10 Movie Franchises That Brilliantly Reinvented Characters
7. Captain America Is Cool Now - The Winter Soldier
Captain America probably wasn't anyone's favorite Avenger after the First Avenger and the Avengers, but the Russos turned him from an American ideal of the old guard to a true modern American hero. The choices he is faced with mold him into a real character that faces real-world threats.
Starting with a darker uniform, the Russos lead Captain America into the new world. He learns about the culture, about how much yet how little it has changed. His boy scout style trust is challenged through the characters of Nick Fury and Black Widow. In the end, Cap's ideals win out, strengthening his true beliefs, but they've been challenged and there is always a price to be paid.
Cap's origin in The First Avenger is an OK patriotic film covering every part of the hero, but it never gives our hero something to struggle with internally. The Russos go with a grittier style and more realistic tone to the film itself to solidify the character work taking place on-screen.
In one of the MCU's greatest films, Captain America truly becomes a hero to root for. He shook off the cheesiness that had always plagued him and became a pretty cool guy.