Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) – Complete Annotations

30:00-35:00

The background through the car windows as they drive is the same three or four blocks over and over.

 There was additional shooting at the the New York Street set at Universal Studios in Hollywood, likely where they park the car and get out into Brooklyn Antiques.

 The store’s owner is played by Amanda Walker.

And we find ourselves at a secret base.

 Senator Brandt played by Michael Brandon.

He’s with Fred Clemson, from the State Department. But no, he’s actually someone else – Heinz Kruger. He’s played by Richard Armitage.

Richard Armitage as Heinz Kruger in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Richard Armitage as Heinz Kruger in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

 Kruger appeared in the very first Captain America story in Captain America Comics #1. He was also a double agent, disguised as an army official, and killer of Dr Erskine.

Screen Shot 2016-08-14 at 4.11.09 PMRichard Armitage was best known for various British TV roles before this film. He would go on to star in The Hobbit trilogy.

 Howard Stark arrives. This is a new addition to the character’s lore. In the comics, he had nothing to do with Captain America‘s origin.

He is first injected with penicillin, a painkiller.

35:00-40:00

The procedure begins.

The music here is called VitaRays.

The procedure is complete, and Rogers is reborn.

The music here after is called We Did It.

Agent Carter’s little reach out was an improv by Hayley Atwell.

Kruger blows up the lab.

And he kills Dr Erskine.

Kruger runs. The music is called Kruger chase.

Kruger kills a soldier as he makes his escape, followed by the shop owner. He will later kill two undercover agents.

Sergio Covino plays Kruger’s colleague. The two undercover agents are Marcello Walton and Vincent Montuel. Kruger’s driver is Fabrizio Santino.

Kruger jumps into a taxi, a Chevrolet Master.

Once again, a lot of these streets are the same, from different angles, Dale St in Manchester.

40:00-45:00

As they get to the water, the location changes to Stanley Dock in Liverpool.

It’s probably no coincidence that Cap blocks some bullets with a cab door that has a star on it.

The music now is Hostage On the Pier.

After a scuffle with a little boy, Kruger calls forth an awesome submarine jet thing.

Kruger bites into a pill and takes his own life.

Before he does, he says the phrase “cut off one head, two more will take its place” and “Hail Hydra”. These are common catchphrases for the evil organisation from the comics.

And then we find ourselves in a Hydra base – a set.

Someone, possibly the Hydra intern, had to go get Hydra banners printed up in a printing shop, and put them around the base.

Hydra in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Hydra in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Strange_Tales_Vol_1_135 Lets talk Hydra. In the comics, they are a secret evil organisation, with roots in World War II, but various elements dating from ancient times (there is a bit of a weird faith element to them). They are large, well funded, with many branches, and basically as big and as evil as any other fictional shadow organisation. They have long been foes of SHIELD and the Avengers. For the film, they’ve lost their silly green outfits, and their origin is tied to the Red Skull.

They first appeared in Strange Tales #135, August 1965. They were created by Dick Ayers, Steve Ditko, Frank Giacoia, Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.

Schmidt is being questioned by Roeder, played by Anatole Taubman. The person who wants to stop indulging Schmidt (and calls him the Red Skull) is Schneider. He is played by Erich Redman. The third man is Hutter, played by Jan Pohl.

45:00-50:00

Anyway, Schmidt kills them.

Rogers gives blood. That secret in his genetic code will come into play in the wider MCU, in particular the Agent Carter series.

Stark, Phillips and everyone investigate the Hydra submarine.

Phillips wants to send Rogers to Alamogordo, New Mexico. It was the site of the nuclear tests that led to the nuclear bomb.

Brandt promotes Rogers, but it’s not what he thinks.

Rogers is backstage with Brandt’s unnamed assistant, played by Martin Sherman.

Rogers runs on the stage as Captain America for the first time. He’s part of a show to sell War Bonds.

Captain America's debut in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Captain America’s debut in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

The songs is called Star Spangled Man, written by Alan Menken, lyrics by David Zippel.

The shield design and shape is a nod to the comics. This was the original design of the shield, but it was too close to the design of superhero called The Shield. The round shield debuted in the second ever Captain America comic, Captain America Comics #2, and has been a part of the Cap mythology ever since (apart from the time he had like an electronic one, and the time he used his old one again for a bit).

The pantomime Hitler is played by James Payton.

This stage is once again Hackney Empire, where Rogers watched the newsreel.

50:00-55:00

Captain America’s fame leads to a comic. Of course, the cover is exactly the one on Captain America Comics #1.

We already know that the comic existed in the MCU, as Howard Stark would leave one behind in a box for his son Tony Stark, who would find it in Iron Man 2 (2010).

Rogers is approached by an autograph hunter, played by Laura Haddock.

Laura Haddock as an autograph seeker in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Laura Haddock as an autograph seeker in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

The actress would return, in a different role, for Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014). She would play Peter Quill‘s mother in a scene set in 1988, 45 years after this scene, making it extremely unlikely they are the same characters. Maybe she is Peter Quill’s grandmother. Otherwise, she is one of the very few people who have had two roles in the MCU.

We see Captain America fronting I Want You posters – a nod to the famous poster of Uncle Sam.

There’s a deleted scene here where we see more of the war from Bucky’s perspective before Captain America arrives.

We are at a military base in Italy, with a much less impressed audience. It’s actually Bourne Wood, in Surrey, UK.

He is reunited with Agent Carter, who tries to convince Rogers to do more.

Phillips tells Rogers that Barnes is dead, but Rogers can save the rest of the 107th. Carter and Stark helps Rogers get to Austria.

The music here is Unauthorised Night Flight.

 Stark is flying a 1937 Beechcraft Model 18. A replica, we presume.

At the Hydra base, Schmidt wants to increase the output. The factory is worked on by prisoners.

We meet the 107th. The moustached prisoner is Timothy ‘Dum Dum’ Dugan. He is played by Neal McDonough.

Neal McDonough as Dum Dum Dugan in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Neal McDonough as Dum Dum Dugan in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Sgt_Fury_and_his_Howling_Commandos_Vol_1_1 Dum Dum Dugan is a member of the Howling Commandos. They were an elite (and lovable) military squad under Sgt Nick Fury in the comics, who also fought in World War II. Here, the film is using that part of Fury’s comics history for Cap. His moustache and bowler hat look is taken from the comics, where he would also become a high ranking and important member of SHIELD.

He first appeared in Sgt Fury and his Howling Commandos #1, May 1963. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.

Neal McDonough McDonough is probably best known for many TV roles, and appeared in films such as Minority Report and Star Trek: First Contact.

He calls his capture Fritz, probably just a slightly racist nickname.

We see Cap approach the Hydra base. It’s an old military factory in Caerwent, South Wales.

He fights his way through several soldiers.

The music here is Troop Liberation.

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Rogers steals a thing, and then manages to find and free the soldiers.

One of the first soldiers he frees is Gabe Jones, played by Derek Luke.

Derek Luke as Gabe Jones in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
Derek Luke as Gabe Jones in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

Jones is another member of Nick Fury‘s original Howling Commandos from the comics. He would follow his career in the field with a stint in SHIELD. Along with Dugan, he first appeared in Sgt Fury and his Howling Commandos #1.

derek-luke-hawthorne-340Luke is probably best known for his TV work in Empire and The Americans. He can also appeared in films such as Seeking A Friend For the End Of the World and Lions For Lambs.

Also in the same cell (are those cells?) is James Montgomery Falsworth, played by JJ Feild.

JJ Fields as James Montgomery Falsworth in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
JJ Feild as James Montgomery Falsworth in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Invaders_Vol_1_7 In the comics, Falsworth is not a member of he Howling Commandos, but a masked hero in his own right. He’s Union Jack, and he was a British agent during World War II. He was created in the 70s as part of the Invaders, a team of heroes from the 40s that included Captain America and Bucky.

He first appeared in The Invaders #7, July 1976. He was created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins.

John-Joseph-Feild-jj-feild-37000199-300-303Oddly, for the most British character in the film, one filled with British actors and made in the UK, John Joseph Feild was actually born in America. He moved to Britain and appeared in films such as Telstar: The Joe Meek Story and Austenland.

We meet another Howling Commando. Jim Morita, from Fresno. Played by Kenneth Choi.

Kenneth Choi as Jim Morita in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Kenneth Choi as Jim Morita in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Morita was another original member of the Howling Commandos. Like here, he was of Japanese descent, but served in the American army. He only made very few appearances in the comics. Like Dugan and Jones, he first appeared in Sgt Fury and his Howling Commandos #1.

choiChoi has appeared in TV such as Sons Of Anarchy and films such as Wolf Of Wall Street.

Choi is also due to appear in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). He is another actor who has been cast in two MCU roles. It remains to be seen if there is any connection between the two characters.

The US soldiers fight their way out.

Soldiers on both sides are killed.

French actor Bruno Ricci plays Jacques Dernier. He finds the Tesseract powered weapon.

Bruno Ricci as Jacques Dernier in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Bruno Ricci as Jacques Dernier in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Sgt_Fury_Vol_1_21 Dernier was not a member of the Howling Commandos either, but encountered the team several times. He was a member of the French Resistance in the comics, and remains so here.

He first appeared in Sgt Fury and his Howling Commandos #21 (August, 1965). He was created by Dick Ayers and Stan Lee.

390338_3Ricci, a French actor, has appeared in several films and TV shows in France. This is his most prominent English speaking role (not that he speaks much English here!).

Dugan and Jones take a tank. Jones says he went to Howard University in Washington DC.

In the German dub of the film, the joke was changed to Engineering girls being ugly.

Schmidt spots Captain America, and sees there’s a super soldier. He sets a self destruct and he and Zola leave.

He finds Bucky.


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