Captain America
The First Avenger
Film · 2011 · 124 minutes · Phase One
Frail Steve Rogers is transformed into the super-soldier Captain America to fight in World War II against Johann Schmidt's HYDRA, which is racing to harness the power of the Tesseract. The film ends with Rogers frozen in ice until the present day.
Leads to
- The Avengersdirect-sequel — Steve Rogers, thawed out in the present day, is recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Captain America: The Winter Soldierdirect-sequel — Continues Steve Rogers' personal story from his WWII origin, and reintroduces Arnim Zola — captured by Rogers in this film — as the architect of Hydra's decades-long infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D., a twist revealed within Winter Soldier itself.
- Agent Carterside-story — Set in the years after Steve Rogers' apparent death, the show follows Peggy Carter as she rebuilds her life and covertly aids the Strategic Scientific Reserve; her characterization and backstory carry over directly from Captain America: The First Avenger.
- Agent Carter: Season Oneside-story — Set in 1946, following Peggy Carter as she navigates life at the SSR in the aftermath of Steve Rogers' presumed death, working to clear Howard Stark's name while secretly aiding him.
- Now Is Not the End — S01E01side-story — Set in 1946 New York after the apparent death of Steve Rogers; Peggy Carter's grief and her drive to prove herself directly continue her arc from Captain America: The First Avenger.
- Avengers: Endgamecrossover · optional — Steve and Tony's 1970 Camp Lehigh heist has Steve secretly watch Peggy Carter at work, directly paying off the unresolved Steve/Peggy romance established in that film — the emotional setup for Steve's final choice to return and live out that relationship.
- What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger? — S01E01timeline-branch — Diverges directly from the premise and events of Captain America: The First Avenger — Erskine's assassination and the serum going to Peggy instead of Steve rewrites that film's origin story beat for beat.