The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Gems: Captain America: The First Avengers (2011)

How do you choose what to watch on all those streaming services you have access to? There are so many options that it is just overwhelming. These services constantly release new content and overshadow all the great films from the past that are already there and ready to watch. Now there is The Wasteland Gems! Here is a great film on streaming right now that you should check out this weekend:

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

When was the last time you took a stroll back to the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? 2025 is quite the pivotal time for the MCU and comic book movies in general. We have had a few high-profile releases during the summer with Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the new DCEU’s Superman. Neither of them achieved the financial windfall such big names would expect to garner (Superman still did quite well for itself for the record). A great film like Thunderbolts* didn’t get financial success. Back in 2019, you could release almost any comic book movie, and it would make tons of profit. Times have changed. The MCU has become such a massive, interconnected experience that it is starting to really lose its muster. Phase One of the MCU felt so long ago and those films felt so fresh and stand alone. There just weren’t decades of cinematic baggage to go along with them. This makes many audience members feel free. One such film that deserves a rewatch (or it makes a great place to start an MCU journey) is Captain America: The First Avenger.

What makes this film feel so fresh and unique? Director Joe Johnston does something fresh and unique in the context of the MCU…he gave the film a period feel that has an authentic atmosphere. The costumes, hairstyle, and production design feels ripped right out of a classic Old Hollywood film. There is a texture and vibrance that many MCU films lack. Johnston brought the same energy he did with The Rocketeer, which is such a great element of the experience. This feels like an old school war film…because it is. Narratively it certainly is (with a fun science fiction twist) but Johnston goes so far as to deliver an atmosphere that captures that period too. The music from composer Alan Silvestri is beautiful and heroic in a way that transports the audience back to World War II. The whole design of Hydra is a special mixture of Nazi motifs and a neo-futuristic cult. There are plenty of fun period trappings that make this experience feel so unique in the context of the MCU.

What is the secret weapon of The First Avenger? Steve Rogers himself. The man who would become Captain America is such a great hero and good person before he even gets his powers. Steve is a charming, strong-willed, and genuine human being who makes for a great lead for a film like this. Steve Rogers is the heart and soul of The Avengers, and you can feel that from the start of The First Avenger. You get such a sincere protagonist to get behind who makes you want to be a better person. Steve is “good” and that is what makes Captain America so “great”.  He makes for the perfect protagonist for a story about Good VS Evil. World War II was one of the clearest conflicts of mortality in the modern world. We can get behind a group of nations trying to stop pure evil. The First Avenger leans into morality and Steve Rogers is the shining representation of this good in the face of the pure evil and power-mad cultish Hydra. Chris Evans goes completely against type as Rogers when Evans was known for playing assholes in movies. The earnestness and heart that he brings to this film does wonder to bring this wonderful hero to life. The First Avenger walked to future films that could explore Steve’s morality in a more complex world.

What else works so well about The First Avenger? This film is endlessly entertaining as it is filled with entertaining elements. The antagonists of the film are excellent foils to Rogers and his mentor Dr. Erskine (who is one of THE best supporting characters in any Marvel movie who Stanely Tucci portrays so perfectly). The Red Skull is deliciously evil and power hungry with a strong turn from Hugo Weaving. He is the exact opposite of Steve and that makes their conflict so perfect. Toby Jones’ Dr. Zola is the perfect evil scientist who is in stark contrast to Erskine. Hayley Atwell is a star and a shining light in the film as the strong, charming, and likable Peggy Carter. You will shed a tear when Steve and Peggy have their final moment over that radio (I am not crying right now writing about it!). Tommy Lee Jones is the perfect dry comic relief for the film as the stern Colonel Phillips. Throw in a fun turn from Dominic Cooper as a young Howard Stark and you have quite the ensemble that brings this film to life.

Do you want a good old-fashioned war flick with strong character work and plenty of charm? You find that it is Captain America: The First Avenger! This is one of the most surprising Marvel films in the greater MCU and is always a breath of fresh air. This is one of the best gems of this massive franchise and it deserves more love which makes it an excellent choice to stream over on Disney+.

Captain American: The First Avenger is streaming on Disney+.