He did his time in a small range of indies and studio thrillers before nearly burning up as the Human Torch in two ill-fated Fantastic Four films. Streamlined on screen, Captain America is the moral compass for the Avengers and, effectively, the MCU.Ī Boston native who trained on stage in New York, Evans was cast to superficial type as the “popular jock” archetype in the parody Not Another Teen Movie (2001). He’s been a Marvel mainstay ever since, essentially the publisher’s own Superman, albeit occasionally in danger of falling politically out of step. In a terrific Stan Lee brainstorm, the shield-thrower was thawed out for the Avengers. He enjoyed wild popularity during WWII but Cap’s luster faded when communism replaced the Axis powers as our national bugbear, leading to “retirement” for Rogers. Then came his Marvel moment, after which he’s zoomed forward as if shielded by his alter-ego’s armor.ĭesigned by Marvel precursor Timely Comics as a war icon in 1941, a secret serum transformed skinny ol’ Steve Rogers into military paragon Captain America. A well-publicized problem with drugs nearly destroyed him treatment led to a rich comeback, with roles as a twitchy creep in A Scanner Darkly (2006) and charming loser in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005). distinguished himself in rich-teens-gone-awry films like Less Than Zero (1987) and had the guts to play Charlie Chaplin in a 1992 biopic. As a promising tyro, the son of Putney Swope director Robert Downey Sr. since the 2008 release of Iron Man is actually the actor’s third career phase. Like Marvel’s own foreign policy czar, Iron Man begins to question the legitimacy of unchecked power.Ĭonsider this for a moment: The near-ubiquity of Robert Downey Jr.

One creation becomes, oops, the insane artificial intelligence Ultron, making Stark complicit in destructive actions across the globe. Effectively a one-man army, the arrogant but well-intentioned Stark expands his own arsenal (for specialized protection, natch) even as he attempts to corral military tech held by others. Injured in an explosion, rich and brilliant young industrialist Tony Stark preserves his life by building the ultimate suit of armor.

Who plays captain america