Joe and Anthony Russo Explain Captain America's Journey From 'Winter Solider' to 'Avengers: Infinity War'

The Avengers have changed a great deal over the course of these first 10 years, but few have changed as much as Captain America.

From the battlefields of World War II to fighting an alien conqueror, Captain America has just about seen it all during his surreal life, and the character as a whole reflects that. That was one of the most important tasks for Joe and Anthony Russo when they took over his character in Winter Solider, and the response from fans solidified their vision (via TelegraphIndia).

"Yes, that was a revelation for us, to be honest with you, because we didn't know going into Winter Soldier," Anthony said. "We knew why we wanted to make the movie. We knew what we loved about the character. We knew where we wanted to take it and what we wanted to do with that movie. But we didn't know how anybody else in the world would respond. So, having the movie received like that was a validation for Joe and me that we should just stick with our instincts and our passion for the material and run with that. And hopefully, that's what's going to translate to audiences."

The Russos admit that Cap wasn't their favorite character coming in, but they saw it as a challenge to deconstruct him and rebuild him in a more compelling way.

"We have a history of cross-pollinating genres, and we like deconstruction," Joe said. "Arrested Development dabbles in deconstruction. Community is a show about deconstruction. And those were the kind of books that we loved growing up. Captain America, we've said this before, was not one of our favorite characters. We found him a little flat and a little square, so we wanted to dimensionalize him by sending him on this journey that you'll see continues in Avengers: Infinity War, where he goes from the most patriotic character to an insurgent. In a lot of ways, it represents how it is that we feel about the world and our own growth and our own principles. So it's been a very personal journey for us."

Now Captain Americafinds himself without his trademark shield or his traditional role in the Avengers, but he's no less the hero he's always been.

Marvel Studios' Black Panther is now playing in theaters. Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on April 27, 2018. It is followed by Ant-Man and The Wasp on July 6, 2018. Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 8, 2019, while the fourth Avengers movie lands on May 3, 2019. The sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming hits on July 5, 2019, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 lands in 2020.