‘The First Avenger’ Gave the Best Lasting Impression

One might call Captain America: The First Avenger one of the most forgotten MCU movie. What if I told you that one of the more forgotten films had the best ending?

All the talk about the Avengers will unveil their fourth movie got me thinking of how it all began — with a skinny Steve Rogers and an ending that I think many of us overlook.

When someone asks you “What’s the best MCU ending,” you may think of Avengers, Black Panther, Infinity War, or Civil War. No one seems to talk about The First Avenger ending and I don’t know why. It’s simply one of the most well-written, heartbreaking, and emotional scenes in the MCU.

Granted, I believe this film wastes its potential. It’s one of those films that has a lot going for it and greatness can be seen by anyone but it just doesn’t execute the right way. The first half of the movie is great. The flow is good, the story is engaging. I love the arc of Steve Rodgers and its tone fits the film. The first half, for the most part, is great.

But the instant that Bucky falls off the train, this movie goes absolutely insane.

The movie takes a full 360. This film really suffers from the Phase 1 MCU third act dilemma. A lot of the films in Phase 1 struggled with this issue, the third acts are very messy and disoriented. This movie goes downhill in the midpoint and loses the touch of the first half of the film.

Now, the ending of The First Avenger… is perfect.

The ending starts off as Steve Rogers wakes up in New York City. Like Captain America, he freaks out and escapes. Little does he know, he’s in a government sanctuary that is trying to keep Steve Rogers away from society.

Now, this is all after the heartbreaking scene between Captain America and Peggy Carter. They exchange some last words before Cap is about to sacrifice himself as a hero. He then proceeds to continue and the scene ends in very heartbreaking fashion and it sets up the dialogue for the ending.

When Cap breaks out the building, he runs out and appears to be in Times Square. He is in utter shock and his facial expression shows the weight of this moment.

America has changed so much since Steve Rogers’ “death.” Everything is happening so fast and he seems to get lost in the moment. That’s when a group of black cars pull up and Nick Fury steps out the car.

After a few words of dialogue, he says “you been asleep Cap’, for almost 70 years.” In this sudden instant, Steve Rogers face just pummels and deflates. You can feel the weight and tension in this scene.

The music in this scene is amazing building the suspense. Steve Rogers then says “I had a date” and the screen turns black. Tell me that’s not an amazing ending. I love it so much. When he said “I had a date,” it somehow just broke my heart. The one he loved has grown old. He didn’t have any time to actually spend with Peggy.

It makes the ending have an impact on the character of Captain America. The ending feels somber but the pace is quick. You can’t take it all in.

This is a very unpopular opinion, but The First Avenger is the best MCU ending. The First Avenger has one of my favorite endings to any film. Its film-making at its finest and is certainly the hidden gem of the MCU.