In 2011, audiences saw actor Chris Evans take on the character of Captain America for the first time, and almost instantly the hero reached a new iconic status. From Captain America: The First Avenger to Avengers: Endgame, fans watched as Steve Rogers grew from a frail but courageous young man to the leader of the World's Greatest Heroes.
Along the way, Steve Rogers went through a great number of personal changes. He realized that not every choice his government made was the right one, going so far as to turn against many of the people he once called friends to fight for what he believed in. And with those personal changes, Steve changed his look as well. Some changes to the suit stuck, while others were fleeting, but each one tells us about the headspace of Captain Rogers.
10 Steve Lost His Gun
In Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers finds himself fighting in World War II to take out Hydra and stop the spread of Nazi Germany. After getting rid of his stage costume for the real deal, Steve began to carry a gun into the field, which made sense.
But when Steve awoke from his long ice nap, he apparently changed his feelings about guns. Gone was not only his pistol but the holster on his hip, replaced with a rather large pocket. What he kept in that pocket is anyone's guess.
9 Steve Reshaped His Helmet
In 2012's Avengers, Captain America's new suit — which Agent Coulson helped design — lost many aspects of the tactical look from First Avenger and became something closer to a modern-day superhero costume. Along with the sleeker suit, Cap's helmet was also redesigned.
In First Avenger, Captain America's helmet has a brown strap that keeps it in place, and the helmet itself isn't perfectly shaped to his head. By the time he joins the Avengers, Steve's helmet has lost the brown strap and replaced it with a blue one, and the helmet itself is thinner and more contoured to the shape of his head.
8 Steve Armored Up
Another major shift in Cap's look from First Avenger to The Avengers was the armor plating of his costume. In First Avenger, Cap's suit appears to be little more than cotton, perhaps with some armor underneath, but nothing too grand.
His Avengers suit, on the other hand, appears to be made out of a Kevlar type of fabric, probably something developed by Tony Stark. While it isn't the best at blocking Chitauri blasters, it's certainly able to withstand more damage than his previous suit. Along with the improved armor, Cap's second suit is more brightly-colored than his World War II gear, making him stand out even more.
7 Steve Went Dark
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, audiences were greeted by a Steve Rogers who swapped his bright red, white, and blue suit from Avengers for something more subdued. His new suit, a dark blue with a silver star and stripes across the chest, was made so that Captain America could partake in S.H.I.E.L.D. missions that required some sneaking around.
This suit fits into Steve's growing concern about the actions he sees his government taking. The idea of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s spy network makes Steve uncomfortable, and he finds himself lost in a gray area for the first time in his life as he tries to track down his oldest friend, Bucky Barnes.
6 Steve Switched To Fingerless Gloves
One small but major change to Captain America's costume in Winter Soldier is the introduction of his fingerless gloves. While this may seem like an unimportant change, Cap's previous gloves were bulky, which likely made it difficult for him to handle smaller objects or throw his mighty shield. By having his fingers free to actually feel and interact with materials, Cap can better react to the things around him. Just try to quickly swipe a keycard while wearing snow gloves and see how much that extra material can throw someone off.
5 Steve Added An 'A' To Show Team Spirit
After the events of Winter Soldier, Captain America was more than happy to get back together with the rest of the Avengers and deal with Ultron. To show off his love for his team, Cap's new costume sported an Avengers 'A' logo on the shoulders, something none of the other members of the team felt the need to do.
Avengers: Age of Ultron shows a Captain America who's learning to adapt to the strange new world he finds himself in while also keeping hold of who he was. The bright colors of the past costumes are back, as are the brown strap for the helmet and belt.
4 Civil War-Era Steve Is Less Red And White, More Blue
Interestingly, Steve loses the shoulder logo by Captain America: Civil War, signaling his separation from his Avengers teammates as the Sokovia Accords go into effect.
Another change to Captain America's look from Age of Ultron to Civil War is the loss of some of the white areas of his suit. In Age of Ultron, Cap has white stripes on his arms, but for Civil War, they're gone. His boots have also changed, going from red to blue. This could be a design choice to show how Steve is once again finding himself in a gray area as he did in Winter Soldier.
3 Steve Grew A Beard And Lost A Star
By Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America finds himself on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D. and every government that signed the Sokovia Accords. To help hide from others, Steve grew a beard so he could better blend in with crowds, but he also changed his suit by removing the white star on his chest.
This symbolizes Captain America's complete break from the land he once fought for. He is now a man without a country, moving from place to place with Vision, Wanda, Falcon, and Black Widow to evade the authorities. Infinity War is quite possibly the darkest period for Steve Rogers, which is saying a lot considering what happens in Avengers: Endgame.
2 Steve Brought The 'A' Back
After the events of Avengers: Infinity War, it seemed like Thanos had succeeded and the heroes had failed. Avengers: Endgame picks up after five years pass; during that time Black Widow takes over as team leader, but that doesn't mean Captain America isn't around.
Along with leading comfort groups for survivors of The Blip, Steve has returned to the Avengers campus, where it seems that he and his crew's decision to go against the Sokovia Accords has been forgiven. To demonstrate this reunion with the team, Steve puts the 'A' back on his shoulders, signifying that he's back with the Avengers.
1 Steve Brought The Star Back, Then Handed It Off
Perhaps more important than the return of the 'A' on the shoulders, Captain America has replaced the missing star on his chest. This suggests that Captain America is not only back with the Avengers, but he's made peace with his home country and is once again a symbol for all that it stands for.
Steve Rogers' journey through the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be over, but that doesn't mean Captain America is gone. With Sam Wilson picking up the shield in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a new Captain America stands ready to fight any and all evil that may come. He even has his very own costume.