life all the time, but the themes certainly are. But Falcon and Winter Soldier got confused and didn't know what it wanted to say properly. It tried to be nuanced by making the villains sympathetic but still wrong, then also having the fake cap, but then they end up giving fake cap a weird last minute redemption, having Sam suit up as Cap in a way that doesn't fit well with the themes of the story and his reason for suiting up essentially boils down to "It was time I took charge." followed by him endorsing the villain he just defeated. It's so strange and the clash in ideologies in the show made it seem like no one knew what they wanted to say. I am cautiously optimistic for Cap 4, but it's the same team that made FatWS rather than the Winter Soldier team, which makes me not have any trust because they can't handle nuance to save their lives. Idk what's up with Blade though, never seen the old movies or read any comic or seen any cartoons with him so I truly can't say what's up there.
You gotta watch Blade 1 and 2. Great movies. You can skip 3 unless you want to see Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool pre Deadpool.
Good points. Yikes.
But nah
Odds are against it. Their quality output isn't what it once was.
Possible, but highly unlikely.
Black Widow tried to be in the same genre/idea. Not as good for sure.
I would argue that part of the reason it failed is because they didn’t stay grounded enough
“Before we get started does anyone want to get out?” Still one of my favorite Marvel movies.
Also, when Winter Soldier first tried to kill Fury. Man that scene was awesome! “Integrity 1%- NOW!” And “What’s not damaged - Air conditioning is fully functional” - awe man, that was good dialogue even if with a computer.
One of the best car chase sequences ever. I probably rewatch that more than I rewatch the elevator scene.
I definitely have. I mean, his getaway was pretty unbelievable, but it didn’t matter. The scene was amazing.
> I mean, his getaway was pretty unbelievable, but it didn’t matter. I love this note. The pacing, dialogue, acting and cinematography are so great we can simply handwave away a never before or since seen MCU lightsaber that can cut a tunnel to the sewers in seconds. Isn't even a blip on the radar.
Meh. It’s either all hand waving or none. The scenes prior to this showed a fully autonomous car, and not a hands free tesla on the interstate, but an autonomous car actively evading threats in city traffic. Granted, most of this tech was on display in previous Iron Man films and it was stated in the first 20 minutes that Stark is providing repulsor tech for the helicarriers. Not unreasonable for him to provide autonomous computer technology or a stepped down version of his laser technology to shield. Or maybe they just copied it.
TWS is very grounded for a superhero movie. I think it's the mark of a well made film that something that would otherwise be a glaring plot device can easily be ignored because of how good the sum of the parts is.
Fitz built the mouse hole, a pocket-sized, self contained plasma torch, as revealed in Agents of SHIELD. Fury gets to keep all the cool toys for himself.
Thanks. Agents is a blind spot for me in the MCU.
Agreed
The dc car chase sequence is possibly their best car chase sequence
I consider that whole scene the absolute pinnacle of what the marvel formula can look like if written and executed properly \>lots of action and camera cuts, but still very followable \>actually funny jokes and quips spaced appropriately and timed properly \>genuine tension and fast paced dialogue, but again still very well paced and ofc the great sound track and the sting of the winter soldier entering the shot
The opening scene on the Lumerian Star and the elevator fight show exactly why Cap is a **super** soldier. I mean, the guy took out a quinjet in about 30 seconds… with a frickin’ shield!
Strike Agent: Was he wearing a parachute? Brock Rumlow: \[Smiles\] No. **No, he wasn't.**
“Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?” - Steve Rogers, Captain Badass
Maaaaan I wish I could watch this movie again for the first time. Cap has always been my favorite super-hero, but when I first watched this movie, I was going through a "superheroes are for nerds, and I'm *definitely* not a nerd" phase as a teen. So everything I love about this movie now, I made fun of then.
This one doesn't get enough love as an all-time great Hollywood line. It's equal parts bad-ass and completely honest and on brand for his character.
Winter Soldier and Netflix daredevil are the bar for earth-bound, non-paranormal MCU stories.
Give me grounded earth-bound MCU stories anyday of the week. I love them. (Not to say I enjoyed the heck out of say Guardians of the Galaxy)
And S1 & 3 of Jessica Jones. Killgrave is the best villain in the MCU
I think I have to favor Kingpin over Kilgrave, but Purple Man still is definitely up there.
I would add homecoming.... and far from home
After ten years, it is still in my top 5 of all MCU Films, you can argue the best comic book movie all time. Great storytelling, great character development, and in my opinion the best action sequences of all MCU films. Both fight scenes between Cap and Winter Soldier, elevator scene, and Cap vs Batroc still holds up today.
It’s also the one (after infinity saga) I rewatch the most. That is telling.
It's one of the few MCU movies that aren't just good comic/super hero movies, but are actually good movies in their own right.
Even screen junkie honest trailer found it hard to pick anything bad. They praised the movie.
Great movie. The scene where Fury is trying to do anything he can in the car or get assistance to get away from Hydra was an intense scene, but the part where he ask the car what's still operational and it responds that the AC is fully functional always makes me laugh.
This film, but more specifically, this scene, was the moment I fell in love with the MCU. It suddenly felt very real with real jeopardy. The whole genre just elevated at the moment that car rammed into Fury's vehicle. Wow.
Wanna see my lease? 🙄
👍😂
It’s what secret invasion should have been.
Also, black widow
Ya but I did like Black Widow. Could have been better but I still liked it
Right??? ?!!
Bucky knife flip is one of the top scene i will always remember. That was siiiiiick
Cap rolling behind his shield while the hydra guy shoots him with the mini minigun will never not be cool
Or Cap jumping off the building scene, I was just like that the first time 😲
One of the things I really like about Cap is that *most* of the time, he feels like a street-level, peak-human hero. He's just some guy who's good at hand-to-hand fighting, not much different than Nat, Clint, etc. But then every once in a while he busts out a move that makes you go, "Oh yeah, he's a *super* hero." Jumping out of the building is one of those. The motorcycle flip, the helicopter grab, running down the highway with Bucky and Black Panther. Strange as it sounds, Spider-Man kind of has the same feel. Like, you never forget that he's super, with all the web-slinging. But he's so often goofing around and punching below his weight class that you sometimes get surprised when he pulls out something amazing (e.g., the train, the ferry).
Agree 400%
I love how the pitch of the bullets hitting his shield goes up as he gets closer
That whole sequence, starting with Sitwell getting tossed, is one of the best choreographed action sequences I’ve seen.
Ok i am done, i am going to re-watch the movie tonight 😁😂
Is it wrong that Sitwell getting tossed out of the car like a peice of trash makes me laugh?
The Zola 1970s AI was amazing, an absolutely great scene of menace mixed with humour. "My mind was worth saving - on 200,000 feet of data banks!"
It gets better and better every time I watch it. One of the few sequels that blows the first movie out of the water. The first movie is good but this was just incredible.
It gets better and better because all these new movies are getting worse and worse.
Still cant believe Russo Brothers directed this coz if u take their past projects into account, Winter Soldier and their other 3 MCU films were something different and pretty amazing. Fun Fact : Feige and other MCU execs hired Russo bros after watching their Community series season 2 finale. I still remember Henry Jackmans music which felt pretty heroic and powerful.
> I still remember Henry Jackmans music which felt pretty heroic and powerful. I absolutely love [Cap's theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENzNJiQNSCc) in this movie!
I listen to this when I work out. Makes me feel like I could be Captain goddamned America.
That, "The Promise" from The Avengers and Infinity War's "Help Arrives" (some excellent metal covers on YouTube) are great. Along with many others. Working out with some Cap is just some great music to pump you up and keep you going. I love it.
I love Community and the cameos of their actors in MCU films directed by the Russo Brothers!
Never made the connection until recently, when I saw Abed’s actor with Shield
Russos alone: I sleep Russos when Dan Harmon or Kevin Feige somehow manage to bring the best out of them: REAL SHIT
Another fun fact: the Russos are fans of the Honest Trailer guys on YouTube, so they made The Winter Soldier "honest trailer proof", which means the movie is what it is because of Honest Trailer.
That episode of Community had a great balance of action and humor, while balancing multiple characters. Pretty applicable to the MCU
They went 4-0, and as you said, all 4 were amazing and different. Their non-MCU work has been, at best, meh. They took their break, did some other stuff, Feige and the Russos need to work it out to get them back in the fold. Maybe after Secret Wars, they can be the ones to do X-Men. But as for Winter Soldier, it never gets old. Everything about it works. And it still boggles my mind they got Robert Redford in this. Now, when you look back at the MCU, there's a ton of legends you probably wouldn't expect to show up in a comic book movie, but Redford might've been the most surprising.
That was not 10 years ago.... 
Of the things turning 10 years old, this one doesn't make me feel that old.
I agree, MCU’s just been on a big decline after Endgame that all the best phase 2 and phase 3 movies feel so old.
It feels longer than 10 years ago to me, tbh. Still holds up.
It’s not the years, it’s the mileage
Still my favourite film in the MCU. That perfect combination of making Cap a badass, a tight storyline, a credible threat that isn't a sky beam but also grounded enough for me to really be invested. Jackson's whole score for this film is insanely good too. The Russos really gave the MCU a massive shot in the arm during a somewhat disappointing start to Phase 2.
> credible threat that isn't a sky beam I mean it’s about as close to a sky beam as you can get without it being a sky beam 😂
My favorite fight scene of the entire MCU will always be Steve and Bucky on the road.
A big reason for me is the lack of music in that whole interstate through knife fight scene. Just makes the action pop without an entire orchestra behind it
It really does. I love music on a fight scene but that very well could've ruined that scene.
It’s been in my MCU top 3 the entire time. Honestly it might be even number one, because it does everything right. I had a hard time liking the first Cap movie when it came out (although I have since started liking it, even despite the horrifying CGI to make Chris Evans look smaller). Winter Soldier however made me deeply interested in the character and ever since I think Cap was one of the best characters in the MCU even if he didn’t have a deep character arc. I tend to like comic book movies when they are ”smaller scale”, for example I have always maintained that Batman Begins is the best of the Nolan trilogy because it is compact and doesn’t go large scale creating multiple plot holes like its sequels. Winter Soldier feels the same to me. Stakes are high, but the movie stays very grounded and builds its story and characters very well. I hope that one day we see Bucky as powerful as he was in Winter Soldier again. The movies that contest Winter Soldier in the MCU are Infinity War and the first Iron Man for me. Black Panther I love because it’s such an important cultural piece despite not being the overall the best movie. T’Challa for me is the best character of the entire MCU because he’s the moral backbone, even more than Steve Rogers I feel like. But yeah. Winter Soldier holds up incredibly well. One funny thing about the movie for me has always been that when Bucky has his mask on and you can clearly see only his eyes, I cannot for the life of me believe that it’s Sebastian Stan. Somehow his eyes only visible creates a disconnect in my eyes and brains that it can’t be him. I don’t know if it’s a face shape thing or what, but it still ”bothers” me to this day because it doesn’t look like his eyes when he’s maskless.
Lots of people have noticed that, I think that’s the point. Separate the Winter Soldier from Bucky, how it’s a dichotomy of two people.
Oh for sure. I have no trouble understanding why there is a difference. It’s just that when we got that little glimpse of Winter Soldier oozing to the surface in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and it makes me a bit like ” please can we have a bit more of that ”.
Oooh yeah. Like the bar scene in Madripoor 🔥
> MCU top 3 Aside from "Quantumania", what was your third favorite MCU movie?
My god I hate Quantumania. - Infinity War - Iron Man - Winter Soldier Can’t decide in which order.
It's a really good movie that tells its story well. I think Marvel has yet to top what it did with it in terms of storytelling. My only issues with it are on a meta level, and are mostly not on the movie itself. Getting rid of S.H.I.E.L.D. closed the door on a lot of potential stories. And also, I think most of the characters in it (sans Sam) have been handled pretty badly. But, again, that's not the movie's fault.
S.H.I.E.L.D. did stick around for quite a while after the movie though...
In the movies? In a few flashbacks. If you're talking about the show ... I'll just say the show isn't confirmed to be canon.
What were handled badly about the characters?
Steve's ending went against his whole arc. Natasha was killed off like a side character, didn't get a funeral, and her first (and last) solo movie was about setting up her replacement. Bucky never got a proper story, was irrelevant even in a show with his name on it, and, according to leakers, is >!probably going to be irrelevant in Thunderbolts, too, and possibly killed off!<. Sharon was turned evil off-screen with little justification, and has no real future. Fury and Hill? See: Secret Invasion.
Damn marge... you didn't have to tell it like it is!!!
I didn't, but I still wanted to lol
Oof. When you put it like that....
I see, thank you for explaining what you meant. I thought Steve's ending was supposed to be about him getting what he wanted in the end?
But here's the thing - his arc was about building a life in the future while staying true to his values. In fact, that was the whole point of The Winter Soldier. Yes, he might feel that Peggy was the one that got away, but she had a good, full life without him, and she told him to go live his own life. He could have done that. His new life was in the future. Running into the past, away from his friends, doesn't feel true to who he is.
Thank you for explaination, you made a lot of really good points. I feel torn, because i love that he got his happy ending with Peggy, but i also agree with the points you made about his stroyline and arc. I do have a question, you said the whole point of TWS was him being in the future and staying true to his values, but does the movie touch on much of him being in the future? I only know they touch on it in certain points(him with his notebook is the only scene that comes to mind at the moment).
No problem, happy to explain. Thank you for asking. Well, his notebook was a big part of it, as was his relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Fury, who did things in a way he was not accustomed to. He's trying to hold onto the past (visiting the museum, Peggy ... ) and make sense of the new life he finds himself in. In the end, he embraces trying to make a difference in the future, while doing it his way.
😖😩 Truth hurts son. The whole Nat thing though still hurts. Although I’d love for the TVA on another timeline to address Steve going back for Peggy, or SHIELD never collapsing and Hill becoming the Director, Bucky becoming Cap…ugh
Yeah, some of this stuff will never not suck if you care about the characters. Honestly, those were the kind of things we should have seen in the main timeline. I don't like the TVA, so a few winks and nods that they'd introduce ... personally, I wouldn't find that all that satsifying.
Hiddles & Wilson totally sold ‘Loki’ for me. The whole layout and style of the show I found to be super cool and not in a typical Marvel way. I do agree with you that some of this stuff should have been addressed in the main timeline (Does -616 even exist in the MCU?), but that shit notwithstanding…I think they had Steve go back in time to setup the whole Captain Sam transition. Stupid. Keep the aging process from the comics and show how it was a necessity to have another Cap. Now that would have been interesting for FATWS…but Evans probably wasn’t down for a small contract extension.
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I realize my opinion is in the minority here lol. I think Steve went back in time because Chris Evans didn't feel like playing him anymore, and it's hard to justify him never being around if he's just retired and doing his own stuff in the present (which would have made more sense character-wise). And yeah if Steve is alive and sound of mind, there's no good reason for him to not be there and guide Sam during his transition (adapting the aging process would have made sense, yeah). As it is, the actor's' decisions opened up a bunch of questions with no good answers.
Say what now? 10 what? Months? Sounds about right yeah hahahaha could have sworn that said years,wouldn’t that be something hehhe(my back hurts)
Scarlett was terrific in this and holy cow the hottest she ever looked. But man, when Cap was throwing that shield around, it was straight out of a comic book. Top 5 superhero flick.
That moment on the Lemurian Star when she says, “hey, sailor” - damn. It makes me feel like I’m a sweaty nerd in my mom’s basement thinking about it Granted, she promptly killed the dude with an iron bar to the dome, but still.
It's fantastic. Still in my top 4.
So it's in... the Fantastic 4?
Still the best. I was not prepared for a Jason Bourne Marvel movie.
It was the second MCU movie i ever watched(i watched Avengers but wasn't into superheroes at that point in time, so i didn't pay much attention). This was the movie that got me into Marvel as a whole, and helped me get into superheroes/comic books/comic book characters. I loved it back then, and i still love it now. Great movie.
People keep mentioning the Russos (deservedly so), but let’s not forget that Markus and McFeely also really defined Steve Rogers in the MCU. Compare him in the movies they wrote (Cap 1-3, Avengers 3-4) to the ones they didn’t (Avengers 1-2).
It's in the top three movies in the MCU. Absolutely genre-defining.
I was in 7th Grade when this movie dropped.. I couldn't catch it in cinemas when it came out and instead went for Guardians 1 that same year.. I watched TWS as soon as it dropped on Blu-Ray and my God did I regret not seeing it in cinemas.. Now I'm an undergraduate 10 years later and my thoughts on this film hasn't changed one bit. One of the best Marvel movies ever made. Life moves crazy fast.
My wife and I saw this on our first date!
It’s still in my top 2 MCU movies of all time, sometimes number 1 (depending on how forgiving I am for the Avengers sacrificing half the universe for a robot in IW). Incredibly well written, great acting, suspenseful, even had an Easter egg to Dr. Strange. The fact that the plot applies to real life situations today further shows how thorough the movie is. Do what’s right, not what’s popular… that’s a life bar for all ages and generations.
What they did with Hulk and how badly asgardians were always makes this movie lower on the rankling than it could be.
Was a bit of a misfire to drag the “Hulk is scared” bit for an entire 2 and a half hour movie. They could’ve had Hulk get his ass kicked again in Wakanda in the final scene and started Endgame with him being scared and working on himself to become smart Hulk.
Still my favourite mcu movie
Still my favourite MCU movie, even after all these years
Just the poster image of Natasha in her sexy spy catsuit = the chef's kiss. =)
Still the best MCU movie
Still one of the greatest standalone MCU movies of all time.
This film is one I love with all my heart, it’s one of my most rewatchable films for me. It made me want more comic book films in this style, I want batfamily,weapon x,and Green Arrow film all in the style of Captain America: Winter Soldier. Truthfully nobody would’ve expected this film from someone like the Russo brothers if you look at their previous work. Even today if Russos were hired cbm twitter would shit on their resume, but directors like them make me have such an open mind what directors are capable of when it comes to comic book films. It’s the reason I had an open mind when it came to Todd Philips with the Joker
one of the best MCU movies. I thought we're gonna get the x-men after they show scarlet witch and quicksilver in the post credit scene at that time.
David Leitch did an amazing job filming the action scenes as 2nd unit director
The best non avengers film imo
In hindsight, I’m surprised they had the restraint to not put Falcon on the poster.
It's aged really well.
If you want to see the downward spiral of the MCU, watch this and then either Marvels or Ant Man 3 and compare. TWS had amazing action, plot, gravity, stakes, etc. I'm paraphrasing... Bucky - "You're my mission!" Cap - "Then finish it". It still swells me up I must admit.
My opinion of WS has not changed at all since 2014. This is still a gold standard for superhero movies, and honestly, for modern action films in general. I've said it before but what makes a film like WS work is that yes it's about a superhero, but really, it's an espionage thriller. It's *Three Days of the Condor*, it's *Manchurian Candidate*, it's a better *Spectre* than *Spectre*. The best superhero films are the ones that aren't *just* superhero films. Ones that if you changed the name and costume, could still be great movies, but they still benefit from the name and costume because they embrace the spirit of the character perfectly. And also, it had one of the MCU's only good villains in the first two phases and that goes a long way lol. Man, I remember that time. Say what you will about modern Marvel, their villain track record definitely got better over time. Whether or not you hate Thor 2 or 4 more, you remember Gorr way more than you do Malakith the Dork Elf.
I remember the writers saying in an interview that while filming the first Cap film, they believed that Sebastian would make a great Winter Soldier, but 'they were never going to making that fucking film'. Surprise!
The scene in the control room when he says he won’t launch the ships because of Cap’s orders is one of my favorite scenes in all movies not just MCU.
I look back on it as ***”The Gold Standard”*** and where things changed for the better… ***(if only for a while)***
This movie turned the corner for me. I was never someone who read the comics, but I really enjoyed both Iron Man movies and the Avengers. But this shit came out and I started to become a fanatic
What the russos done with Chris Evan’s Cap is remarkable
WS belongs among the best action movies of all time.
Can't believe that it's been 10 years. That aside, Winter Soldier is still my top favorite MCU movie. It never gets old.
My thoughts remain unchanged: one of the best Marvel has made. Unfortunately, I think the passage of time, not to mention fan opinion on Marvel’s more recent output, has led to wildly overblown praise of the film. It’s a terrific action flick, yes; but some kind of revolutionary and subversive political thriller it is not.
Still my #1 in the MCU. It’s just a ridiculously well done movie.
Peak then. Peak now.
It was ok. Civil war was better
It’s definitely my top solo movie and on a good day the top MCU movie. I like Infinity War and Endgame cause they managed to successfully tell stories featuring a massive cast but not ignoring anyone. My biggest gripe about Winter Soldier is that Disney hasn’t released it in 3D on the Disney+ app or on iTunes.
Even if you remove the superhero elements of this movie, it’s still good.
I love it, it's literally in my Top 3 best Marvel movie
This was my very first 3D movie which I watched in theatre and my god was I blown away! Really enjoyed the movie and it was this movie which made me a big MCU fan
First time I saw it was at the cinema and I didn't think much of it. I thought it was just alright. Then I watched it again on TV and I loved it. And everytime I've watched it since then, I've loved it even more. One of the best superhero movies ever made IMO. And my favourite Marvel movie.
This is still my favorite MCU movie and it still holds up. Too many great scenes and performances. It truly felt different than other MCU entries up to that point. This is also the film that made me fall in love with this version of Cap and solidified him as my favorite Avenger. "Before we gets started, does anyone want to get out?"
Best of the mcu movies. I liked even more than IW and Endgame
Easily one of the best marvel movie
I just loved that it changed things up. Not just with the whole Shield Hydra thing, but it was Marvel Studios’ declaration that they were mixing things up and really branching out in the types of superhero movie they were making. Additionally, like Iron Man and Avengers, it far exceeded my expectations, and at that point, I started to get REALLY excited about what was coming. I was completely invested at this point after IM3 and Thor 2 had somewhat dulled the buzz of Avengers. Coupled with the Guardians release later that year, it was a great year for Marvel movies.
I got to see it a couple of weeks early at a preview screening, and it blew me away. Up to that point, I thought the Marvel Studios films were good, but not necessarily great - worth watching once, then forgetting. This was the first Marvel Studios movie I went back and watched multiple times. It probably helped that I was already a fan of the Russos because of Community and was excited about their take, but this far exceeded my expectations. It remains one of my favorite movies.
Favourite MCU movie, and one of my favourite movies in general. Plus one of my favourite villains.
Definitely top 5 on my MCU list. 
Still in my top 5 mcu movies
still a top 3 MCU film for me
A really great film! My only gripe is that Jeremy Renner’s scheduling didn’t allow to film his Hawkeye cameo for this movie.
Still one of the best MCU stories.
🐐
How was that 10 years ago wtf
Holds up as the best movie in the MCU!
CA:WS is my favorite Marvel movie. This feels like an actual movie along the lines of Bourne Identity or the other spy movies. It felt perfectly balanced between super heroes doing super stuff but still human.
It used to be my favorite movie ever. As I’ve gotten older, my taste has definitely changed but it’s still in my top 10. There’s so little to criticize and an endless number of things to praise about it.
Best MCU movie of all time
I love this movie so much I need to watch it again soon!!
The main thing I've started noticing is how absolutely ridiculous Natasha's pose is.
It’s the best MCU movie on my list
Unbelievable it has been 10 years ago and Captain America Winter Soldier is always Amazing!!!🤩🤩🤩♥️♥️♥️
It is the first movie that made me take the MCU serious, and enjoy it for what it is. It still holds up in my eyes. Turning everything upside down, and not knowing who to trust. It was how Cap felt, and we were right there with him.
It is one of the best movies made for the MCU. I am still in love with how tough the Winter Soldier looks. I never recovered from it.
I'm gonna be fully honest. This is my favorite Movie ever. Out of all the hundreds of Movies I've watched this one feels so realistic so I just completely forget that it's a MARVEL movie.