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Not a Perfect Soldier, but a Good Man
The evolution of Captain America from propaganda to genuine hero
Since their emergence in the early 1900s, comics have been constantly evolving to appeal to readers, and within their pages, the very idea of what constitutes a hero has changed as well.
As an overtly patriotic symbol, Captain America represents the spirit of the country more than any other superhero. It stands to reason that his characterization has undergone extreme changes since his introduction in the 1940s.
For most of his existence, Captain America was considered a B-list superhero, not as important a character as, say, the X-Men or the Fantastic Four. Today, he is one of Marvel’s most widely known superheroes because of the massive success of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The newest addition to the MCU is in fact the fourth Captain America film, though it will be the first not featuring Steve Rogers as the titular hero. Instead, the infamous shield will be on the arm of Sam Wilson, Steve’s appointed successor and, notably, a black man.
The passing of the mantle from Rogers to Wilson has caused quite a stir within the film and in the real world. Both American publics, fictional and actual, are forced to reckon with uncomfortable questions about what it means to be a hero, a patriot, or both, in America…
