The political thriller Captain America: The Winter Soldier was the first of its kind for the superhero genre. Even as more comic book titles were released, it still stood out for the way in which it balanced entertainment and realistic problems, like struggling with conflicting morals in a changing world. Since then, none of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's action scenes have stood out quite as much as the film's elevator scene.  The scene sees Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) taking on multiple agents at once in a tight space. The snappy action and the struggle seen between Cap and his assailants pay homage to another successful action movie franchise.

The now-famous elevator scene seems to have been inspired by Die Hard with a Vengeance, in which John McClane (Bruce Willis) is caught in a similar situation to Captain America. The Die Hard franchise and the Russo brothers share a unique history as this isn't the only time the directing duo has nodded to this particular scene. A similar moment was also shown in the series Community in Season 6, Episode 11, "Modern Espionage." Prior to working with Marvel, the brothers were executive producers of the series and together, they helmed multiple episodes.

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Die Hard with a Vengeance's scene opens up with John McClane being escorted to an elevator by a police officer. Once inside, he begins to notice that the elevator seems more full than it should be. It doesn't take long for McClane to realize that these "police officers" are actually undercover bad guys. Almost immediately, McClane opens fire on his assailants and brutally eliminates them. The Die Hard franchise typically paints McClane as the underdog hero in the series, and the elevator scene serves as a great example of that.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier follows this moment very closely but is only slightly more drawn out. The scene begins with Cap already in the elevator, but with each floor he stops on, more agents enter. Before long, the small space is filled with people. Small inconsistencies with the men, including one in particular who is sweating as if he is nervous, tip Steve off that something isn't right. Like John McClane, it doesn't take long for the star-spangled avenger to make a move.

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The minute the fight starts, the entire elevator of fellow agents try to bring down the captain. However, his Super-Soldier Serum keeps him in the fight, and he knocks out his colleagues in only a couple of minutes. While not exactly an underdog in his franchise, Cap's efforts against insurmountable odds make the scene one of the best homages to the Die Hard franchise. Even the camera angles that show Steve realizing that the agents are enemies mirror the ones on McClane as he observes the officers.

It's hard to ignore the similarities between Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Die Hard with a Vengeance. When their elevator scenes are placed side by side, it's obvious how much love the Russos have for the film that inspired the scene. It also shows that the Russos knew where to take inspiration from when making a movie in a similar genre.

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