Join the journey through the iconic Captain America costumes from the MCU, showcasing their evolution and cultural influence. This is Behind the Seems.
Welcome to my new series, Behind the Seems! In this series, I will explore the meanings and evolutions behind some of the most iconic costumes that appear on the big screen. Costumes play a vital role in film. They can be a form of self-expression, a depiction of a situation, a representation of emotion, and much more. Costumes can and often are vital to the narrative and the characters that wear them. Beyond this, film costumes can even influence fashion.
Captain America
To kick off the series, I will be delving into the evolution of the Captain America costumes throughout the MCU. From Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) to Captain America: Brave New World (2025). The Captain America costume was iconic long before the MCU; the bright blue, red, and white superhero costume is perhaps the most recognizable Marvel look.
When bringing the costume to life in the MCU, costume designers had to look at how best to transition this bold costume into a functional suit. They had perimeters to stick within and the tone and style of the early MCU set with Iron Man (2008).
Captain America – Phase One
Steve Rodgers (Chris Evans) undergoes several transformations in his first MCU appearance, which meant he has several looks. His first Captain America Suit is more of a costume than a factional battle suit; after taking the super serum, Rodgers is used as a symbol for his nation rather than fighting on the frontline. This costume is, therefore, exaggerated, featuring bold colors, the iconic wings sticking out from a thick mask, and a breakable shield. It’s a costume perfect for propaganda.
As the film progresses, Steve requires a mission look, which requires a more practical yet patriotic look. A brown jacket covers the primary costume, but two elements stand out. The useless mask is replaced by a metal helmet, still in patriotic blue, featuring an A symbol. In WWII, soldiers often had identifiable symbols painted on their helmets. So, adding the A and the wings to Rodger’s helmet matches the costume brief and is historically accurate. He also uses the now iconic circular Vibranium shield, which straps to his back.
Moving into Avengers: Assemble (2012), Rodgers has not long been off ice, which is reflected in the costume. Rodgers is not yet a modern man, and his costume reflects this. However, it is now more fight-ready with a head-incorporated helmet, face covering, and a more durable fabric overall. It remains bright, boldly patriotic – a symbol of the American Flag.
Captain America – Phase Two
As we move into Phase Two, there is a fundamental shift in the Captain America costumes. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), we see Rodgers stepping away from the red, white, and blue. Instead, his suit takes on a battle-ready look. The deep, solid blue of the costume is necessary for Cap as he undertakes stealth and black ops missions. He is no longer a figurehead for patriotism. He is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., just as he believed in the war effort and arms himself with a suit that aided this. Now, he believes in Shield, and his suit reflects that. The suit still features the central star and the A on the helmet but is now joined by brown straps holding the circular shield on his back.
The move away from S.H.I.E.L.D at the end of Winter Soldier entails another costume alteration for Rodgers in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), which sees the red and white return in a bold way. But he keeps the more tactical look to the suit. This suit feels like the ultimate suit. It’s both practical, modern, and patriotic.
Captain America – Phase Three
We also get a few more changes in Captain America: Civil War (2016). Rodgers’s suit reflects the ongoing internal struggles among the Avengers. The additional red embellishments around the star featured in Age of Ultron are gone, and the stripes have been toned down to fit into the more grounded tone of the narrative. There is also a change of fabric. Rodgers is no longer facing enemies but allies, and he knows what those allies are capable of. So he has adopted a fabric reminiscent of chainmail—giving him that tougher external amour.
Infinity War
The most significant evolution in Rodgers’s suit is revealed when Cap arrives to assist Wanda and Vision in Avengers: Infinity War (2018). Rodgers has been on the run for a year or so, and his suit reflects his fugitive status. The star has been pulled from his suit; this is the only time that Rodgers does not wear the star, a clear indicator of his disillusionment with his country and everything he had stood for. The suit is grubby, dulled in its colors, and he lacks the shield. It’s a real turning point, and Cap’s inner turmoil is reflected in this suit.
Moving into Avengers: Endgame (2019), we get the ultimate Captain America costume: the shield is back, as is the star, the red and white are back, and the scaled chainmail look of the suit is bolder. This final costume worn by Rodgers is bold as he takes his place as leader of the Avengers and calls them to ‘assemble.’ This is the look we will remember. This is Rodgers’ pinnacle, and the suit embodies that.
Captain America – Phase Four
With Rodgers stepping away from the Captain America role and handing the mantel to Sam Wilson at the end of phase four, the costume continues to evolve—this time to fit a new personality. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), John Walker takes a shot as Captain America before the costume team can get to work on Sam. His suit is visually unique; the star is situated on the right, incorporated across the suit, and the shield shoulder strap, no white features at the red stripes, is positioned vertically. This is a noticeable departure from the typical yet ever-changing suits worn by Rodgers; the symbolism could not be more apparent. Walker is not worthy to be Captain America.
Thankfully, Walker only wore the suit several times before Wilson officially accepted the task Rodgers had left him. Wilson’s suits are fascinating; unlike Rodgers at the start of the MCU, Wilson is not a ‘Man out of Time.’ Wilson has been a part of the Avengers for several years, with his own Falcon identity. So when creating his suit, the designers needed to incorporate Rodgers’s style – to highlight Wilson as worthy of the title, unlike Walker to update the suit and evolve it into a combined Cap and Falcon suit. We’ve seen Wilson wear two suits. A blue suit that is highly similar to Rodgers’s suits, the star in the middle and the stripes below, in place of the straps to hold the shield, are Wilson’s wings.
The Winged Avenger
Wilson’s White suit is perhaps the most bold. This costume still features the central star with silver wings on either side, but rather than a blue background, it’s white; the wings in this suit are also red, white, and blue. It’s a new bold suit for a new Captain America. I have no doubt that the suit will have evolved further the next time we see Captain America.
I hope you’ve liked the first installment of Behind the Seems. Coming up next is Snow White!
Darcie Gray is the Fashion Editor of The Future of the Force. Aside from being a passionate Star Wars fan, she loves every genre of movies and she channels her passion for film into her personal blog Just Another Film Blog. Follow her on Twitter where she shares her love of film regularly.
