Captain America : The Winter Soldieris easy the MCU ’s most symbolical celluloid . As Steve Rogers begins to steady down into a new America , he is launch into governmental confederacy , covert assassinations , and fantastic representations of scarily actual - world history . However , the film pass on out a critical scene that subtly correct the tone for Steve ’s case electric arc throughoutTheWinter Soldierand his relationship with the United States . Fortunately , Marvel Comics did not .

Captain America : The Winter Soldier Prelude – writtenby Peter David , with fine art by Daniel Govar and Rock - He Kim – is set betweenThe AvengersandWinter Soldier . In the tale , a annihilating bioweapon develop by SHIELD has been captured by a domestic terrorist cell .

Soon , the criminals are intercept by Brock Rumlow , before his apostasy to Hydra , and Captain America , now donninghis SHIELD - go forth stealth suitand shield . As Cap struggle the terrorist , the edges of his new shield begin to chip , revealing his original shield has been paint over . While a small detail , it sets up Steve ’s shift throughoutThe Winter Soldier .

Captain America with his evil counterpart, Hydra Cap, behind him.

Captain America Painted Over His Shield’s Colors For ‘The Winter Soldier’

Steve Rogers' Entire Journey is Encapsulated By His ‘Stealth’ Shield Colors

InCaptain America : The Winter Soldier , Steve Rogers has just save New York Cityfrom the Chitauri invasion , in conclusion give up himself some fourth dimension to process being a man out of time;the United States , both culturally and functionally , is not the same country that Rogers produce up in . His uncomfortableness with the mod Earth is n’t just about the young applied science and strange pa polish , but principally because of the advanced DoS of governing . In the 1930s and ‘ XL , America was a childlike nation with a simple-minded , easily defined , extraneous enemy . However , Steve never saw what America did after the war .

Grant Rogers aka Hydra Cap aka ' Evil Captain America ' has n’t been interesting since Secret Empire , but now , Marvel Comics is finally doing him right .

In the real world , the United States muster in and pardoned G of Nazi scientist to utilise their horrific research for “ good ” and to strip the Russians of “ worthful plus . ” In the MCU , SHIELD similarly acted with Hydra scientist , like Armon Zola , thus introducing a festering ejaculate that would inevitably flower into a full - scaleHydra takeover of SHIELDand the US government . In the modern eld , SHIELD has woven its direction throughout the official US government , changing the profound nature of Steve Rogers ’s Robert William Service . Captain America , while still being made America ’s bill boy , no longer service his country ; he serves SHIELD .

Sam Wilson from Captain America: Brave New World in front of the Falcon and Steve Rogers

Cap’s Shield Colors Represent His Relationship With America

SHIELD No Longer Embodied Historic American Ideals

Captain America ’s appearance , like the US fleur-de-lis , conduct a dandy deal of symbolic significance . The red , white-hot , and blue represent valor , purity , and perseverance of justice against the world ’s drab forces . These are the ideals on which Cap ’s nationalism is built and a show of his unbendable commitment to America ’s center dogma , but this is not the casing for SHIELD . In theWinter Soldiercomic , Steve ’s red , lily-white , and blue shell has n’t been temporarily substitute with a stealth model , the colors have been designedly covered up;Captain America quite literally covers the ultimate symbol of repose and patriotism .

As a living symbol , Cap too is now blanketed with black colors and cold steel ; he ’s become a symbolisation of utilitarianism .

Cap ’s shield is a proclamation of who he is as a person . If you ’re a “ upright guy , ” it ’s a symbol of Leslie Townes Hope . If you ’re a “ unfit guy , ” it ’s a hope of moment . But by painting his shield with SHIELD ’s dull colors , Steve is visually distancing himself from his historically overt patriotism to comprehend the covert and close nature of the modern signifier of government . As a be symbol , Cap too is now blanketed with darker color and moth-eaten steel ; he ’s become a symbol of utilitarianism . The world is no longer black-market and white to Steve , just frigid and unfriendly grays .

5 Ways Captain America 4 Can Save the MCU

SHIELD Transformed America Into A Utilitarian State In “Winter Soldier”

Steve Rogers Quickly Distrusted Modern America

All that said , there ’s something far cracking , and far more dispiriting , about this comedian ’s representation ofCaptain America ’s shield . It ’s not just that Cap ’s color scheme has switch , but instead that it ’s been done so with a cheap veneer of trashy rouge . In the 80 + years since Steve go submersed , the indestructible foundations of American noble-mindedness have been literally painted over with the face of a new power . SHIELD , like the blusher , is a disingenuous and artificial symbol of “ peace”that leveraged the achiever of the late coevals to establish something weak on top of it .

Fans of the MCU ’s Sam Wilson do n’t make out that the new Captain America has a truly unique power in the cartoon strip - and that he still uses it .

Throughout this comic andThe Winter Soldierfilm , Captain America is already coming to terminal figure with the state of modern America . As the paint chip , he ’s growing more cognizant that what he serves now does n’t align with what he defend for before . This belief is what underscores the entireness of the MCU film . As Cap begins to see the depravation that consume the government , he is eventually label a domesticated terrorist himself for behave against the raw “ American ideals . ”Under SHIELD ’s lookout man , the US has justified the forfeiture of personal exemption , liberty , and ethical responsibility to establish force pre-emptive purchase order .

Steve Rogers Heads into Battle and Bucky Barnes Wears his Mask in Captain America The Winter Soldier

Custom Image by Nicolas Ayala

How Did The MCU Leave Out A Scene of Steve Re-Painting His Shield?

Marvel Studios Had Already Planned to Do It

From a storytelling perspective , this comedian ’s plot exceptionally foreshadows Captain America ’s eventual separation from the US politics and SHIELD . As the flimsy coating peels off , the more the veil that SHIELD has put up begins to fade . With every fighting , Steve experience the true colors of the tycoon he now serve . In the film , we learn that the government agency was overthrown bya Hydra - conduct coup , proving that SHIELD had only ever been a facade . Yet , just as the rouge blow over to discover the original red , blanched , and grim , Cap reaffirm his devotion to his original nonesuch .

Even if it means facing his own government , Steve Rogers was chosen to becomeCaptain Americafor his self-sacrifice and his passionate pedestal against roughneck . Over forty old age after his struggle against Hydra and authoritarianism had stop , the United States and SHIELD have become the world ’s young bullies . By the time Steve finally faces Bucky in the flick , his buckler has returned to its original state . While it continues to be engulfed in soot and cabbage , the reddened , white , and drab persevere .

Truly , the MCU give the axe a perfect but subtle item that enforces the function of optic formula to show the reader / viewer the film ’s core subject .

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers - Official Captain America 2 Photo (SHIELD)

By employ such a simple ocular element , this comic ’s artists plant up the foundation forCaptain America ’s current psycheand geographic expedition throughout the film , without saying a word . What ’s odd is thatthis was the film ’s original pick too – as run across in lot photos and promotional posters forThe Winter Soldier , the SHIELD coloring on Cap ’s shell is unclothe off too . Truly , the MCU dismissed a perfect but subtle detail that enforces the purpose of ocular expression to show the reader / viewer the film ’s nub theme . The SHIELD paint is n’t an aesthetic option , it’sCaptain America’sideological state of war within himself .

Captain America’s stealth shield from The Winter Soldier

Captain America Face and Shield in Alex Ross Comic Cover Art

Comics

Captain America