It took a few years, but Captain America has finally become the same iconic leader of the Marvel Universe on film as he has been in the comics for decades. As Civil War stands poised to deliver the most world-changing story in the MCU yet, that doesn’t mean every great detail, secret, or twist takes place in front of the cameras. There’s no better time to run down some of the coolest facts about Marvel’s Captain America to let fans appreciate the chaos and wars behind the scenes. Here are 20 Captain America Secrets From Behind The Scenes.
Ending The War
The Civil War comic series had to be changed for the movie, but in a weird twist of fate, it’s Avengers director Joss Whedon who actually deserves credit for the comic’s climactic ending. Originally, Iron Man and Cap stopped fighting when bystanders, like the readers, begged them to, making the fight an unsatisfying draw. The writers knew a more satisfying finish was needed, so when Whedon came by, taking a break from his own “X-Men” series, they told him their problem, and he gave them their new ending exactly as it appears. Or, in the words of writer Mark Millar: “the bugger was there ten minutes and he solved everything.”
Redwing
The Falcon has upped his game since The Winter Soldier, having added a recon drone to his arsenal, which he refers to as ‘Redwing.’ The name is a nod to his actual trained falcon sidekick from the comics, since the directors figured a bird he can telepathically communicate with would be too hard to believe.
Launching Ant-Man
When the trailers highlighted the airport showdown between the Avengers, it was Ant-Man and Hawkeye combining their powers, with the archer firing Scott Lang into action on the end of his arrow. It’s a great idea, and one lifted straight from the cover of The Avengers #223, released in 1963.
Sharing The Spotlight
Although it’s a Captain America movie, Civil War is pulling double duty, introducing both Black Panther and the New Spider-Man - but that wasn’t the original plan. Panther’s role was added to the story, and made an even bigger part when Marvel thought that Sony might not agree to let Spidey into the MCU. By the time a deal was reached, Panther had a serious part, which meant Spider-Man’s role had to be a smaller one. But that’s still hard to actually complain about.
Fake Headstone
It turns out the history of Nick Fury is a secret even to the directors. When the former SHIELD director’s birthdate couldn’t be shown, the directors needed to put SOMETHING on his fake headstone at the end of Winter Soldier. Remembering a certain Bible verse made famous by Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction, their problem was solved.
The Winter Soldier
Everyone knows that Marvel loves to keep their secrets - but apparently, that includes the actors, too. Sebastian Stan was probably a bit confused when he was told that he’d be appearing in The Winter Soldier, but had signed on for nine film appearances after the First Avenger. It wasn’t until the sequel was announced as The Winter Soldier that he realized he would be playing the villain of the movie, paving the way for an even bigger role in the MCU.
Cap’s Shield
Director Joe Johnston first brought Cap to the big screen, but he made sure to do some spy work in a local comic book store during pre-production. When he asked the clerk what was most important to get right about the hero, the man claimed it was the shield, certain that a movie would upgrade it with guns or electrical attacks instead of keeping it simple. As a joke, Johnston included those exact versions for Cap to choose from, hoping the fans would be groaning and rolling their eyes before Cap spotted his classic weapon hiding underneath the table.
