Four brilliant actors have portrayed different iterations of Captain America in the live-action and animated storylines of the MCU. Captain America was one of Marvel Comics' original superheroes, with Steve Rogers being introduced as a World War II hero in 1940's Captain America Comics #1. Originally a frail and scrawny citizen, Steve Rogers became Captain America after being enhanced with an experimental super-soldier serum, enhancing all of his physical attributes to forge him into a peak human specimen. This storyline unfolded in Marvel Studios' Captain America: The First Avenger in Phase 1, bringing the star-spangled man-with-a-plan into the live-action MCU.

While several actors have portrayed Captain America in live-action and animation, dating back to 1944's 15-part Captain America serial, which starred Dick Purcell, only four actors have played the patriotic superhero in the MCU. After debuting in the MCU in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers became a cornerstone of the franchise, appearing in at least one project every year before his retirement in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Since then, two more live-action versions of Captain America have appeared, while several animated variants have appeared in What If...? and X-Men '97, continuing the Captain America legacy in the MCU.

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Captain America's 11 MCU Appearances Ranked

As a core and founding member of The Avengers, Stever Rogers, aka Captain America, has had a number of starring and cameo appearances in the MCU.

Chris Evans

Chris Evans Played Steve Rogers’ Captain America In The MCU’s Infinity Saga

Chris Evans debuted as Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, and is still the longest-running actor to portray a version of Captain America in the MCU. Steve Rogers became the original Captain America after being enhanced by Dr. Abraham Erskine's super-soldier serum during World War II. As Captain America, Rogers fought the Red Skull before sacrificing his own life to spare the lives of millions more, though he woke up almost seven decades later to continue his fight. In the modern era, Steve Rogers' Captain America became a founding member and de facto leader of the MCU's Avengers.

Chris Evans appeared in a total of eleven MCU feature films as Steve Rogers' Captain America, making the hero a regular fixture during the MCU's Infinity Saga. Avengers: Endgame saw him pass the Captain America shield and mantle onto a successor, however, choosing to retire in the past with Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter instead of continuing his superhero journey. Despite his departure, Chris Evans has been speculated to be returning to the MCU as Steve Rogers' Captain America, perhaps in Phase 6's Avengers: Secret Wars, which could see him team up with any number of the MCU's other Captain Americas.

Captain America: The First Avenger

PG-13

Superhero

Action

Adventure

Science Fiction

Director

Joe Johnston

Release Date

July 22, 2011

Runtime

124 Minutes

Wyatt Russell

Wyatt Russell Played John Walker’s Captain America In The Falcon & The Winter Soldier

While Steve Rogers passed the Captain America shield and mantle on to Sam Wilson in Avengers: Endgame, it was Wyatt Russell's John Walker who became the MCU's next Captain America. A former football star at Custer's Grove High School, John Walker went on to become a highly-decorated United States Army Captain. John Walker became the first person in history to receive the Medal of Honor three times, fought in Operation Enduring Freedom alongside his best friend and heroic sidekick Lamar Hoskins' Battlestar, commanded high-level counter-terrorism and hostage rescue operations, and studied at MIT, displaying his higher-than-average speed, endurance, and intelligence.

While John Walker may have had the qualifications fit for taking over from Steve Rogers as Captain America, the new star-spangled man felt inadequate when in battle with Karli Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers. This led to him ingesting Wilfred Nagel's experimental super-soldier serum, but this destabilized his mental state even further. After Lamar Hoskins' tragic death, Walker used the Captain America shield to brutally murder a Flag Smasher in broad daylight, which led to him being stripped of his title, though this creates the opportunity for him to be recruited as the morally-gray US Agent by the mysterious Valentina.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Drama

Action

Superhero

Release Date

March 19, 2021

Streaming Service(s)

Disney+

Showrunner

Kari Skogland

Anthony Mackie

Anthony Mackie Plays Sam Wilson, The MCU’s Current Captain America

After John Walker's brief stint as Captain America in 2021's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson finally decided to embrace the position that had been gifted to him by Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame. Sam Wilson originally started his MCU career as the Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and his dedication to his superheroism and close bond with Steve Rogers made him the clear choice to take over the role of Captain America. Despite this choice, Wilson was understandably hesitant to wear the Stars and Stripes as a Black man in modern day America.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's intense finale saw Sam Wilson finally embrace his position as the MCU's new Captain America, kitted out with a vibranium superhero costume designed in Wakanda. Despite sporting this new look in the MCU's Phase 4, Sam Wilson will receive a new Captain America costume in Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World, set to release in February 2025, and mark Sam Wilson's big-screen debut as the star-spangled man-with-a-plan. This will give Sam Wilson the opportunity to rebuild the Avengers under the supervision of new United States President, Thaddeus Ross, while battling the sinister Leader.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

PG-13

Superhero

Action

Sci-Fi

Thriller

Director

Joe Russo , Anthony Russo

Release Date

April 4, 2014

Runtime

136 minutes

Josh Keaton

Josh Keaton Has Voiced Many Different Versions Of Steve Rogers’ Captain America

With Sam Wilson developing his story as the MCU's live-action Captain America, Josh Keaton voices the superhero in Marvel Studios' animated media. Originally, Keaton debuted as Steve Rogers in the premiere episode of 2021's What If...? season 1, which focused on a timeline where Peggy Carter became the world's first super soldier instead of Steve Rogers. Keaton's Rogers went on to become the HYDRA Stomper alongside Captain Carter, and Keaton reprised the role in "What If... Ultron Won?," "What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?," "What If... Captain Carter Fought the HYDRA Stomper?," and "What If... the Avengers Assembled in 1602?."

As well as voicing different versions of Steve Rogers' Captain America in What If...?, set in the multiverse of the MCU, Josh Keaton also voiced Captain America in Marvel Studios Animation's X-Men '97. Set outside the MCU's main continuity, X-Men '97 episode 7, "Bright Eyes," saw Captain America intercept X-Men member Rogue during her search for Henry Gyrich and Bolivar Trask in the wake of Gambit's emotional demise. This has been the most recent appearance of Captain America in any Marvel Studios project, though he will return to live-action in 2025, and have a crucial role in the MCU's future.

What If...?

Superhero

Animation

Action

Adventure

Release Date

August 11, 2021

Streaming Service(s)

Disney Plus

Showrunner

Ashley Bradley