While Robert Downey Jr. became MCU’s very first Avenger to step into the frame of Marvel, it is ultimately Chris Evans’ Captain America who owns the title when considered in the proper chronological order of the universe. Evans’ first outing as the righteous hero in the aptly titled film, Captain America: The First Avenger laid down the groundwork for more heroes, villains, and adventures to come in what would then be known as the Infinity Saga.
But The First Avenger was not without its fair share of controversy, loopholes, and plot continuity errors, as was later revealed and dissected in the film by fans and critics of the 2011 classic.
1. Captain’s Lack of Training in the Battlefield
Despite being framed as one of the building blocks of the MCU, Chris Evans’ Captain America: The First Avenger is not a perfect film. In fact, it is far from it. The narrative structure spends almost half of its plot ruminating on the stunning action sequences and battles won by the Captain despite no fight training or real battlefield experience at all just because of his superhuman physique, including taking on the evil Red Skull himself.
When he becomes Captain America, Evans’ superhero is found immediately taking off into the streets and catching the Nazi spy like a fully-formed Avenger through the streets of New York despite having come out of a highly strenuous, body morphing, chemically induced experiment. Moreover, despite being posed as a show pony by the army, Captain infiltrates the enemy territory using guerilla warfare techniques and singlehandedly rescues an entire battalion of soldiers.
2. Captain America’s Shield Has Self-Healing Tech?
One of the few confusing continuity errors that stand out in the film is the Vibranium Shield that defines the superhero. Although it was battered, scratched, and bruised during World War II in the fight against Red Skull on the plane, the Shield was found in pristine condition in the ice almost 70 years later after the plane resurfaced and the Captain was discovered.
Again, during one of the fight sequences, a punch delivered straight to the replacement shield dented it badly enough to leave a definitive impression. That dent keeps disappearing and reappearing throughout the burning building escape scene.
3. Signs and Objects Keep Getting Displaced On Set
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While the 2011 film has so much going for it, it seems as though even a studio as nitpicky and excruciatingly particular about details ends up making some of the silliest errors when scoping through a scene. During one of Steve Rogers’ medical check-up scenes, a prominent sign on the wall that says “It is illegal to falsify your enlistment form” ends up disappearing from the background wall when the scene shifts to show Rogers putting his shirt back on.
4. The Water Isn’t Wet in Hollywood Analogy
One of cinema’s most common and overlooked mistakes is showing actors and characters coming out of the rain or a pool or any body of water and emerging as completely dry merely a few seconds later. Chris Evans’ character becomes the subject of the same trope when Steve Rogers pulls the German spy, Heinz Kruger, out of the canal as he tries to make his escape using a submarine. The moment the two characters are out, instead of dripping with water, their hair, clothes, and overall presence look damp at best.
5. Captain America’s Feet Can Do More Than Just Run Fast
Also read: 7 Reasons Why Steve Rogers And Tony Stark Were Good & 3 Reasons Why They Weren’t
The messianic Captain America who helped rescue Bucky and the 107th Infantry Regiment first demonstrated his quick thinking, adaptability, and ability to take down the enemy in a fight that ended up as a chase sequence through the center of New York. With no time for shoes or gentlemanly clothing, Steve Rogers races across slimy alleys, tar-laden roads, and broken shards of glass only to have a clean sole in the end.
The film, despite all its characteristic faults and errors still ends up becoming iconic over time due to its impact on the broader storyline. It also displayed one of the best superhero introductions in the CBM franchise. Chris Evans, although not a part of the MCU any longer, did appear in 7 MCU films that comprise 3 films in the Captain America trilogy and 4 Avengers sagas.
All Marvel films are now available for streaming on Disney+.
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