MCU World

Phase 1 · Infinity Saga

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Period adventure · Earnest

Directed by
Joe Johnston
Released
2011-07-22
Length
124 min
▶ TrailerWhere to watch

The quick take

A small, determined volunteer becomes the symbol of a war effort. It is a period adventure with a sincere heart, and it sets the moral center that later films keep coming back to.

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The bigger picture

A frail but determined recruit is chosen for an experiment during wartime and becomes the face of the effort. It is told like an old-fashioned adventure serial, with a strong period look and a sincere tone.

Skip it or watch it?

Do not skip. Several later stories lean on what happens here.

Where it sits

Release order

#5 of 59

Before: Thor

After: The Avengers

See the full release order list

Timeline order

#1 of 59

Before: The start

After: Captain Marvel

See the full timeline order list

Official trailer

Watch on YouTube ↗

Where to watch

Streaming rights change by country and over time, so check before you subscribe. Links open in a new tab.

If you liked this

Phase 1 · 2012

The Avengers

Separate heroes are forced into the same room and have to figure out how to fight as one team. The payoff of years of setup, and still one of the most rewatchable entries.

Phase 2 · 2014

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

A man out of his time finds that the institutions he trusted are not what they seem. A paranoid political thriller, and one of the strongest films in the whole run.

Cast

Credited lead cast of Captain America: The First Avenger, in billing order. Names link to IMDb, which we do not own and are not affiliated with.