MCU cast has been pretty busy during that time. Captain America: The First Avenger depicts the origins of the titular Captain America decades before Steve Rogers would bequeath the mantle to his modern-day compatriot, Sam Wilson. Taking place during World War 2 in the 1940s, it stands to reason that many of the characters featured in Captain America: The First Avenger could not live to see the modern-day MCU like Cap himself, though this was surprisingly not the case for a handful.

Despite debuting Captain America: The First Avenger co-stars proving to be important factors in this legacy, this is what each of them has been up to since the movie's 2011 release.

Chris Evans Became An MCU Figurehead

Chris Evans Portrayed Steve Rogers/Captain America

Chris Evans debuted as Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, making an exceptional first impression as the impossibly virtuous recipient of the super soldier serum. By the time he made his MCU debut, Chris Evans was already something of a comic book movie veteran, having starred as Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four and Lucas Lee in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, to name a couple. Like Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, Evans is now synonymous with the MCU for his central role in many of its subsequent movies.

Chris Evans would return to the MCU as recently as 2024, though this was to reprise his role as Johnny Storm from Fox's Fantastic Four franchise. Evans' most prominent roles outside the MCU include Jack O'Malley in 2024's Red One, Buzz Lightyear in 2022's Lightyear, and Ransom in 2019's Knives Out, which was released just seven months after Avengers Endgame. Evans has been reported to be returning to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday in 2026, though Evans has since refuted these reports.

Sebastian Stan Would Continue To Portray Steve's Best Friend

Sebastian Stan Portrayed Bucky Barnes

Before debuting as Steve Rogers' best friend, Bucky Barnes in the MCU, Sebastian Stan was best known for portraying Carter Baizan in TV's Gossip Girl. His role as Bucky Barnes - a core member of the Howling Commandos who apparently dies while carrying out a mission aboard a speeding train - then helped the actor gain recognition. Despite Bucky's apparent death, the frequency of Bucky Barnes' subsequent MCU appearances is second only to Steve Rogers, as Bucky survived the ordeal and was brainwashed to become the Winter Soldier before becoming a bona fide hero in the MCU.

Sebastian Stan's career has flourished significantly since starring in Captain America: The First Avenger. He recently bagged a Golden Globes award for his role as Edward in 2024's A Different Man and a Best Actor Oscars nomination for his role as Donald Trump in 2024's The Apprentice. His rise has not precluded him from the MCU, however, as he is due to star in 2025's Thunderbolts* as the now-Senator Bucky Barnes and the titular team's leader. Whether Barnes survives the movie remains to be seen, but it's safe to say he now brings more prestige to the MCU's roster.

Hugo Weaving Only Appeared Once In The MCU

Hugo Weaving Portrayed Johann Schmidt/Red Skull

Hugo Weaving was one of the bigger names in Captain America: The First Avenger, where he starred opposite Chris Evans' Steve Rogers as the movie's arch-villain, Red Skull. Before embodying the role of Cap's foremost rival from Marvel Comics, Weaving was most famous for portraying Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy and Elrond in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Red Skull technically survived the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, although he was portrayed by Ross Marquand when he reappeared on Vormir in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Despite not revisiting the MCU, Hugo Weaving reprised his role as Elrond in 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and 2014's The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. He would continue collaborating with Peter Jackson in 2018, where he starred in Mortal Engines as Thaddeus Valentine - though this movie would fall significantly short of the acclaim earned by Jackson's Tolkien adaptations. Most recently, Weaving has starred as Frank Harkness in the far more widely acclaimed Slow Horses TV series and Australian drama movie, How to Make Gravy, as Noel.

Hayley Atwell Reprised Her Role Despite Being Left Behind In The 1940s

Hayley Atwell Portrayed Peggy Carter

Hayley Atwell portrays Peggy Carter, a foremost agent of the Strategic Scientific Reserve and the primary love interest of Steve Rogers. Before starring in the MCU, Hayley Atwell already had a Golden Globe nomination to her name for her starring role as Aliena in the TV series, The Pillars of the Earth, and was a mainstay of London's West End, earning several Laurence Olivier Award nominations for the latter. Despite being one of many characters left behind in the 1940s after Steve Rogers' heroic sacrifice, Hayley Atwell would reprise her MCU role several times.

Hayley Atwell's MCU appearances have been interspersed with multiple high-profile Hollywood roles. These include portraying Martha in season 2, episode 1 of 2013's Black Mirror, Evelyn Robin in 2018's Christopher Robin, and Grace in 2023's Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. Atwell is still closely tied to the MCU, however, voicing Captain Carter in What If...? season 3 while reportedly returning to the role in live-action in Avengers: Doomsday.

Stanley Tucci Had A Short But Pivotal Role

Stanley Tucci Portrayed Dr. Abraham Erskine

Stanley Tucci plays the pivotal role of super soldier serum creator, Dr. Abraham Erskine, who is killed at the behest of Hydra. Tucci would only reprise his role, therefore, in What If...? seasons 1 and 2 and is unlikely to do so again outside of multiversal shenanigans. After Captain America: The First Avenger, Tucci would star as Mitchell Garabedian in 2015's Oscar-winning Spotlight and multiple Hollywood blockbusters including the Hunger Games movies, 2014's Transformers: Age of Extinction, and 2017's Beauty and the Beast. Tucci recently starred as Bellini in 2024's Conclave.

Tommy Lee Jones Was Left Behind In The 1940s

Tommy Lee Jones Portrayed Colonel Chester Phillips

Tommy Lee Jones was one of the most in future MCU installments. He would, however, reprise his iconic role as K in Men in Black 3 just one year after Captain America: The First Avenger's release. Jones would appear in fewer movies than his co-stars, although he made a habit of starring in big hits like 2019's Ad Astra, 2016's Jason Bourne, and 2012's Lincoln​​​​​. The lattermost of these earned Jones an Oscars nod for his ing role as Thaddeus Stevens.

Toby Jones Returned To The MCU In Machine Form

Toby Jones Portrayed Arnim Zola

Toby Jones portrays HYDRA's leading scientist, Arnim Zola, who is captured during the same mission in which Bucky seemingly died. Jones lends his voice to Zola again in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, where he is revealed to have had his consciousness transferred to a computer system before the attempt to kill Captain America destroys him. Jones would co-star once more with Stanley Tucci in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 and Hayley Atwell in Christopher Robin, while his most recent blockbuster role was as Basil Shaw in 2023's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Captain America: The First Avenger's ing Characters

The Early MCU Movie Had A Stacked Cast

Dominic Cooper

Dominic Cooper portrayed a young Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger and reprised the role in Agent Carter and What If...?. He is also known for portraying another comic book character, Jesse Custer, in the Preacher TV adaptation. He portrayed Sky in Mamma Mia, a role he returned to for the sequel, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! Cooper is currently in a relationship with fellow MCU star, Gemma Chan, though the two have not yet appeared in an MCU production together.

Richard Armitage

Richard Armitage plays a small but pivotal role in Captain America: The First Avenger as Heinz Kruger, the Hydra assassin who kills Dr. Erskine before attempting to make off with the super soldier serum and taking his own life. Armitage is best known for his role as Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy. He also voices Wolverine in the 2018 Wolverine podcast series, and has most recently starred as Ellis Stagger in the 2025 TV series Missing You.

Natalie Dormer

One year after portraying Private Lorraine in Captain America: The First Avenger, where she kisses Steve Rogers and drives a rift between him and Peggy Carter, Natalie Dormer would gain international fame and acclaim for her role as Margaery Tyrell in HBO's Game of Thrones from 2012 to 2016. She also starred as Cressida in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 and Part 2, which remain her two highest-grossing movies. Dormer recently starred as Carla in 2024's The Wasp.

David Bradley

David Bradley, best known at the time for portraying Argus Filch in the Harry Potter movie franchise, portrayed the Tower Keeper at the beginning of Captain America. Like his co-star, Natalie Dormer, Bradley starred in Game of Thrones as Walder Frey - the Lord partly responsible for the notorious Red Wedding episode. Bradley has since starred in many high-profile movies, including Guillermo Del Toro's acclaimed adaptation of Pinocchio in 2022, where he voiced Gepetto. He recently starred as Harry in the 2024 TV series, Coma.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson appears briefly at the end of Captain America as Nick Fury, a role he would reprise repeatedly throughout the MCU, making him one of the franchise's most prolific contributors. Samuel L. Jackson is known as one of Hollywood's hardest-working actors, going on to star in such blockbusters as Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight before earning an Honorary Academy Award in 2021. He recently starred as St. Christopher in 2024's The Unholy Trinity.

The Howling Commandos

The Howling Commandos were the elite team of soldiers led by Captain America during World War 2. The team comprised ten soldiers including Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers and were responsible for capturing Arnim Zola and harrying Hydra with a sequence of raids. Following Cap's presumed death, the Howling Commandos continued to operate under the purview of Dum Dum Dugan. Here's where the actors who portrayed the Howling Commandos are now:

• Neal McDonagh (Dum Dum Dugan) - McDonagh reappeared in the MCU Agents of SHIELD, What If...?, and Agent Carter as Dum Dum Dugan resumed the Howling Commandos' operations. McDonagh would go on to star in DC's The Flash as Damian Darhk and Sylvester Stallone's popular Paramount+ show, Tulsa King, as Cal Thresher.
• Kenneth Choi (Jim Morita) - Choi is one of several actors who have played multiple roles in the MCU. After portraying Jim Morita in Captain America: The First Avenger, Choi would also portray Morita's grandson, Midtown High's Principal Morita, in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Choi has since played an enduring role as Howie "Chimney" Han in the popular series 9-1-1 and portrayed Chester Ming in Martin Scorsese's Wolf of Wall Street.
• JJ Feild (James Montgomery Falsworth) - James Montgomery Falsworth is among the most high-profile Howling Commandos in Marvel Comics as he becomes the British superhero, Union Jack. One of Feild's most prominent roles since 2011 was as Roy Lunn in 2019's Le Mans '66 (AKA Ford v Ferrari), while his most recent was as Lev Zubov in the 2022 TV series, The Peripheral.
• Derek Luke (Gabe Jones) - Derrek Luke's Gabe Jones shares a short interaction with Cap in Captain America: The First Avenger and has not been seen in the MCU since. He since starred in the popular Netflix show, 13 Reasons Why as Kevin Porter and in the TV adaptation of The Purge as Marcus Moore. He most recently portrayed Ben Winshaw in 2023's Rare Objects.
• Bruno Ricci (Jacques Dernier) - Jacques Dernier is a member of the French resistance who ed up with the Howling Commandos as their demolitions expert. Actor Bruno Ricci has starred in many international movies and series, most recently portraying Dott Vanni in Amazon series Noi siamo leggenda.

MCU Movies

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  Captain America: Brave New World

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  Thunderbolts*

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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