Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (also known as Captain America 2) is an American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Captain America, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is intended to be the sequel to 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger and the ninth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Anthony and Joe Russo directed the screenplay, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, which stars Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Georges St-Pierre, Samuel L. Jackson, and Robert Redford. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America and the Black Widow join forces to stop a covert enemy that is hiding in Washington D.C.

Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who wrote Captain America: The First Avenger, stated before that film's release that they were working on a sequel and in June 2012, Anthony and Joe Russo entered negotiations to direct. The following month, casting of the supporting roles began with the additions of Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan. Principal photography commenced in April 2013 in Los Angeles, California with filming scheduled to continue in Cleveland, Ohio and Washington, D.C. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was released on April 4, 2014 in 2D and 3D.

Premise
Two years after the events of The Avengers, Steve Rogers resides peacefully in Washington, D.C., struggling to adapt to contemporary society. However, after a S.H.I.E.L.D. compatriot is assailed, Steve becomes entangled in a mystery that may endanger the globe. Together with Natasha Romanoff, Captain America attempts to uncover the growing machination while fending off hired hit men. When the entire scheme is discovered, Captain America and the Black Widow must recruit the aid of the Falcon and soon encounter an unanticipated and powerful adversary — the Winter Soldier.

Cast

 * Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America:
 * A World War II veteran who was enhanced to the peak of human physicality by an experimental serum, frozen in suspended animation, and is now struggling to adjust to the modern world. Producer Kevin Feige said that Rogers reluctantly remains with S.H.I.E.L.D. after the events of The Avengers "because he has nowhere else to go... Things were black and white back then [in World War II], and now it’s hard to know who the bad guys are. We wanted to play on that a little with Cap being uncomfortable with the way S.H.I.E.L.D., and in particular Nick Fury, operates." Describing his character's adjustment to the modern world, Evans said, "It’s not so much about his shock with [technology]... It’s more about the societal differences. He’s gone from the ’40s to today; he comes from a world where people were a little more trusting, the threats not as deep. Now, it’s harder to tell who’s right and wrong. Actions you take to protect people from threats could compromise liberties and privacy. That’s tough for Steve to swallow."


 * Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow:
 * A highly trained spy working for S.H.I.E.L.D., who partners with Rogers. Screenwriter Christopher Markus said that Black Widow was a "great contrast" to Captain America, describing her as "incredibly modern, not very reverent, and just very straightforward whereas Steve is, you know a man from the 40s. He’s not a boy scout, but he is reserved and has a moral center, whereas her moral center moves." When asked about Natasha's relationship with Steve, Johansson said "Their working relationship becomes a more intimate friendship. They have some unexpected similarities – they both have their guard up, they have trust issues, and they've also both been working for 'the man' for their entire career. Through this unexpected friendship that forms, they both start to question what they want."


 * Sebastian Stan as James "Bucky" Barnes / Winter Soldier:
 * Steve Rogers' best friend, who is turned into a brainwashed assassin. Kevin Feige stated that Bucky's role in the film will adhere closely to Ed Brubaker's Winter Soldier storyline in the comics. To prepare for the role, Stan endured five months of physical training and did historical research. "I dove into the whole cold war thing," said Stan. "I looked at the KGB. I looked at all kinds of spy movies, and all kinds of documentaries about that time, and what it was about. I grabbed anything from that time period. Anything about brainwashing."


 * Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon:
 * A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with the ability to fly and speak telepathically with birds. About the role, Mackie said "I'm playing the Falcon. He's this guy in Harlem who moved to California and became a drug dealer. His plane crashed, and he was genetically altered, he can fly, and has telepathic powers. He's the first African-American superhero. It makes me feel all the work I've done has been paying off. I have a son, nephews and nieces, and I love the idea that they can dress up as the Falcon on Halloween. They now have someone they can idolize. That's a huge honor for me." Mackie stated that Marvel did not let him read a script before signing on, and that he would spend five months doing two-a-day workouts and eating an 11,000 calorie per day diet to get into shape for the role. Mackie also revealed that Wilson is "a really smart guy who went through major military training and becomes a tactical leader."


 * Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill:
 * Agent Maria Hill proved her worth and her loyalty to both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury during the events in New York with The Avengers. When she is called to come to Fury’s aid, Hill is drawn into the wide-ranging conspiracy unfolding in Washington, D.C. that has completely entangled both him and Steve Rogers.


 * Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow / Crossbones:
 * A highly trained operative on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s counter-terrorism S.T.R.I.K.E team, Rumlow is an excellent soldier and often battles side-by-side with Captain America, for whom he has great respect.


 * Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter / Agent 13:
 * A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Steve Rogers' neighbor, who initially goes by the name of "Kate". VanCamp says her character takes an "interesting turn" as the plot develops and that this movie is "just the beginning for the character." About her casting, Joe Russo said, "We wanted someone that Cap would have an immediate interest in. It had to be a strong-willed person, and we felt that Emily’s work on Revenge was a great test tube for what this character could be. She’s obviously very credible with physicality, she holds the screen really well, and she even looks like the character from the books."


 * Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter:
 * An officer with the Strategic Scientific Reserve and former love interest of Captain America.


 * Georges St-Pierre as Georges Batroc:
 * A mercenary and a master of the French form of kickboxing known as savate St-Pierre, a UFC welterweight champion, elaborated, "My character is a French mercenary, speaks French, a martial arts expert of savate, [and an] Olympic lifting champion. [He is] a little bit like a guy who can jump really high and stuff... he's called a leaper. The character fit me well."


 * Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce:
 * A senior leader within S.H.I.E.L.D. and a member of the World Security Council. He is also an old comrade of Nick Fury. Redford was cast in part as a homage to his roles in 1970s thrillers such as Three Days of the Condor.


 * Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury:
 * The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Regarding Fury's questionable code of ethics, Jackson said, "Almost everything that comes out of Nick Fury’s mouth is a lie in some sense. He has to ask, is he even lying to himself, too? He has a very good idea of what’s going on but his paranoia keeps him from believing some of it." Jackson added, "You see Nick Fury the office guy, him going about the day-to-day work of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the politics as opposed to that other stuff. It's great to have him dealing with Captain America in terms of being able to speak to him soldier to soldier and try to explain to him how the world has changed in another way while he was frozen in time. Some of the people who used to be our enemies are now our allies — him trying to figure out, 'Well, how do we trust those guys?' or 'How do we trust the guys that you didn't trust who don't trust you?' And explaining to him that the black and white of good guys/bad guys has now turned into this gray area."

Additionally, Toby Jones, Maximiliano Hernández, Dominic Cooper and Garry Shandling reprise their roles from previous films as Arnim Zola, Jasper Sitwell, Howard Stark and Senator Stern, respectively. Chin Han, Jenny Agutter (who previously appeared in The Avengers as a member of the World Security Council), Alan Dale and Bernard White have been cast as members of Pierce's S.H.I.E.L.D. team. Stan Lee will again make a cameo appearance. Thomas Kretschmann appears as Baron Strucker in a mid-credits scene alongside Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver.

Development
Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely said in April 2011 that they had begun writing a sequel for Marvel Studios. In a June 2011 interview, McFeely said, "The story will likely be in the present day. We're experimenting with flashback elements for more period World War II stuff. I can't say much more than that but we made it baggy enough to refer to more stories in the past". McFeely later explained that the first few months of writing were a back and forth process with Marvel, but that after an outline was finished later that year, the story didn't change much. In September 2011, Chris Evans said that a sequel may not be released until 2014. In January 2012, Neal McDonough, who played Dum Dum Dugan in Captain America: The First Avenger, mentioned that a sequel would likely be filmed after the completion of Thor: The Dark World, which would likely be before the end of 2012.

In March 2012, it was reported that Marvel whittled down a field of ten potential directors to three candidates; George Nolfi (The Adjustment Bureau), F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job), and brothers Anthony and Joseph Russo (Community) to helm the sequel. Walt Disney Studios announced the planned release of the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger on April 4, 2014. Disney stated, "The second installment will pick-up where … The Avengers leaves off, as Steve Rogers continues his affiliation with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. and struggles to embrace his role in the modern world." Later in April, it was reported that F. Gary Gray withdrew his name from consideration, choosing instead to direct the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton for New Line Cinema.

Pre-production
In June 2012, the Russo brothers entered negotiations to direct the sequel. It was also reported that Samuel L. Jackson would return as S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Nick Fury. At the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International, it was announced that the official title for the sequel is Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In July 2012, Anthony Mackie entered negotiations to star as Falcon alongside Chris Evans in the sequel. Sebastian Stan was also reported to be reprising his role as James Barnes. In August 2012, the New York Post reported that Anna Kendrick, Felicity Jones, and Imogen Poots were front-runners for a leading role in the film.

In September 2012, Chris Evans stated that filming would begin in March 2013. Evans also stated that Rogers' adjustment to the modern world, which was originally set to be included in The Avengers, would be better suited for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. At the end of the month, The Greater Cleveland Film Commission announced that Captain America: The Winter Soldier would film in Cleveland after the production was approved for a $9.5 million tax credit. It was also reported that portions of the film would be shot in California and Washington, D.C. In October, Deadline.com reported that Emilia Clarke, Jessica Brown Findlay, Teresa Palmer, Imogen Poots, and Alison Brie were being considered for Rogers' love interest in the film. It was also reported that Scarlett Johansson would be reprising her role as Black Widow in the film. A later report indicated that Mary Elizabeth Winstead was in the running for the female lead, and that Nikolaj Coster Waldau and Josh Holloway were being considered for roles in the film. However Winstead later said, "...that was kind of a rumor that I don't know where it came from". In late October, Frank Grillo was reported to be testing for the role of the villain Crossbones in the film. By the end of the month, Grillo closed a deal to portray the character and Cobie Smulders signed on to reprise her role as Maria Hill from The Avengers.

In January 2013, Hayley Atwell, who played Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger, said that she would not appear in the sequel. However Stanley Tucci, who played Dr. Abraham Erskine in the previous film, later said that Atwell would reappear in a flashback scene. Also in January, Marvel Studios announced that the film is to be released in 3D, and Anthony Mackie said filming would begin on April 1, 2013. Later that month, Toby Jones, who portrayed Arnim Zola in the first film, said that he would reprise the role in the sequel. At the end of the month, it was reported that stages were being built for a shoot at Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios in Los Angeles.

In February 2013, Emily VanCamp entered negotiations to play the female lead in the film. Later in the same month, producer Kevin Feige described the film as a political thriller. In March, Deadline.com reported that Maximiliano Hernández would reprise his role as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jasper Sitwell from Thor and The Avengers. A day later, the same site reported that Robert Redford was in talks to join the cast, as a high-ranking member of S.H.I.E.L.D. Redford confirmed that he would be appearing in the film, saying that he was interested in doing the film because it was different from his usual work. Toward the end of March, it was reported that UFC fighter Georges St-Pierre was cast as Batroc the Leaper in the film.

Filming
Principal photography began on April 1, 2013, at the Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios in Los Angeles, under the working title Freezer Burn. In early May, Dominic Cooper confirmed he would return as Howard Stark. On May 14, 2013, production moved to Washington, D.C. with filming taking place at the National Mall and the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. The following day, Garry Shandling was spotted on set reprising his Iron Man 2 role of Senator Stern. Other filming locations in Washington, D.C. included the Willard Hotel and Dupont Circle. Filming in Cleveland began on May 17 and was scheduled to last until mid-June with locations scheduled on the West Shoreway, the Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant in Cuyahoga Heights and the Lakeview Cemetery Dam. Cleveland was chosen as a stand-in for Washington, D.C. The city's East 6th Street doubled as 7th and D Streets in Southwest D.C. Filming also took place next to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, at the Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland State University and outside the Cleveland Arcade. Principal photography ended on June 27.

Post-production
According to Anthony Mackie, the Russo brothers relied on minimal use of computer-generated imagery. "The Russos, what they did that was so great was, they wanted to stay with live action, which is a dying art form," Mackie said. "If they can build it, they built it. If we could do it, we did it. They wanted to do as little CGI as possible. That's why the movie looks so great." Nevertheless, five special effects companies are involved in creating the visual effects of the film, including Industrial Light & Magic and Scanline VFX.

Music
In June 2013, Henry Jackman announced that he will compose the film's score.

Marketing
In July 2013, Marvel Studios released a teaser poster depicting a damaged and discolored Captain America shield. The Los Angeles Times said, "the image suggests that [Captain America] might see some serious battle in the sequel" while Rolling Stone said, "the image hints at darker themes in the sequel". Later that month, Marvel Studios head and producer Kevin Feige, directors Joe and Anthony Russo, and cast members Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Emily VanCamp, and Frank Grillo held a panel at 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International and presented footage from the film. In addition, Marvel had booths depicting a Smithsonian-type exhibit showing Captain America and the Howling Commandos from Captain America: The First Avenger. At the end of the month, audiences were shown a glimpse of the film along with some of Marvel's other Phase 2 slate of films at Disney XD's Disney Fandom event.

In August 2013, Kevin Feige, Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie presented a clip of the film at Disney's D23 Expo. In September 2013, it was reported that Marvel would once again partner with Harley-Davidson, continuing their relationship from Captain America: The First Avenger, with Captain America riding the company's Softail Breakout motorcycle in the film.

In October 2013, Marvel released the first trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The Hollywood Reporter said, "it looks like it'll live up to the 'political thriller' that's been promised for months now." The Los Angeles Times said, "[the] trailer runs 2½ minutes and teases plenty of action, conspiracy and clever banter between Captain America and his S.H.I.E.L.D. colleagues, with a smattering of the previously released Comic-Con International and D23 footage." The Los Angeles Times also noted that the day before the release of the trailer, the studio released "a teaser for a trailer."

Five minutes of the film was screened in front of the 3D version of Thor: The Dark World.

In a November 2013 interview with TV Guide, Jed Whedon, the co-creator of the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., stated that there are plans to reference events from the film into the show. "Nick Fury is in [Captain America: The Winter Soldier], and S.H.I.E.L.D. makes an appearance, so we will definitely try to tee-up some stuff and probably play a little bit of the fallout from that film," said Whedon.

In January 2014, Disney announced that in honor of the film, Captain America will be making appearances at Disneyland starting in Spring 2014. The first televised advertisement for Captain America: The Winter Soldier is scheduled to air during Super Bowl XLVIII. Disney paid over $4 million per 30-second spot. Also in January, Marvel Comics released a prelude digital comic titled, Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier Infinite Comic, written by Peter David, with art by Rock-He Kim. The comic introduces a mysterious weapon called the "Zodiac," which has fallen into the enemies hands.

Sequel
In January 2014, Variety reported that both Anthony and Joe Russo would return to direct a third installment, with Chris Evans returning as Captain America and Kevin Fiege producing. The re-hiring of the directors, three months before the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, came as a result from impressive test screenings with Marvel executives.

Trivia

 * Disney stated, "[The second installment] will pick-up where The Avengers leaves off, as Steve Rogers continues his affiliation with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. and struggles to embrace his role in the modern world."
 * In July 2012, Anthony Mackie entered negotiations to star as the Falcon alongside Chris Evans, while Sebastian Stan was also reported to be reprising his role as James "Bucky" Barnes.
 * Anna Kendrick, Felicity Jones, Imogen Poots, Teresa Palmer, Alison Brie, Emilia Clarke and Jessica Brown Findlay were considered to play the female lead but ultimately Emily VanCamp was cast as the female lead who is believed to be Sharon Carter. Jones would later be cast in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Jessica Brown Findlay later appeared in "Iron Man 3" as the film used footage of her from "Downton Abbey".
 * At the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International, it was announced that the official title for the sequel will be Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
 * In September 2012, Chris Evans stated that filming would begin in March 2013. Evans also stated that Rogers' adjustment to the modern world, which was originally set to be included in The Avengers, would be better suited for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
 * The working title for on-set was "Freezer Burn."
 * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kevin Durand and Josh Holloway screen tested for the lead villain role.
 * In February 2013, Emily VanCamp entered negotiations to play the female lead in the film. Later in the same month, producer Kevin Feige described the film as a political thriller.
 * In January 2013, Hayley Atwell, who played Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger, said that she will not appear in the sequel. However 'Stanley Tucci', who played Dr. Abraham Erskine in the previous film, later said that Atwell will reappear in a flashback scene. He also stated that he, as Erskine, will not be making an appearance.
 * Ed Brubaker was as surprised as the fans were when Marvel announced the title of 2014's Captain America sequel, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," which directly references Brubaker's work on the title and his biggest contribution to the Marvel Universe - the return of Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier. "It's definitely out of my hands," Brubaker says, laughing. "But no, I got to go out to Marvel Studios a couple months ago and read one of the later drafts of the script. I went out to dinner with directors Joe and Anthony Russo and talked about the project and gave them feedback on what I liked or didn't like or what parts didn't work. I mean, the script I read was [frick]ing fantastic. It was the best Marvel movie."
 * Marks the fourth time Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson have worked together, both starring in "The Perfect Score", "The Nanny Diaries" and "The Avengers" prior to filming.
 * Unlike the other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "The Winter Soldier" minimizes the use of visual effects as much as possible. Anthony Mackie, elaborated: "The Russos, what they did that was so great was, they wanted to stay with live action, which is a dying art form...If they could build it, they built it. If we could do it, we did it. They wanted to do as little CGI as possible. That's why the movie looks so great."
 * According to 'Chris Evans' Steve Rogers continues his adjustment to the modern world, which began in The Avengers: "It's not so much about his shock with technology... It's more about the societal differences. He's gone from the 1940s to today; he comes from a world where people were a little more trusting, the threats not as deep. Now, it's harder to tell who's right and wrong. Actions you take to protect people from threats could compromise liberties and privacy. That's tough for Steve to swallow."
 * Anthony Mackie was unhappy with the modern take on his costume as Falcon. He wanted the red spandex look from the comics. The costume he wears is from the Ultimate version of Falcon.
 * Marks the fourth time Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson have worked together, both starring in The Perfect Score, The Nanny Diaries and The Avengers prior to filming.
 * To prepare for the role of the Winter Solder, 'Sebastian Stan' went through five months of physical training and historical research: "I dove into the whole Cold War history: I looked at the KGB. I looked at all kinds of spy movies, and all kinds of documentaries about that time, and what it was about. I grabbed anything from that time period and anything about brainwashing."
 * Robert Redford was cast in part as a homage to his roles in 1970s thrillers like Three Days of the Condor.
 * Kevin Feige described the film as "a 1970s political thriller masquerading as a big superhero movie.
 * Georges St-Pierre, who plays Batroc the Leaper, is a UFC welterweight champion.
 * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kevin Durand and Josh Holloway screen-tested for the role of the Winter Soldier.
 * The Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) is able to match Captain America (Steve Rogers) move by move, even to the point of catching Rogers' shield. This foreshadows Barnes taking over as Captain America (which happened in the comics).
 * Alexander Pierce is based on his appearance in the Marvel Comics (a SHIELD agent), but incorporates Aleksander Lukin (an agent under the Winter Soldier, possessed by Arnim Zola in the film when it was the Red Skull in the comics)
 * Samuel L. Jackson describes Nick Fury as facing a crisis: "Almost everything that comes out of Nick Fury's mouth is a lie in some sense. He has to ask if he is even lying to himself?"