alias_sqbr

I'd also, then, point out that it's not all white American soldiers; that was one of the things that I had to make myself not twitch at, because the troops are shown as mixed-race and American soldiers were still segregated then.

I can see your point, and obviously, I really liked the film and you clearly didn't (I think knowing more Captain America story background helps), which is going to contribute in some ways anyway, but I don't think I can see a way to include civilians in a story set in WW2 Europe that's appropriate, whereas the way it was written, they were fighting to protect civilians, but civilians weren't shown endangered directly.

I didn't see his "final sacrifice" being even about resolving his narrative arc; this is his origin story, and I knew going in that he was going to end up in ice, and that he was going to be found again. Steve's story is still to come, in a lot of ways.

The premise is probably going to be difficult for you to enjoy, because there's central elements to Steve's story that were first written in about 1940. They've done a lot to moderate the central propagandist and racist elements, over the years, but it's a comic founded on the glorification of the military at a time when they were at war with the Third Reich. And it's a milieu in which, especially in origin stories, it's canonically important that Steve Rogers is a pure, golden hero amid whatever mess and grime he wades through.

You might find this post of meta interesting (or not) - it's kind of presenting a lot of the framework through which it has appeal to people who already love Cap.

Personally, one of the reasons I like him actually includes his cornball boy scoutyness - the best writers of Steve Rogers are the ones who have a hint, just a hint, that Steve knows he's a giant, giant dork and also that Steve does not care that he's a giant, giant dork, because if being A Good Guy means being dorky, then he will DORK OUT WITH PRIDE.

And if you show too much of the ugliness of the war, or the unpleasantness of the American soldiers to whom Cap has pledged allegiance, then that is likely to ruin the movie or else just degrade Cap's cleancut image.

This is part of why Steve/Tony too, of course, because Tony wants to be that guy, but doesn't think he deserves to be that guy, but Tony Stark and his feelings about Tony Stark, as opposed to his feelings about Iron Man, and also juxtaposed about his feelings about Captain America and Steve Rogers, could make for a massive, massive thing all its own.