10 Captain America Movie Quotes That Aged Poorly
Summary
- Captain America has delivered iconic movie quotes, some of which have aged poorly due to societal shifts or character inconsistencies.
- Not all of Cap's memorable lines withstand the test of time, such as his jokey comments about Hitler or body image issues.
- While some quotes were initially funny or heroic, they now come across as tone-deaf or out of touch with modern sensibilities.
Though Captain America is undoubtedly one of the MCU's greatest heroes, his time in the franchise has seen several quotes that have aged poorly. From the moment of his introduction into the franchise in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers’ Captain America quickly became one of the best heroes in the movies of the MCU. His role as a founding Avenger and a role model for countless other characters helped him stand out as one of the franchise’s most influential figures.
As such an integral part of the Infinity Saga, Captain America was featured in a number of iconic moments that saw him deliver memorable quotes. Unfortunately, as the MCU’s movie timeline has continued onward, there are many such lines that haven’t aged particularly well, whether due to societal shifts or in-universe reasons. With that in mind, here are 10 Captain America movie quotes that have aged poorly.
10 “I Am Steve Rogers!” Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Avengers: Infinity War brought one of the most ambitious cinematic crossover events to life on the big screen, with the many heroes of the MCU finally coming together to face Thanos. This involved many heroes meeting one another for the first time, including Captain America and Groot of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Introducing himself with his standard line of “I am Groot,”, Cap responds with a dumbfounded “I am Steve Rogers.”
The line is clearly intended to be comedic, but considering all audiences have learned about Groot’s method of communication, the response is likely all but unintelligible to Groot himself. It’s also simply not funny, especially considering the number of similar jokes involving Groot that have been written into the franchise. Over time, it’s gotten far less entertaining, and therefore has aged rather poorly.
9 “Last Time I Was In Germany…” The Avengers (2012) 2012’s The Avengers was a landmark title in the MCU, as it was the first time that Marvel’s heroes formed the iconic team in live-action. Shortly after the team’s initial assembly, they are sent to Germany to apprehend Loki, who has declared his intention to enslave humanity. As he arrives, Captain America quips that “the last time I was in Germany, I saw a man standing above everyone else. We ended up disagreeing.” Though it is potentially referring to the Red Skull, it seems to more obviously imply a connection to Adolf Hitler.
Though Captain America’s MCU story has included many heroic moments, facing off with Hitler during World War II was not among them. While he did encounter the Red Skull, he wasn’t standing above others in a way that could be likened to Loki. Heroic though it may sound, the line makes less and less sense as time goes on.
8 “Not My Future!” Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) Despite the Red Skull being Captain America’s nemesis, the pair only faced off once in the MCU during the climax of 2011’s The First Avenger. Their showdown involved an interaction that outlined their differences as well as their similarities, with one particularly telling line seeing the villain envision a “future with no flags”. Cap’s quick response is as simple as it is defiant: “not my future”.
The line hasn’t aged particularly well, as it jars with Steve's ability to put people over flags and governments, and subtly highlights how much Cap thrives on war and conflict. Especially considering that his narrative arc ends with him understanding the necessity of personal peace, his steadfast refusal to consider the prospect of a united world feels decidedly off. The line itself is far from problematic, but the deeper implications in relation to Cap’s character and political subtext has become a little wide of the mark in hindsight.
7 “I Had A Big Breakfast.” Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) The interactions between Captain America and other MCU heroes provided some of the funniest moments in the Infinity Saga. Steve Rogers’ status as a man out of time lent itself well to generational comedy, as well as references to the culture clash he experiences after waking from the ice. However, one interaction with Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier sees the young hero comment on how heavy Cap is, to which the Star-Spangled Man replies that he “had a big breakfast”.
The line is a strange joke, as it makes Cap seem somewhat insecure about his weight. Having a hero of such stature deliver such an unnecessary and uncharacteristic retort to a relatively inane comment is harmless, but it’s still odd. Particularly considering continued conversations around body image issues caused by Hollywood’s standards, the quote really hasn’t aged well at all.
6 “That Is America’s Ass.” Avengers: Endgame (2019) The ending of Avengers: Endgame sees Captain America use time travel to achieve his happy ending, but his earlier use of the technology saw him face off against himself in a battle while pursuing the Infinity Stones. After a comment made by Tony Stark about the way Captain America’s assets look in his costume, Scott Lang chimes in with a supportive and patriotic affirmation. After defeating his younger self in a fight, Cap takes a moment to admire himself before declaring “that is America’s ass.”
Funny though the moment may have seemed at the time, it has grown steadily less amusing as time has passed. The joke itself no longer seems funny but rather seems childish, particularly as the sort of self-examination isn’t really Cap’s style. It’s an odd and pointless moment that once seemed funny, but has since come to feel more like a transparent and needless attempt at crass humor.
5 “I’ve Knocked Out Adolf Hitler Over 200 Times.” Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) As The First Avenger was Captain America’s big MCU debut, it’s hardly surprising that a handful of quotes have aged poorly. The film’s World War II setting combined with its early place in the MCU timeline have made for several lines that aren’t as good on reflection. One such line sees a rescued prisoner ask Cap if he knows what he’s doing, to which he replies that he has “punched Adolf Hitler in the face over 200 times”, referring to his USO show.
The line has aged poorly from two perspectives. The first is the freed prisoner asking his rescuer – who has single-handedly infiltrated a Hydra base – if he knows what he’s doing being entirely nonsensical. The second is Cap’s assertion that repeatedly pretending to punch an actor dressed as Hitler could be considered a comfort to the soldiers he’s leading. Whichever way the line is examined, it simply seems much too silly to be truly funny.
4 “Language!” Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015) Avengers: Age of Ultron has always been one of the more controversial entries into the MCU. The franchise’s second team-up movie came with massive expectations, and many considered it a weaker offering than its predecessor, despite many sound action sequences and memorable moments of comedic levity. One such moment that is often referenced comes after Tony Stark curses during a battle, to which Steve Rogers chastises him by chiding: “Language!”
The running joke that Captain America’s old-fashioned values make him something of a parent to the other Avengers once seemed funny, but soon became overplayed. At the time of release, the line was an amusing examination of Cap’s difficulty adjusting to modern sensibilities, but somewhere along the line it lost its comedic sheen. Rather than still being funny, the line simply feels flat years on, proving that its comedy couldn’t stand the test of time.
3 “I Joined The Army.” Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) Shortly after referencing his USO show experience, Captain America finds and rescues his old friend, Bucky Barnes. Upon seeing his transformed friend, Bucky is astounded, and asks Steve what happened to him. Instead of explaining the super soldier serum and its effects, Cap tells his friend that he “joined the army”, in a moment that feels as deeply jingoistic as the character’s original roots.
Even if the line is considered an homage to the character’s patriotic origins, it still hasn’t aged well. The nonchalant assertion that military service could completely transform a person into an unrecognizable version of themselves touches on an incredibly sensitive subject that is widely considered a politically polarizing idea. Regardless of individual opinions on the matter, the line is needlessly distracting from the essence of both the character and the scene, and therefore hasn’t aged well.
2 “You Get Killed… Walk It Off.” Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015) As one of the founding Avengers, Cap’s place within the team is one of leadership and inspiration. His speech before the Battle of Sokovia cements him as a leader within the team, although there is one particular quote that has lost its inspirational edge since its delivery. While preparing the Avengers for battle, he states: “if you get hurt, hurt them back. If you get killed, walk it off.”
Considering that shortly after, Quicksilver gives his life to save others, and subsequent Avengers movies saw many more heroes die, the line feels decidedly callous and naive upon rewatching Age of Ultron. Seeing Captain America process the grief of losing multiple friends and allies in the scenes and movies that followed robs the line of any authority, making it seem more insensitive than inspiring when watched with the character’s overall story in mind.
1 “I Know Guys With None Of That Worth Ten Of You.” The Avengers (2012) In comparison to many of his MCU contemporaries, Captain America has some of the best instincts in the franchise. Upon meeting his fellow Avengers, however, his appraisal of Tony Stark was less than flattering, and the resulting altercation has become one of the franchise’s most iconic moments. After Stark explains that he’s a “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” without his suit, Steve Rogers insists he knows “guys with none of that worth ten of [Stark]”. He goes on to assert that Stark isn’t the selfless sort, and that he would never sacrifice himself for others.
After Iron Man’s MCU story ends with him sacrificing his life to save countless others, Cap is proved to have been completely wrong. Considering the weight of Stark’s personal sacrifice for the greater good, Captain America’s initial assessment of his fellow hero was clearly way off base. As a result, the line has perhaps the Captain America quote that has aged the worst in his entire MCU history.
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